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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-10083 Staff Report 102924 (2)November 14, 2024 ITEM NO.: 27 FILE NO.: Z-10083 NAME: Access Village – POD LOCATION: 7814 “T” Street DEVELOPER: Access Group, Incorporated 10618 Breckenridge Drive Little Rock, 72211 OWNER/AUTHORIZED AGENT: Holloway Engineering (Agent) 200 Casey Drive Maumelle, AR 72113 SURVEYOR/ENGINEER: Holloway Engineering (Agent) 200 Casey Drive Maumelle, AR 72113 AREA: 2 acres NUMBER OF LOTS: 1 FT. NEW STREET: 0 LF WARD: 4 PLANNING DISTRICT: 3 CENSUS TRACT: 22.03 CURRENT ZONING: PCD VARIANCE/WAIVERS: None requested. BACKGROUND: The property is currently zoned PCD and previously operated as Miss Selma’s School. A. PROPOSAL/REQUEST/APPLICANT’S STATEMENT: The applicant is requesting to rezone the property from PCD to POD to develop an on-campus facility to serve persons with developmental disabilities. November 14, 2024 ITEM NO.: 27 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10083 2 B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: The property was formerly operated by Miss Selma’s School. The site contains several existing buildings located throughout the campus that were utilized for various purposes. Properties surrounding the site contain a mixture of zoning and uses. C. NEIGHBORHOOD NOTIFICATIONS: All owners of property within 300 feet of the site and all neighborhood associations registered with the City of Little Rock were notified of the public hearing. D. ENGINEERING COMMENTS: 1. The Civil Engineering Division had initial concerns regarding the cul-de-sac design, with respect to parking and dumpster location. These issues will be addressed with the final designs for the project. E. UTILITIES/FIRE DEPARTMENT/PARKS/COUNTY PLANNING: Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority: No comments. Entergy: No comments received. Summit Utilities: No comments. AT & T: No comments received. Central Arkansas Water: 1. Provide 15’ Utility Easement for Existing 2” Galvanized Water main on T Street. 2. All Central Arkansas Water requirements in effect at the time of request for water service must be met. 3. The Little Rock Fire Department needs to evaluate this site to determine whether additional public and/or private fire hydrant(s) will be required. If additional fire hydrant(s) are required, they will be installed at the Developer's expense. 4. Please submit plans for water facilities and/or fire protection system to Central Arkansas Water for review. Plan revisions may be required after additional review. Contact Central Arkansas Water regarding procedures for installation of water facilities and/or fire service. Approval of plans by the Arkansas Department of Health Engineering Division and Little Rock Fire Department is required. November 14, 2024 ITEM NO.: 27 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10083 3 5. If there are facilities that need to be adjusted and/or relocated, contact Central Arkansas Water. That work would be done at the expense of the developer. 6. Contact Central Arkansas Water regarding the size and location of the water meter. 7. Due to the nature of this facility, installation of an approved reduced pressure zone backflow preventer assembly (RPZ) is required on the domestic water service. This assembly must be installed prior to the first point of use. Central Arkansas Water (CAW) requires that upon installation of the RPZA, successful tests of the assembly must be completed by a Certified Assembly Tester licensed by the State of Arkansas and approved by CAW. The test results must be sent to CAW's Cross Connection Section within ten days of installation and annually thereafter. Contact the Cross Connection Section at 377-1226 if you would like to discuss backflow prevention requirements for this project. Fire Department: Maintain Access: Fire Hydrants. Maintain fire apparatus access roads at fire hydrant locations as per Appendix D of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D103.1 Access road width with a hydrant. Where a fire hydrant is located on a fire apparatus access road, the minimum road width shall be 26 feet, exclusive of shoulders. Grade Maintain fire apparatus access roads as per Appendix D of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D103.2 Grade. Fire apparatus access roads shall not exceed 10 percent in grade except as approved by the fire chief. If the grade exceeds 10 percent, approval will be denied, and the applicant must submit request to be reviewed by Fire Chief for Approval. Loading Maintain fire apparatus access road design as per Appendix D of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D102.1 Access and loading. Facilities, buildings or portions of buildings hereafter constructed shall be accessible to fire department apparatus by way of an approved fire apparatus access road with asphalt, concrete or other approved driving surface capable of supporting the imposed load of fire apparatus weighing at least 75,000 pounds. Commercial and Industrial Developments – 2 means of access. - Maintain fire apparatus access roads as per Appendix D of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 November 14, 2024 ITEM NO.: 27 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10083 4 Section D104.1 Buildings exceeding three stories or 30 feet in height. Buildings or facilities exceeding 30 feet or three stories in height shall have at least two means of fire apparatus access for each structure. Section D104.2 Building exceeding 62,000 square feet in area . Buildings or facilities having a gross building area of more than 62,000 square feet shall be provided with two separate and approved fire apparatus access roads. Exception: Projects having a gross building area of up to 124,000 square feet that have a single approved fire apparatus access road when all buildings are equipped throughout with approved automatic sprinkler systems. D104.3 Remoteness. Where two fire apparatus access roads are required, they shall be placed a distance apart equal to not less than one half of the length of the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the lot or area to be served, measured in a straight line between accesses. 