The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutS-1520-B Staff AnalysisITEM NO.: 2. NAME: Royal Oaks Subdivision Revised Preliminary Plat LOCATION: located East of Chicot Road on Royal Oaks Drive Planning Staff Comments: S-1520-A 1. Provide notification of abutting property owners of the site, complete with the certified abstract list, notice form with affidavit executed and proof of mailing. The notice must be mailed no later than October 24, 2007. The Office of Planning and Development must receive the proof of notice no later than November 2, 2007. Variance/Waivers: A variance to allow the placement of the required sidewalk at the back of curb. Public Works Conditions: 1. The Master Street Plan requires the back of sidewalks on residential streets to be installed at the property line or the front of the sidewalk about 7 to 8 feet from the back of curb. The preliminary plat was approved by the Planning Commission for the back of the sidewalk to be installed at the property line. It is believed one of the main reasons for moving the sidewalk off the back of curb is for pedestrian safety. 2. Due to the location of the utility pull boxes being located in the wrong place, staff can support the majority of the sidewalk to be located at the property but other section of sidewalk at the boxes can meander closer to the street. The closest pull box to the back of curb is 4.5 feet and the furthest is 8 feet. At the narrowest locations where the utility boxes located, per ADA guidelines only 3 feet of clearance space must be maintained for the proposed 5 foot sidewalk. This would leave about 1.5 feet of clearance between the closest pull box and the back of curb. 3. Due to the location of the utility pull boxes being located in the wrong place, staff can support a sidewalk easement to be installed on the final plat for the sidewalk to be located behind the utility pull box. 4. If the sidewalk is located at the back of curb, how will the transition be made at the driveway crossings because if the sidewalk is at the back of curb the top of the sidewalk will be lower than the top of the back of curb? How will the developer assure that this design will be followed by each home builder? Utilities and Fire Department/County Planning: Wastewater: Sewer available to this property. Entergy: No comment received. Center -Point Energy: No comment received. Item # 2 AT & T: No comment received. Central Arkansas Water: No objection to sidewalk placement. Need to rectify the discrepancy in the connecting street to the north, Grove Lane, and Shady Grove Lane in the development. Fire Department: Approved as submitted. County Planning: No comment. CATA: The site is not located on a dedicated CATA Bus Route. Planning Division: No comment. Landscape: No comment. Revised plat/pian: Submit four (4) copies of a revised preliminary plat/plan (to include the additional information as noted above) to staff on Wednesday, October 24, 2007. Item # 2 November 8, 2007 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont.) FILE NO.: S-1520-A The proposal included an average lot size of 65-feet by 140-feet or 0.21 acres and a minimum lot size of 60-feet by 130-feet or 0.18 acres. There were no waivers or variances requested. A. PROPOSAL/REQUEST: The applicant is now proposing a revision to the previously approved preliminary plat to relocate the placement of the sidewalks. The approved preliminary plat showed the sidewalks along Royal Oaks Drive to be located at the right of way line. The transformer pads and telephone pedestals were installed just inside the right of way line in the intended path of the sidewalk. The developer is requesting to place the sidewalk at the back of curb or just off the back of curb within 1 foot of the curb. The developers are also requesting a waiver of the required sidewalk placement along Ponderosa Drive. B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: New homes are being constructed to the east of the site in Perry Place Phase III and are in various states of completion. The street has been constructed and the utilities are presently in place. Chicot Road is an unimproved roadway with open ditches for drainage and no sidewalk in place. C. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: As of this writing, staff has not received any comment from area property owners. The abutting property owners along with the Deer Meadow Neighborhood Association, the Legion Hut Neighborhood Association, the Yorkwood Neighborhood Association and Southwest Little Rock United for Progress were notified of the public hearing. D. ENGINEERING COMMENTS: PUBLIC WORKS CONDITIONS: The Master Street Plan requires the back of sidewalks on residential streets to be installed at the property line or the front of the sidewalk about 7 to 8 feet from the back of curb. The preliminary plat was approved by the Planning Commission for the back of the sidewalk to be installed at the property line. It is believed one of the main reasons for moving the sidewalk off the back of curb is for pedestrian safety. 2. Due to the location of the utility pull boxes being located in the wrong place, staff can support the majority of the sidewalk to be located at the property line but other sections of sidewalk at the boxes can meander closer to the street. The closest pull box to the back of curb is 4.5 feet and the furthest is 8 feet. At the narrowest locations where the utility boxes are located, per ADA 2 November 8, 2007 ITEM NO.: 2 FILE NO.: S-1520-A NAME: Royal Oaks Subdivision Revised Preliminary Plat LOCATION: Located East of Chicot Road on Royal Oaks Drive DEVELOPER: JSC Construction, LLC 29 Stoneledge Drive Maumelle, AR 72113 FNGINFFR- Civil Design, Inc. 15104 Cantrell Road Little Rock, AR 72223 AREA: 9.985 acres CURRENT ZONING: PLANNING DISTRICT CENSUS TRACT: NUMBER OF LOTS: 38 FT. NEW STREET: 1,832 LF R-2, Single-family 15 — Geyer Springs West 41.06 VARIANCES/WAIVERS REQUESTED: 1. A variance to allow the placement of the required sidewalk at the back of curb along Royal Oaks Drive. 