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HomeMy WebLinkAboutS-1035 Staff AnalysisFILE NO.: 5-1035 NAME: CHENAL CENTER -- SITE PLAN REVIEW LOCATION: At the northwest corner of Chenal Parkway and Autumn Road DEVELOPER: David H. Pickering PICRERING, INC. 11621 Rainwood Dr. Little Rock, AR 72212 227-6376 AREA: 2.41 ACRES ZONING: C-3 PLANNING DISTRICT: 11 CENSUS TRACT: 24.04 VARIANCES REQUESTED: STATEMENT OF PROPOSAL: ENGINEER: Joe White WHITE-DATERS & ASSOCIATES, INC. 401 S. Victory St. Little Rock, AR 72201 374-1666 NUMBER OF LOTS: 1 FT. NEW STREET: 0 PR PO ED USE : Commercial None The applicant proposes development of a 2.41 acre tract for commercial purposes. An "L"-shaped building lies along the north and west property lines. It is 1-sotry and contains 26,480 square feet. The second building lies at the Chenal Parkway - Autumn Rd. intersection, is single -story, and contains 3,504 square feet. Parking for 120 vehicles is proposed. Access to the site is to be gained from three drive approaches from Autumn Rd. There is one exit provided onto Chenal Parkway. The applicant proposes to construct the west one-half of Autumn Rd, to construct sidewalks along both the Chenal Parkway and Autumn Rd. frontages of the site, and to contribute 1/4 the cost of a traffic signal at the Chenal Parkway -Autumn Rd. intersection. A. PROPQSAWREQUEST: Planning Commission review of a proposed site plan is requested for the development of a 2.41 acres tract for commercial purposes. The site is to consist of two buildings, one containing 26,480 square feet; the other, 3,504 square feet. Parking for 120 vehicles is provided. The required improvements for constructing one-half of Autumn Rd., and construction of a sidewalk on both Chenal Parkway and on Autumn Rd. are proposed. The applicant states that he will pay 1/4 the cost of the needed traffic signal at the Chenal Parkway -Autumn Rd. intersection. FILE N -103 (Cont.) B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: The site is currently undeveloped. It has been previously cleared, and a depressed area in the site has had fill material placed in it. The site is zoned C-3, and is part of the tract previously considered for the Lowe's PCD development. Immediately to the north and west is R-3 zoned property, with scattered single-family home sites north of the site along Autumn Rd. Across Autumn Rd. to the east is a PCD site recently approved for the Chenal Village shopping center. To the south, across Chenal Parkway, is the PCD site for the Home Quarters business. Cater -corner across Chenal Parkway, to the southeast, is the Pinnacle Point hospital in a C-3 zoned tract. C. ENGINEERING/UTILITY COMMENTS: Public Works comments that the plan will have to be revised to eliminate the curb cut on Chenal Parkway, and to eliminate 1 of the curb cuts on Autumn. Additional right- of-way must be provided on Autumn Rd. to Master Street Plan requirements, and to match the proposed improvements on the east side of Autumn Rd. Prior to the issuance of the building permit, complete grading and drainage plan must be provided. Water Works reports that additional fire hydrants may be required. These would be installed and paid for by Water Works, but their installation should be coordinated with the project contractor. Water Works should be contacted regarding meter size and location. Wastewater reports that sewer is available on the east side of Autumn Road. It is the responsibility of the Developer to assure themselves that this property can be served from the existing sewer main. Arkansas Louisiana Gas Co. approved the submittal without comment. Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. will require easements. Landscaping review reports that the areas set aside for buffers along Chenal Parkway, Autumn Road, and along the west perimeter are below minimum ordinance requirements. The northern land use buffer exceeds the Ordinance of 161. The full buffer requirement along Chenal is 16' (minimum: 10 1/21). The full buffer along Autumn Rd. is 13' (minimum: 91). Along the west perimeter of the site, the full buffer requirement is 15 1/2' (minimum: 101). Areas provided on the plan submitted average 5' to 8' in width, with the K FILE -N -1 (Cont.) exception of a 26' wide section along Autumn Rd. adjacent to the building. A minimum of 60% of the land use buffers should remain in their natural state. The method to be used to protect these buffers during construction should be defined. A 6' high opaque screen will be required as part of the land use buffers. This screen can be a wooden fence with its structural supports facing inward, or be dense evergreen plantings. A total of 6% of the interior vehicular use area must be landscaped. The building landscape requirement calls for an average 3' wide landscape strip between the public parking areas and the building. Curb and gutter or another approved border will be required to protect landscaped areas from vehicular traffic. D. ISSUES/LEGAL/TECHNICAL/DESIGN: The Ordinance will require 95 parking spaces; 120 are provided. Public Works has commented that both the exit onto Chenal Parkway and one of the drive approaches on Autumn Rd. must be eliminated. Landscape review commented that there are deficiencies in meeting the landscaping requirements. E. ANALYSIS• The basic layout of the site plan meets the requirements; however, there are concerns Landscape review which must been provided with revised concerns. F. STAFF REG_pMMENDAT_IgNS expressed by Public Works and be addressed. Staff has not drawings which address the Staff recommends approval of the site plan, subject to the applicant satisfactorily addressing the Public Works and Landscape review comments. