Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-2559-D-1 Staff AnalysisFILE NO.: Z-2559-D NAME: Westside Junior High Short -form PRD LOCATION: On the west side of the 1300 block of Marshall DEVELOPER: First Security Vanadis Capital 221 West Second Street, Ste. 312 Little Rock, AR 72201 AREA: 2.05 Acres CURRENT ZONING: ENGINEER: Richburg-Rickett Consulting Engineers 10 Shackleford Plaza, Ste. 100 Little Rock, AR 72211 NUMBER OF LOTS: 1 •ek PROPOSED ZONING: PRD CURRENT ALLOWED USES: Office PROPOSED USE: Multi -family Residential VARIANCES/WAIVERS REQUESTED: None requested. BACKGROUND: FT. NEW STREET: 0 In February 1996, the City Board of Directors approved a Short - form POD for the former Westside Junior High School. Phase I included "single -room occupancy" for Volunteers of America. Phase II was office lease space primarily for public and nonprofit agencies. Phase III was approved as a Fitness Center and Community Auditorium. February 14, 2002 ITEM NO.: 2.1 NAME: Westside Junior High Short -form PRD FILE NO.: Z-2559-D LOCATION: On the west side of the 1300 block of Marshall DEVELOPER: First Security Vanadis Capital 221 West Second Street, Ste. 312 Little Rock, AR 72201 AREA: 2.05 Acres CURRENT ZONING: ENGINEER: Richburg-Rickett Consulting Engineers 10 Shackleford Plaza, Ste. 100 Little Rock, AR 72211 NUMBER OF LOTS: 1 POD PROPOSED ZONING: PRD CURRENT ALLOWED USES: Office PROPOSED USE: Multi -family Residential VARIANCES/WAIVERS REQUESTED: None requested. BACKGROUND: FT. NEW STREET: 0 In February 1996, the City Board of Directors approved a Short - form POD for the former Westside Junior High School. Phase I included "single -room occupancy" for Volunteers of America. Phase II was office lease space primarily for public and nonprofit agencies. Phase III was approved as a Fitness Center and Community Auditorium. February 14, 2002 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 2.1 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-2559-D In June of 1997, the Board of Directors approved a revision to the POD (Ordinance No. 17,506) to delete the residential aspect of the project and increase the square footage of office space within the development. Since the POD is more than three years old and no action has taken place, the POD needs to be revoked. A. PROPOSAL/REQUEST: The applicant proposes to develop the Historic Westside Junior High School as 45 multi -family residential units. The proposed development consists of 12 one bedroom units and 33 two bedroom units. All the units will be handicap accessible under "universal design" specifications. The development proposes 73 parking spaces along the north and south sides of the building. Westside Junior High School is currently listed on the National Register of His Places. Funding for the development will come from the Arkansas Development Finance Authority in the form of low -to -moderate housing tax credits as well as the utilization of Historic Preservation Tax Credits from the Federal Government. Westside Loft development will be modeled after other multi -family adaptive redevelopment projects in Little Rock such as; Kramer School Artists Cooperative, Block 2 Lofts and Eastside Lofts (formally Eastside High School). The applicant also proposes to replat the area as a part: of the Planned Development. Proposed Lot 1 will include. the area of the Existing School Building and all the areas indicated as parking. The proposed Lot 2 property lines will be adjacent to the parking areas on the Wolfe Street side for the north and south lines and the rear of the auditorium and cafeteria building for the east property line. The street will act as the west property line. B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: The site contains a three story structure which was once used as the Westside Junior High School. Children's 2 February 14, 2002 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 2.1 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-2559-D Hospital facilities are located to the north and east of the site. Phoenix Counseling Group is located adjacent to the northwest corner and single-family and duplex units are located south of the site. The block to the west of the site is currently vacant. C. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: As of this writing staff has received several informational calls from the neighborhood. All property owners within 200 feet of the site, all residents within 300 feet of the site and the Downtown, Central High and Wright Avenue Neighborhood Associations were notified of the Public Hearing. D. ENGINEERING COMMENTS: PUBLIC WORKS CONDITIONS: 1. Property frontage, needs to have the sidewalks and ramps brought up to the current ADA standards. 2. Repair or replace any curb and gutter or sidewalk that is damaged in the public right-of-way prior to occupancy. 3. Plans of all work in right-of-way shall be submitted for approval prior to start of work. E. UTILITIES AND FIRE DEPARTMENT/COUNTY PLANNING: Wastewater: Sewer available on site located under existing building. Contact Little Rock Wastewater Utility at 376-2903 for details. Entergy: Approved as submitted. ARKLA: No comment received. Southwestern Bell: No comment received. Water: Central Arkansas Water requests that no additional trees be placed in the right-of-way on the north and east side of the building because of existing water facilities in those areas. Contact Marie Dugan at 992-2438 for details. 