HomeMy WebLinkAbout7 Z-10087 Staff Report
File No.: Z-10087
Owners: Rhys Branman
Applicant: Jonathan Hope – Hope Consulting (Agent)
Address: 50 Edgehill Road
Legal Description: Lot 48 Edgehill, and addition to the City of Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas
Current Zoning: R-2
Present Use: Single Family Residential
Proposed Use: Single Family Residential
Variance(s) Requested: Variances are requested for the area regulations of Section 36-156 to allow a retaining wall accessory structure to be less than 60 feet from the front property
line and have a distance of less than 6-feet from a residence and less than 3-feet from a side or rear yard property line.
Justification: The applicant’s justification is presented in an attached letter.
STAFF REPORT:
Planning and Development Civil Engineering Comments:
No comments.
Landscape and Buffer Comments:
In October 2020 the City adopted the “Heights Landscape Design Overlay District,” requiring installation of one tree per 40 linear feet of street frontage within the Heights District
Boundary, applicable to [among other types] residential construction in excess of 600 square feet.
Building Codes Comments:
No Comments.
Analysis:
The property located at 50 Edgehill Road is currently occupied by a two-story masonry single-family residence with a lot width of 87-feet along the rear (north) property line
and 108.42-feet along the front (south) property line, and a lot depth of 155-feet along the west property line and 219.20-feet along the east property line.
The applicant is proposing to construct a short (4 to 6 feet) retaining wall accessory structure on the southwest (front yard) corner of the lot, and a high (12 foot) retaining wall
accessory structure along the north (rear) and portions of the east and west side yard property lines.
The proposed front yard retaining wall accessory structure will be located 19.6-feet from the front (south) property line. The proposed rear yard accessory retaining wall structure will
be located 3.1-feet from the rear (north) property line and located 3.7-feet from the northwest corner of the existing residence.
Section 36-156(b) states “All single- and two-family residences shall be separated from accessory structures by a distance of not less than six (6) feet.” Therefore, the applicant is
requesting a variance to allow a retaining wall accessory structure to be not less than 3.7-feet from the existing residence.
Section 36-156(c) states “Accessory buildings or structures in the R-1 through R-4A districts shall not be located closer than sixty (60) feet to the front property line.” Therefore,
the applicant is requesting a variance to allow an accessory structure to be not less than 19.6-feet from the front property line.
Staff is supportive of the requested setback variances to install a retaining wall at the property. Staff views the request as reasonable. The front wall will be located mainly at the
southwestern edge of the property’s front yard area, and the rear wall will be located along the east, west, and north perimeters of the property. Staff views this request as minor
in nature and believes the reduced setbacks will have no adverse impact on the surrounding properties.
Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the requested setback variances to allow the retaining wall accessory structures to be not less than 19.6-feet from the front property line and not less
than 3.1 feet from the existing residence, and the requested variances to allow the reduction of the front yard setback to no less than 19.6 feet and the reduction of the rear yard
setback to no less than 3.1-feet, with the following conditions:
Obtain a building permit prior to construction.
Install trees, if deemed applicable at the time of building permit, in accordance with the Heights Design Overlay District requirements.