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HomeMy WebLinkAboutS-1571 Staff AnalysisJune 7, 2007 ITEM NO.: 19 FILE NO.: S-1571 NAME: Lots 4, 5 and 6 Replat, Block 99, Original City of Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas and the East/West Alley located in Block 99, Original City of Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas LOCATION: Located south of Garland and East of Broadway Streets DEVELOPER: Hal J. Kemp c/o White-Daters Engineers #24 Rahling Circle Little Rock, AR 72223 ENGINEER: White-Daters Engineers #24 Rahling Circle Little Rock, AR 72223 AREA: 0.51 acres NUMBER OF LOTS: 4 additional lots FT. NEW STREET: 0 CURRENT ZONING: UU, Urban Use District PLANNING DISTRICT: 5 - Downtown CENSUS TRACT: 1 VARIANCES/WAIVERS REQUESTED: A variance from the various Subdivision Ordinance and Zoning Ordinance requirements to allow the creation of the lots as indicated. A. PROPOSAL/REQUEST: The applicant is proposing a replat of three existing lots to allow the creation of a vertical subdivision and the addition of four (4) vertical lots defined as the air space between 305.0 feet and 427.0 feet above mean sea level. This is an existing building. The purpose of the plat is to create a subdivision to allow the sale of the individual floors as real property. June 7, 2007 ITEM NO.: 19 Cont. FILE NO.: S-1571 B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: Building construction is taking place on the site and residential units are being added. To the east of the site is the Old State House Museum and west of the site is the Double Tree Hotel. South of the site is the Pulaski County Courthouse and an office building located on the southeast corner of West Markham and Spring Streets. To the north of the site is LaHarpe Boulevard and the Arkansas River. Other uses in the area include public uses including Little Rock City Hall and the Pulaski County Administrative offices. There are a number of office and commercial uses in the area including two hotels to the east and southeast. C. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS - As of this writing, staff has not received any comment from area residents. All owners of property abutting the proposed site along with the Downtown Neighborhood Association were notified of the Public Hearing. D. ENGINEERING COMMENTS: PUBLIC WORKS CONDITIONS: The Public Works staff will review the replat in detail at the time of final platting to determine if any additional requirements are necessary to complete the final platting process. E. UTILITIES AND FIRE DEPARTMENT/COUNTY PLANNING: Staff will work with the various utility agencies during the final platting process to determine the need for easements. F. ISSUES/TECHN ICAL/DESIGN: Planning Division: No comment. Landscape: No comment. G. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (May 17, 2007) Mr. Tim Daters was present representing the request. Staff presented an overview of the proposed preliminary plat indicating there were no remaining outstanding issues associated with the request. Staff stated during the final platting process they would work with the various departments and agencies to seek comment and satisfy easement concerns. There was no further discussion of the item. The Committee then forwarded the item to the full Commission for final action. 2 June 7, 2007 ITEM NO.: 19 (Cont.) FILE NO.: 5-1571 H. ANALYSIS: There were no remaining outstanding technical issues in need of addressing raised at the May 17, 2007, Subdivision Committee meeting. The applicant is seeking a replat of three (3) previously platted lots in the Original City of Little Rock to allow for the creation of a vertical subdivision. Although, the City of Little Rock Code of Ordinances does not define a vertical subdivision, staff looked to similar cities for a definition of a vertical subdivision. According to Riverside, CA a "Vertical Subdivision" means a subdivision in which the air space above the property is divided for the purpose of sale or for the conveyance of an undivided interest coupled with the right of exclusive occupancy. The typical suburban residential subdivision starts with a large parcel of land, such as a farm field, owned by one person. This large parcel can be sold as a whole to another person but generally cannot be sold off in smaller parts. A developer enters the picture and formally subdivides the large parcel into smaller parcels. Each of the smaller parcels can be identified on a survey and can easily be sold by subsequent owners. This typical subdivision can be thought of as a "horizontal' subdivision. Separate, subdivided lots are created side by side. Each individual owner owns the subsurface rights beneath the lot as well as the air rights above the lot. When