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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Minutes for Z-10061 121224December 12, 2024 ITEM NO.: 6 FILE NO.: Z-10061 NAME: Flores Office-Warehouse – PD-O LOCATION: 7524 Fairfield Drive DEVELOPER: Hope Consulting (Agent) 129 Main Street Benton, AR 72015 OWNER/AUTHORIZED AGENT: Mendez Construction, Incorporated (Owner) 9801 Stardust Trail Little Rock, AR 72209 SURVEYOR/ENGINEER: Hope Consulting 129 Main Street Benton, AR 72015 AREA: .33 acre NUMBER OF LOTS: 1 FT. NEW STREET: 0 LF WARD: 2 PLANNING DISTRICT: 15 CENSUS TRACT: 41.06 CURRENT ZONING: R-2 VARIANCE/WAIVERS: None requested. A. PROPOSAL/REQUEST/APPLICANT’S STATEMENT: The applicant proposes to rezone the property from R-2 to PD-O to allow for the construction of a 50’ x 30’ office-warehouse building to operate a construction company. The building will contain six (6) offices with associated parking for employees and customers, and one (1) garage door/bay area for the parking of company vehicles. December 12, 2024 ITEM NO.: 6 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10061 2 B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: Several properties in the general area to the north along Chicot Road contain a mixture of commercial and office zoning and uses. Most of the remaining properties south, east and west of the site contain single-family zoning and uses. C. NEIGHBORHOOD NOTIFICATIONS: All owners of property located 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: No comments. E. UTILITIES/FIRE DEPARTMENT/PARKS/COUNTY PLANNING: Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority: 1. Sewer appears to be near southern and western lot lines. LRWRA will need an easement if sewer is outside the ROW. Entergy: No comments received. Summit Energy: No comments. AT & T: No comments received. Central Arkansas Water: 1. All Central Arkansas Water requirements in effect at the time of request for water service must be met. 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. December 12, 2024 ITEM NO.: 6 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10061 3 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 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 December 12, 2024 ITEM NO.: 6 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10061 4 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. 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. December 12, 2024 ITEM NO.: 6 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10061 5 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. Fire Hydrants Locate Fire Hydrants as per Appendix C of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code. Section C101 – C105, in conjunction with Central Arkansas Water (Jason Lowder 501-377-1245) and the Little Rock Fire Marshal’s Office (Capt. Tony Rhodes 501-918-3757, or Fire Marshal Derek N. Ingram 501-918-3756 Number and Distribution of Fire Hydrants as per Table C105.1. Parks and Recreation: No comments received. County Planning: No comments received. F. BUILDING CODES/LANDSCAPE: Building Code: No comments received. 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 Geyer Springs West Planning District. The Land Use Plan shows RL for the requested area. The Residential Low Density (RL) category provides for single family homes at densities not to exceed 6 dwelling units per December 12, 2024 ITEM NO.: 6 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10061 6 acre. Such residential development is typically characterized by conventional single family homes but may also include patio or garden homes and cluster homes, provided that the density remains less than 6 units per acre. The application is for a PD-O to build an Office and Warehouse facility. To the north of the application area are businesses in a corridor of commercial use area, and to the east there are single family homes in developed subdivisions in low density residential area. Across Chicot Road to the west of the site is an area of suburban use with single family homes. This site is not located in an Overlay District. December 12, 2024 ITEM NO.: 6 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10061 7 Master Street Plan: Chicot Road is shown on the Master Transportation Plan as a Principal Arterial. Principal Arterials are roads designed to serve through traffic, and to connect major traffic generators or activity centers within urbanized areas. The standard Right of way of 110 feet is required. Sidewalks are required on both sides. Curb cuts should be minimized to allow for continuous traffic flow while still allowing some access to adjoining property. Deceleration Lanes are required.This street may require dedication of right-of-way and may require street improvements. Fairfield Drive 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 on one side. This street may require dedication of right-of-way and may require street improvements. December 12, 2024 ITEM NO.: 6 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10061 8 Bicycle Plan: Chicot Road and Fairfield Drive are 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 proposes to rezone the property from R-2 to PD-O to allow for the construction of a 50’ x 30’ office-warehouse building to operate a construction company. The building will contain six (6) offices with associated parking for employees and customers, and one (1) garage door/bay area for the parking of company vehicles. The property is currently undeveloped. Several properties in the general area to the north along Chicot Road contain a mixture of commercial and office zoning and uses. Most of the remaining properties south, east and west of the site contain single-family zoning and uses. The property will take access from a newly constructed twenty-four (24) foot wide driveway apron extending from Chicot Road. The existing driveway along Fairfield Drive will be closed as part of the proposed development. The site plan shows a front building setback of twenty-five (25) feet from the front property line, more than twenty-five (25) feet from the rear property line, more than thirty (30) feet from the side (west) property line and 6.3 feet from the east property line. The hours of operation will be Monday-Friday, from 8am-5pm. The proposed project involves constructing an office building designed to support both administrative and operational needs. The exterior of the building features cost effective modern finishes including vertical siding and a brick wainscot running around the entire structure. The building will be divided into two distinct sections to serve multiple functions effectively. One half will be accessible via a large garage door, creating a dedicated area for storing tools and equipment securely and providing easy access for loading and unloading materials. The other half of the building will be developed into a functional office space, featuring an open office area that will encourage collaborative work among team members. This section will also include a break room for employees. December 12, 2024 ITEM NO.: 6 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10061 9 The proposed building will be less than fifteen (15) feet in height. The perimeter of the property will be secured by a chain linked fence. The developer will provide an eight (8) foot, opaque privacy fence on the east property line for screening as required by code. The site plan shows landscaping as required by code. Section 36-502 requires three (3) parking spaces for this type of development. The site plan shows six (6) parking spaces, and one (1) ADA parking space for a total of seven (7) parking spaces. Staff feels the parking is sufficient to serve the proposed use. The proposed parking lot will be paved with asphalt. The site plan does not show a dumpster enclosure at this time. Any dumpster installed on the site must be screened and comply with Section 36-523(d) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance. Any site lighting must be low-level and directed away from adjacent properties. To staff’s knowledge, there are no outstanding issues associated with this request. Staff is supportive of the requested PD-O rezoning. Staff feels the request is reasonable. Staff feels that the applicant is proposing a quality plan for the development of this site. Future land use for properties to the north of the proposed site indicates commercial (C) zoning and uses. The future land use for properties to the west along Chicot Road indicates suburban office (SO). The future land use for properties further to the south of the proposed site indicates public institutional (PI) and mixed-use (MX). I. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the requested PD-O rezoning, subject to compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraph E & F, and the staff analysis, of the agenda staff report. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (DECEMBER 12, 2024) The applicant was present. There were no persons registered in opposition. Staff presented the item, and a recommendation of approval as outlined in the “staff analysis” above. The item remained on the Consent Agenda for Approval. The vote was 8 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent and 2 open positions. The application was approved.