2. A waiver of the required sidewalk placement along Ponderosa Drive. BACKGROUND: On May 11, 2006, the Commission approved a preliminary plat which included the subdivision of 9.985 acres into thirty-six (36) single-family residential lots and two tracts designated as open space and detention. Access to the new lots was proposed by an extension of a new residential public street from Chicot Road to the east 1,194 feet connecting with Shady Grove Lane. The applicant also proposed the removal of two residential lots from Perry Place Phase III to allow access to Ponderosa Drive. A total of 1,832 linear feet of new street was proposed, constructed to Master Street Plan standard. November 8, 2007 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 2 [Cont. FILE NO.: S-15 guidelines only 3 feet of clearance space must be maintained for the proposed 5 foot sidewalk. This would leave about 1.5 feet of clearance between the closest pull box and the back of curb. 3. Due to the location of the utility pull boxes being located in the wrong place, staff can support a sidewalk easement to be installed on the final plat for the sidewalk to be located behind the utility pull box. E. UTILITIES AND FIRE DEPARTMENT/COUNTY PLANNING: Wastewater: Sewer available to this property. Entergy: Approved as submitted. Center -Point Energy: No comment received. AT & T: No comment received. Central Arkansas Water: No objection to sidewalk placement. Need to rectify the discrepancy in the connecting street to the north, Grove Lane and Shady Grove Lane in the development. Fire Department: Approved as submitted. County Planning: No comment. CATA: The site is not located on a dedicated CATA Bus Route. F. ISSUES/TECHNICAL/DESIGN: Planning Division: No comment. Landscape: No comment. G. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (October 18, 2007) The applicant was present representing the request. Staff presented an overview of the proposed development stating there were no remaining outstanding technical issues associated with the request. Staff stated the desire was to relocate the sidewalk along Royal Oaks Drive nearer the street than previously approved. Staff stated they were working with the applicant to determine the location for best placement of the sidewalk. There was no further discussion of the item. The Committee then forwarded the item to the full Commission for final action. 3 November 8, 2007 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont.) FILE NO.: 5-1520-A H. ANALYSIS: A revised preliminary plat was not required to address the issues raised at the October 18, 2007, Subdivision Committee meeting. The applicant is seeking a revision to the previously approved preliminary plat to allow the placement of sidewalks nearer the curb than was previously approved. Staff is not supportive of placing the entire length of the sidewalk at the back of curb and feels from a safety standpoint the sidewalks should be located as far away as possible from the driving lanes. Since the utility boxes were located within the right of way and not within an easement located on the front of the lots, staff can support the majority of the sidewalk being located at the back of the right of way but other sections of sidewalk located at the utility boxes can meander closer to the street. The closest utility box to the back of curb is 4.5 feet and the furthest is 8 feet. At the narrowest locations where the utility boxes are located to the street, per ADA guidelines only 3 feet of clearance space must be maintained for the proposed 5 foot sidewalk. This would leave about 1.5 feet of clearance between the closest utility box and the back of curb. The applicant is also seeking a waiver of the required sidewalk placement along Ponderosa Drive. Staff is not supportive of the request. Staff feels the placement of sidewalks or alternative pedestrian paths to allow connectivity through neighborhoods is an important aspect of subdivision development. Although sidewalks are not in place on the remainder of the street staff feels it is important to develop the newly developing area per the current ordinance standards. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends denial of the request as filed_ PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (NOVEMBER 8, 2007) Mr. James Dreher was present representing the applicant. There were no registered objectors present. Staff presented the item stating they were not supportive of the application as filed. Mr. Dreher stated the owners were requesting to amend the application and place the walks at 18-inches from the curb. He stated the request no longer included a waiver of the sidewalk placement on Ponderosa Drive. He stated the City had design standards which allowed the placement of sidewalks as requested by the developer but staff had indicated the Commission would have to approve any variation from the originally approved plat. Mr. Dreher stated staffs suggestion for a meandering sidewalk was not desirable to the developer. He stated the walks which did not hit the drives perpendicular did not give the desired look the developer was trying to achieve. 12 November 8, 2007 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont.) FILE NO.: S-1520-A The Commission questioned why the walks could not be placed at the back of the right of way. Mr. Dreher stated the utility companies placed their facilities on the wrong side of the easement which encroached into the sidewalk. The Commission questioned if the engineer did not set pins to establish the placement of utilities. Mr. Dreher stated the pins were not put in place until after the utilities were in place. The Commission once again questioned if it was not the developers responsibility to tell the utilities were to place the pull boxes and pedestals. Staff stated they were not supportive of placing the sidewalk at 18 inches. Staff stated this was a case where the developers came and were approved a plan and then for some reason chose not to build the plan. Staff stated they felt the developers should build the plan as approved by the Commission or seek a variance prior to beginning construction of some alternative plan. A motion was made to approve the request. The motion failed by a vote of 2 ayes, 9 noes and 0 absent. 5