subdividing a mixed -use property, a developer follows the same procedure only the subdivided lots are located on top of each other rather than side -by -side. Consequently, this type of subdivision is called a vertical subdivision. The property description of the replat is as follows: A Replat of Lots 4, 5 and 6, Block 99, Original City of Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas; AND The former 20 foot wide alley lying between Lots 4, 5, and 6, Block 99, Original City of Little Rock and Lots 7, 8 and 9, Block 99, Original City of Little Rock, Arkansas; AND A tract of land lying entirely with the right of way of Garland Street, lying immediately north of and adjacent to the north line of Lots 4, 5 and 6, Block 99, Original City of Little Rock, more particularly described as follows: Beginning at the northeast corner of Lot 4, Block 99, Original City of Little Rock said point being on the South Right of Way line of Garland Street, thence West 85.0 feet along the South Right of Way line of Garland Street which is also the north line of Lots 4, 5 and 6, Block 99, Original City of Little Rock to a point which is 35.0 feet east of the northwest corner of said Lot 6, Block 99, Original City of Little Rock; thence North 51.0 feet to a point on the south curb line of State Hwy No. 10 (La Harp Blvd); thence easterly 85.0 feet along said Hwy 10 south curb line to a point immediately north of the northeast corner of Lot 4, Block 99, Original City of Little Rock; thence South 46.0 feet to the northeast corner of Lot 4, Block 99, Original City of Little Rock, AND The air space lying between 305.0 feet m.s.l. and 427.0 feet m.s.l. immediately above the following described tract of land: A tract of land lying entirely with the Right of Way of Garland Street and immediately north of Lot 6, Block 99, Original City of Little Rock, more particularly described as: Beginning at a point on the South right of way line of Garland Street which is 24.58 East of the Northwest corner of Lot 6, Block 99, Original City of Little Rock; thence West along said south right of way line and along the north line of said Lot 6, 10.42 feet; thence North 51.0 feet to a point of the south curb line of Arkansas 3 June 7, 2007 ITEM NO.: 19 (Cont. FILE NO.: S-1571 State Highway 10; thence East 10.42 feet; thence South 51.00 feet to the point of beginning. AND The air space lying between 333.22 feet m.s.l. and 346.10 feet m.s.l. and between 346.10 feet m.s.l. and 427.0 feet m.s.l. immediately above the following described tract of land: A tract of land lying entirely with the Right of Way of Garland Street and immediately north of Lot 6, Block 99, Original City of Little Rock, more particularly described as: Beginning at a point on the South right of way line of Garland Street which is 35.0 feet East of the Northwest corner of Lot 6, Block 99, Original City of Little Rock; thence West along said south right of way line and along the north line of said Lot 6, 0.33 feet; thence North 51.0 feet to a point of the south curb line of Arkansas State Highway 10; thence East 0.33 feet; thence South 51.00 feet to the point of beginning. The proposal includes variance requests from the Subdivision and Zoning Ordinances to allow the creation of the plat as proposed. Although, no variances have been identified, the applicant is seeking approval of any variances should they exist. Staff is supportive of this request. Staff is supportive of the applicant's request to allow the creation of the vertical subdivision as proposed. As indicated in the legal description the applicant has described the air space and the areas above mean sea level to create the four additional lots proposed within the vertical subdivision. To staff's knowledge there are no outstanding issues associated with the request. Staff does not feel the creation of a vertical subdivision as proposed will significantly impact the area or the development. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval of the request and any associated variances subject to compliance with the comments and conditions as outlined in paragraphs D, E and F of the agenda staff report. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION- (JUNE 7, 2007) The applicant was present representing the request. There were no registered objectors present. Staff presented the item with a recommendation of approval of the request and any associated variances subject to compliance with the comments and conditions as outlined in paragraphs D, E and F of the agenda staff report. There was no further discussion of the item. The chair entertained a motion for placement of the item on the Consent Agenda for Approval. The motion carried by a vote of 9 ayes, 0 noes, 1 absent and 1 open position. 0