30’ Tall Buildings - Maintain aerial fire apparatus access roads as per Appendix D of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D105.1 – D105.4 D105.1 Where Required. Where the vertical distance between the grade plane and the highest roof surface exceeds 30’, approved aerial fire apparatus access roads shall be provided. For the purposes of this section the highest roof surfaces shall be determined by measurement to the eave of a pitched roof, the intersection of a roof to the exterior wall, or the top of the parapet walls, whichever is greater. D105.2 Width. Aerial fire apparatus access roads shall have a minimum unobstructed with of 26’, exclusive of shoulders, in the immediate vicinity of the building or portion thereof. D105.3 Proximity to building. At least one of the required access routes meeting this condition shall be located within a minimum of 15 feet and a maximum of 30 feet from the building and shall be positioned parallel to one entire side of the building. The side of the building on which the aerial fire apparatus access road is positioned shall be approved by the fire code official. D105.4 Obstructions. Overhead utility and power lines shall not be located over the aerial fire apparatus access road or between the aerial fire apparatus road and the building. Other obstructions shall be permitted to be placed with the approval of the fire code official. November 14, 2024 ITEM NO.: 27 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10083 5 Dead Ends Maintain fire apparatus access roads at dead end locations as per Appendix D of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D103.4 Dead Ends. Dead-end fire apparatus access roads in excess of 150 feet shall be provided with width and turnaround provisions in accordance with Table D103.4. Requirements for Dead-end fire apparatus access roads. Gates Maintain fire apparatus access road gates as per Appendix D of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D103.5 Fire apparatus access road gates. Gates securing the fire apparatus access roads shall comply with all of the following criteria: 1. Minimum gate width shall be 20 feet. 2. Gates shall be of swinging or sliding type. 3. The construction of gates shall be of material that allows manual operation by one person. 4. Gate components shall be maintained in an operable condition at all times and replace or repaired when defective. 5. Electric gates shall be equipped with a means of opening the gate by fire department personnel for emergency access. Emergency opening devices shall be approved by the fire code official. 6. Manual opening gates shall not be locked with a padlock or chain and padlock unless they are capable of being opened by means of forcible entry tools or when a key box containing the keys to the lock is installed at the gate location. 7. Locking device specifications shall be submitted for approval by the fire code official. 8. Electric gate operators, where provided, shall be listed in accordance with UL 325. 9. Gates, intended for automatic operation, shall be designed, constructed and installed to comply with the requirements of ASTM F 2200. Parks and Recreation: No comments received. County Planning: No comments. F. BUILDING CODES/LANDSCAPE: Building Code: No comments received. November 14, 2024 ITEM NO.: 27 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10083 6 Landscape: 1. Any new site development must comply with the City’s minimal landscape and buffer ordinance requirements. Refer to the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 15 Landscaping and Tree Protection, and Chapter 36, Article IX – Buffers and Screening. 2. Site development plans, with landscape and screening, must be submitted for review, and approval, prior to site clearing and tree removal. G. TRANSPORTATION/PLANNING: Rock Region Metro: No comments received. Planning Division: The request is in the West Little Rock Planning District. The Land Use Plan shows PI for the requested area. The Public/Institutional (PI) category includes public and quasi-public facilities that provide a variety of services to the community such as schools, libraries, fire stations, churches, utility substations, and hospitals. The application is for a POD for an existing institutional use. November 14, 2024 ITEM NO.: 27 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10083 7 Surrounding the application area on the west and south are single family homes in a developed subdivision in a low density residential use area. To the north and east of the subject site a businesses in office, mixed office commercial and commercial use areas. This site is not located in an Overlay District. Master Street Plan: T Street is a Local Street on the Master Street Plan. Local Streets are roads designed to provide access to adjacent property with the movement of traffic being a secondary purpose. The standard Right-of-way is 50’. Sidewalks are required November 14, 2024 ITEM NO.: 27 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10083 8 on one side. This street may require dedication of right-of-way and may require street improvements. Bicycle Plan: T Street is not shown on the Master Bike Plan with existing or proposed facilities in this area. Historic Preservation