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (AUGUST 18, 1994) Mr. David Pickering, the proposed developer, and Mr. Joe White, the project engineer, were present. Staff presented an overview of the proposed project and the request. Mr. White reviewed with the Committee the proposed site plan and the comments contained in the discussion outline. The Committee asked Mr. White if he could adjust the plan to comply with the Public Works staff comments, and Mr. White said that he would meet with the Engineering staff to work out the problems. The Committee forwarded the request to the Commission for the public hearing. 3 FILE NO.: 5-1035 (Cent.) — — PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (SEPTEMBER 6, 1994) Mr. Joe White, with White-Daters & Associates, was present as a representative of the developer. Staff outlined the proposal, and indicated that the site plan proposes one entrance drive onto Chenal Parkway, one service drive at the north property line onto Autumn Rd., and 2 entrances to the parking area from Autumn Rd. Staff indicated that the Public Works staff, in their review of the site plan, had reported that: 1) the entrance to Chenal Parkway would not be acceptable; and, 2) that the regulations, passed in January of 1994, limit access points to a commercial development to one access point to each 300 feet of lot frontage, and that the one service drive and 2 access points to the parking area would be limited to the one service drive and one other access point. Staff reported that the applicant had agreed to eliminate the access point to Chenal Parkway, but wished to retain the 3 access points along Autumn Rd. This, staff indicated, would require a variance from the regulations from the Board of Directors. Mr. Joe White reiterated that the developer had agreed to relinquish the access point to Chenal Parkway, but that the one service drive and 2 access points along Autumn Rd. are vitally important. Mr. White reported that the developer has agreed to providing 25% of the cost of the needed traffic signal at the Autumn Rd.-Chenal Parkway intersection; has dedicated right-of- way along both Chenal Parkway and Autumn Rd., even though the Board of Directors does not require the dedication along Chenal Parkway; will make the required improvements on Autumn Rd.; and, will be required to construct a large drainage structure on the property. He said that the developer feels that the 2 access points to the parking area are vital in order to make the development of the site viable, and cannot compromise on them. He cited examples, the new Sonic Drive-in down the street, for example, which have much less frontage, yet have 2 driveways. He said that the Chenal village across Autumn Rd. has a service drive, plus 2 entrances, one on Autumn Rd. and one Financial Center Parkway, yet Chenal Center, with almost as much frontage, would be limited to one drive access point and the service drive. He asked that the Commission recommend to the Board of Directors approval of the 3 access points to Autumn Rd. Bill Henry, City Traffic Engineer, responded that one curb cut for public ingress and egress to the development is ample. Commissioner Walker said that, the larger the development, the more traffic flow can be controlled with an internal circulation system. This development, however, is substantially smaller than those examples, the Wal-Mart site, for example, where a single entrance point is provided, and where internal circulations can 4 FILE NO.: $-1035 (Cont be provided. He indicated that he can see that the developer would be concerned that the corner building would be isolated without the additional access point to the property. Mr. Henry said that there would be a problem with vehicle stacking and access to the site when the Autumn Rd.-Chenal Parkway signal is installed, and as traffic increases on Autumn Rd. Commissioners Woods and Putnam indicated that they could not see how limiting the access points is beneficial; that all that is accomplished is stacking vehicles on the site, or causing people waiting to turn into the site to be stacked on the street waiting for the traffic to clear. Mr. Henry responded that limiting access points limits points of conflict, and is, therefore, safer. Chairperson Chachere clarified that the site plan needed to be approved subject to the Board of Directors approval of a variance of the number of access points on Autumn Rd. A motion was then made to approve the site plan, with a recommendation to the Board of Directors for approval of the requested variance for the 3 access points on the Autumn Rd. frontage of the site. The site plan and recommendation were approved with the vote of 8 ayes, 1 nay, 1 absent, 0 abstentions, and 1 open position. 5