3 February 14, 2002 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 2.1 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-2559-D Fire Department: If the building is required to be sprinkled an additional fire hydrant maybe requested for Fire Department Code. County Planning: No comment received. CATA: Site is near Bus Route #3 and #11 and has no effect on bus radius, turnout and route. F. ISSUES/TECHNICAL/DESIGN: J Plannina Division: This request is located in the Central City Planning District. The Future Land Use Plan indicates Public Institutional for the site. The applicant has applied for a Planned Residential Development to convert the Westside Junior High School into 45 multi -family residential units. A Land Use Plan amendment' for a change from Public Institutional to Multi -family is a separate item on this agenda (Item No. 2 - File No. LU02-08-01). City Recognized Neighborhood Action Plan: The application lies in an area not covered by a City of Little Rock recognized Neighborhood Action Plan. Landscape Issues: The proposed parking lot at the corner of Daisy L. Gaston Bates Street and Wolfe Street does not allow for the: minimum interior landscaping requirement of 334 square feet. This takes under consideration the reduction allowed within the designated "mature area" of the city. Building Codes: No comment. G. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (January 24, 2002) Todd Rice of the Vanadis Group was present representing the application. Staff introduced the item and noted that additional information was needed on proposed signage, site lighting and dumpster location. It was also noted 4 February 14, 2002 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 2.1 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-2559-D the applicant should verify if the parking along West 13th Street would need a franchise permit. Public Works comments were addressed and noted the items would be required at the time of building permit. Staff questioned if the auditorium would be converted into residential units as well. Mr. Rice stated, the auditorium would not be converted into residential units, and the intention was to plat the area in which the auditorium was situated, into a separate lot. Mr. Rice stated the area of the auditorium would not be a part of the project and would be held for a future renovation project. Mr. Rice stated the pool located in the basement of the building would not be rehabbed. The applicant was directed to prepare a revised site plan and prepare a response to staff's questions. The Committee then forwarded the proposed PRD to the full Commission for final action. H. ANALYSIS: The applicant submitted a revised site plan to staff on January 29, 2002 addressing most of the issues raised by staff and the Subdivision Committee. The applicant indicated there would be a complex identification sign located on the southeast corner of the property. The applicant also indicated the sign would be within the signage requirement of multi -family zones, (one identification sign per complex not to exceed 24 square feet in area). The applicant is proposing 73 parki.ng spaces as a part of the development. Typical ordinance parking requirement would be 1.5 parking spaces per unit or 67 parking spaces. The proposed parking is adequate to meet the typical minimum requirement. Public Works staff has determined a franchise permit adjacent to West 13th Street will be required. The applicant has indicated an application will be filed with Public Works should the rezoning request be granted. The applicant has indicated one dumpster will serve the development. The dumpster location has been identified on 61 February 14, 2002 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 2.1 {Cont. FILE NO.: Z-2559-D the site plan with the proper screening noted. The applicant has indicated lot lines on the site plan denoting Phase I as one lot and Phase II as the second lot. Phase I will be developed as multi -family residential units in the near future. Phase II will be "moth -balled" until such a time that funding is available to rehab the building into a community facility. The applicant is to submit to staff, three copies of a final plat for review and final platting activities, prior to the issuance of a building permit. The parking lot landscaping adjacent to Daisy L. Gaston Bates Street and Wolfe Street, with the reduction consideration allowed within the designated "mature area" and the transfer allowance, now meets the minimum interior landscaping requirement. The applicant has indicated trees will be planted around the site, in addition to shrubbery, which "counts more" toward fulfilling the landscaping ordinance requirement. The applicant has indicated all Public Works comments will be addressed at the time of the issuance of the building permit. Staff is supportive of the application as filed. Staff feels that the proposed PRD zoning will have no adverse impact on the nearby single-family residences, and that the redevelopment of Westside Junior High School will have a positive impact on the surrounding neighborhood. The applicant has committed to protect the historic integrity of the structure which staff feels is an asset to the, community. The development of residential units, although, more intense than the surrounding area, fits with the area to the west and south of the site which is currently residential. The development of the Westside Junior High School into residential units will act as a buffer from the large institutional uses to the north, Arkansas Children's Hospital and the single-family residences to the south. The applicant has stated the project will be developed in two phases and the auditorium and cafeteria will be "moth -balled" until such a time funds are available for redevelopment of the facilities for neighborhood activities. This too would be an asset N. February 14, 2002 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 2.1 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-2559-D to the nearby neighborhoods allowing a community facility for neighborhood events. Otherwise, to staff's knowledge, there are no outstanding issues associated with the proposed PRD rezoning for the Westside Junior High School. I. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval of the proposed PRD rezoning subject to the following conditions: I.Compliance with the conditions outlined in Paragraphs D, E and F of this report. 2. Obtain franchising approval from the City for the parking spaces on West 13t' Street. 3. Submit three (3) copies of the final plat for review by staff. 7