Plan: This property is not located in a Historic District. H. ANALYSIS: The applicant is requesting to rezone the property from PCD to POD to develop an on-campus facility to serve persons with developmental disabilities. The property was formerly operated by Miss Selma’s School. The site contains several existing buildings located throughout the campus that were utilized for various purposes. Properties surrounding the site contain a mixture of zoning and uses. Access to the Village will be located at the western intersection of “T” Street and Watt Street that opens up to a cul-de-sac containing that contains approximately eleven (11) parking spaces for visitors and staff. To staff’s knowledge, none of the residents will drive their own vehicles. Staff feels the proposed parking is sufficient to serve the use. The contractor proposes to construct all access ramps and paving to City and/or ADA standards. The entire campus will contain a network of paved walking paths connecting the entire campus with the exception of the activity hub. The applicant notes the development will serve a greater mission of offering long- term rental solutions for adults with disabilities who seek to live independently and engage fully within their community. Community residents will be regularly supported by staff, including a property manager living onsite and available 24/7, as well as various direct support professionals providing additional support throughout the day to create an independent and productive living environment. The site plan shows front building setbacks ranging from ten (10) to fifteen (15) feet, a rear yard setback of twenty (20) feet, fifteen (15) feet from the north property line, and eight (8) feet from the south property line. Staff feels all proposed building setbacks are sufficient for the proposed use. November 14, 2024 ITEM NO.: 27 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10083 9 The development will begin with demolishing all of the existing vacant homes previously used as classrooms and cleaning the site. The existing 5,600 square foot gymnasium, and classroom building will be retained and repurposed as a central facility for vocational education and recreational activities. The applicant notes the building contains large exterior overhead doors that open allowing for a seamless blend between outdoor and indoor spaces that will facilitate perfect space for vocational education and recreational activities encouraging skill development, independence, and personal growth. The development will include a maximum number of thirty-four (34), single-family, detached and duplex residential units ranging in size from 450 square feet to 1,500 square feet in area. The applicant notes that multi-bedroom units may have more than one resident. The maximum building height will not exceed thirty-five (35) feet. The applicant proposes constructing a one-story, 3,000 square foot café that will allow the residents to further their cooking, cleaning, and serving skills and providing meals for other residents with the goal being to establish a common place to serve meals in a communal setting, thus enhancing the sense of community. Amenities built into the campus will feature an integrated community, landscaped outdoor spaces, including walking paths, a dog park, a pavilion, and areas dedicated to games and leisure activities. The spaces will encourage residents to enjoy time outdoors, fostering social interaction and a connection to nature. The applicant notes the campus will be designed to be a walkable community, with convenient access to shopping, dining and public transportation. The development will also contain over forty-three thousand (43,000) square feet of landscaping to be installed throughout the campus. The applicant also addressed additional aspects of the campus and will provide: 1. Safety and security with on-site staff available 24 hours a day. 2. Low-voltage, non-intrusive outdoor lighting. 3. Noise levels adhering to all city noise ordinances. 4. The allowance of pets that are owned by residents living on the campus. 5. Community contributions that aim to add value to the surrounding neighborhoods and businesses. 6. The convenience of the location of the campus and addressing the need for families searching for an inclusive, supportive living environment for their loved ones. November 14, 2024 ITEM NO.: 27 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10083 10 The site plan shows the dumpster area immediately north as you enter the campus from “T” Street. The dumpster area must be screened and comply with Section 36-523 of the City's Zoning Ordinance. The applicant did not provide a sign plan at this time. All signs must comply with Section 36-553 of the City’s zoning ordinance (signs permitted in institutional and office zones). All site lighting must be low-level and directed away from adjacent properties. Staff is supportive of the requested POD. The proposed campus represents an opportunity for many families to provide their loved ones with an inclusive, supportive living environment that will not only foster the development of individuals with disabilities to thrive, but also empower them to contribute meaningfully to the broader community. Staff feels that the campus will benefit the community and the City as it provides vital resources to address the need to provide a facility for individuals with developmental disabilities. Staff feels the Access Village campus will have a positive impact within the community. I. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the proposed POD rezoning, subject to compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraphs D, E and F, and the staff analysis, of the agenda staff report.