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Home My WebLink AboutS-1029 Staff AnalysisSeptember 6, 1994 ITEM NO.: B FILE NO.: 5-1.029 NAME: BACKYARD BURGERS - UNIVERSITY SHOPPING CENTER -- SITE PLAN REVIEW LOCATION: On Asher Ave., approximately 300 feet east of University Ave., in the University Shopping Center parking lot. DEVELOPER: SYNERGISED PROPERTIES 6823 Cantrell Road Little Rock, AR 72207 666-0776 AREA: N.A. NUMBER OF LOTS: ZONING• C-3 PLANNING DISTRICT: 9 CENSUS TRACT: 21.02 VARIANCES REQUESTED: STATEMENT OF PROPOSAL: ENGINEER: Pat McGetrick MCGETRICK ENGINEERING 11225 Huron Ln., Suite 200 Little Rock, AR 72211 223-9900 1 PROPOSED USES: None FT. NEW STREET: 0 Drive-Thru Restaurant The applicant proposes the construction of a Backyard Burgers fast food drive-thru unit to be located on a lease parcel in the parking lot of the University Shopping Center. The unit is to be a typical Backyard Burgers outlet with drive-thru service and outside patio seating. The building has been sited to provide vehicle stacking of 7 or 8 cars for each of the two drive-thru lanes. A. PROPOSAW REQUEST: Site plan review is requested by the Planning Commission for construction of a new Backyard Burgers outlet to be located in the University Shopping Center parking lot. Drive-thru and outside patio seating service is proposed. A provision for vehicle stacking space for 7 or 8 cars per drive-thru lane has been designed before interference with traffic flow in the main east -west drive of the shopping center parking lot would occur.. B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: The shopping center site is zoned C-3, and is a 17-acre tract with total building area of approximately 202,537 square feet consisting of a main shopping center building, a September 6, 1994 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: B (continued) FILE NO.: S-1029 service station at the northwest corner of the tract, and three free-standing buildings along the south, Asher Avenue, frontage of the tract. These three free-standing buildings consist of a Superior Federal branch bank at the southwest corner of the tract, a First Commercial branch bank approximately centered along the Asher Ave. frontage of the parking lot, and a video store located at the southeast corner of the parking lot. The shopping center currently provides approximately 843 parking spaces; 556 spaces are required by the regulations. C. ENGZNEERINGIUTILITY COMMENTS: Public Works comments that the proposed traffic flow does not provide adequate stacking space for vehicles waiting for service at the order boards, and that there is a potential for stacked cars to block the shopping center main east -west drive. Little Rock Water Works reports that they will need to be contacted regarding meter size and location. They indicate that service to this part of the tract may present some problems. Little Rock Wastewater Utility reports that sewer is available, and there will be no adverse effect on the sewer system. Arkansas Power and Light Co. will require easement for service to the facility. Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. approved the submittal without comment. The Little Rock Fire Department approved the submittal without comment. Landscape review comments that a 6 foot wide landscape strip is required at the lease lot line around the perimeter of the site, exclusive of ingress and egress drives. Also, a 3 foot wide landscape strip is required between the public parking and the building. An 8 foot high dumpster enclosure will be required on 3 sides of the dumpster. D. ISSUES/LEGAL/TECHNICAL/DESIGN: Section 31-13 of the Subdivision Ordinance requires site plan review for developments "involving the construction of two (2) or more buildings". The site is a 17-acre site 2 September 6, 1994 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: B (Continued) FILE NO.: S-1029 containing the main shopping center building, a service station building, and three other free standing buildings. The Backyard Burgers outlet would be the sixth building on the site. Site plan review pursuant to the provisions of the Subdivision Regulations, then, is required. A provision for the required building and lease lot line landscaping needs to be addressed. The Backyard Burgers facility is located immediately to the east of the first entrance drive off Asher Ave. east of University Ave. This places it between this drive and the First Commercial branch bank facility. Traffic leaving the Backyard Burgers drive-thru would either: a) turn to the east and drive south of the First Commercial bank, sharing this space with customers leaving the bank drive-thru; or b) double back to the north towards the main shopping center east -west drive. There are no clear traffic routes, and practically no stacking space, for vehicles accessing the First Commercial drive-thru, and the addition of the Backyard Burgers traffic to this area compounds the problem. E. ANALYSIS• The traffic patterns in the area between the Backyard Burgers facility and the First Commercial location are confused and congested. There is inadequate space in this congested area for the traffic from these two uses to be able to maneuver safely. The site, even after reducing the parking by approximately 28 spaces to accommodate the new use, still meets the parking requirements. Parking for 556 vehicles is required; parking for 775 is provided. F. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends denial of the site plan as presented. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (JULY 7, 1994) Mr. Pat McGetrick, the project engineer, was present. Staff outlined the proposal and reviewed with the Committee and Mr. McGetrick the deficiencies noted in the discussion outline. There was discussion regarding the various deficiencies and the traffic engineer's analysis of the potential problem with inadequate stacking space for vehicles waiting for service. The Committee forwarded the plan to the Commission for final resolution. 3 September 6, 1994 5UBDIVISION ITEM NO.: B (Continued) FILE NO.: S-1029 PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (JULY 26, 1994) Staff reported that a letter had been received from Mr. Pat McGetrick, the project engineer, requesting that the hearing of the item be deferred until the August 9, 1994 Commission meeting. Mr. McGetrick had indicated that a redesign of the site was being considered in order to deal with the staff concerns concerning traffic flow around the proposed Backyard Burgers. The item was included on the consent agenda for deferral, and the deferral was approved with the vote of 8 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent, 0 abstentions, and 1 open position. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (AUGUST 9, 1994) Staff reported that the applicant had been in contact with staff during the previous two weeks to discuss the staff concerns regarding traffic circulation around the proposed Backyard Burgers. Staff related that the primary concerns had been the apparent inadequate vehicle stacking distance between the service windows and the shopping center's east -west drive, and the possible traffic flow conflicts with First Commercial Bank customers. Staff reported that staff had suggested that Backyard Burgers reverse the traffic route to provide additional vehicle stacking distance, and that the parking lot in front of the First Commercial Bank drive-thru facility be re -striped and have an island installed to separate the traffic of the two uses. Mr. Pat McGetrick was present to represent the applicant. Mr. McGetrick reported that the shopping center management and the Backyard Burgers representatives had studied the various options, and had agreed that the parking area to the north of the First Commercial Bank could be re -striped to provide better traffic flow, and, that a landscaping strip could be provided to separate the traffic generated by the two uses; however, Backyard Burgers had felt that if the traffic flow around the building were reversed, the rear of the building would be facing Asher Ave., and that would be unacceptable. Mr. McGetrick indicated that potential problems with vehicle stacking would be limited, primarily, to lunchtime when the shopping center traffic is minimal. He, therefore, asked the Commission to approve the site plan as revised, but without the requirement to reverse the traffic flow and, consequently, the building. A motion was made and seconded to approve the site plan as presented; however, with the vote of 4 ayes, 4 nays, 2 absent, 0 abstentions, and 1 open position, the motion failed to receive the required number of votes for approval, and was deferred until the -September 6, 1994 Commission hearing. !I September 6, 1994 SUBDIVISION ITEM N H Continued FILE NO.: S-102 PLANNING_ CDMMISSION ACTION: (SEPTEMBER 6, 1994) Staff reported that the applicant had agreed to the staff and Subdivision Committee recommendation that the proposed Backyard Burgers building be reversed so that the front of the building faces north. This modification allows traffic flow to the drive - up windows to enter the drive -up at the lanes between the proposed building and the existing First Commercial Bank facility, and increases the stacking space to over 20 vehicles in lieu of the 7 or 8 cars which was provided in the original submission. This change addresses the staff concerns regarding the potential for stacked cars waiting for service at the Backyard Burgers restaurant blocking the main east -west drive through the shopping center parking lot. The item was included on the consent agenda for approval, and the site plan was approved with the vote of 9 ayes, 0 nays, 0 absent, 1 abstention, and 1 open position. 61