HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Minutes 082125August 14, 2025
ITEM NO.: 12 FILE NO.: Z-10188
NAME: The Gardens – Conditional Use Permit
LOCATION: 9621 Tall Timber Boulevard
DEVELOPER:
Charles B. Turner (Owner)
889 Ridgeway Street
Hot Springs, AR 71901
OWNER/AUTHORIZED AGENT:
Joe White (Agent)
25 Rahling Circle, Suite A-2
Little Rock, AR 72223
SURVEYOR/ENGINEER:
Joe White & Associates
25 Rahling Circle, Suite A-2
Little Rock, AR 72223
AREA: 7.6 acres NUMBER OF LOTS: 1 FT. NEW STREET: 0 LF
WARD: 7 PLANNING DISTRICT: 12 CENSUS TRACT: 24.05
CURRENT ZONING: O-3
A. PROPOSAL/REQUEST/APPLICANT’S STATEMENT:
The applicant is requesting a conditional use permit to allow the existing developed
property to be utilized as a mental health and therapeutic community facility. The
facility will operate twenty (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week.
B. EXISTING CONDITIONS:
The site is located on the east side of Stagecoach Road and contains an existing
one-story building. The building was previously occupied by the Bible Doctrine
Church of Little Rock (Heart’s Journey). Properties surrounding the site contain a
mixture of zoning and uses.
August 14, 2025
ITEM NO.: 12 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10188
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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. ADA Access shall be shown to the Right-of-Way.
2. Handicap Parking shall include one van stall 11ft wide with a 5ft minimum
aisle.
3. Drives may not exceed 40% of the lot width.
4. Northeast drive raises concern due to island within Tall Timber Blvd.
5. Dumpster enclosures must be permitted as a fence and anything 7ft in height
or taller measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall/fence
shall be designed by an Arkansas Licensed Engineer (Structural).
6. Contact Planning and Development Dept., Engineering Division at 501-371-
4817 or at 501-918-5348 for inspections of any work in the public right-of-way
prior to placement of concrete or asphalt or for on-site clarification of
requirements prior to commencing work. Failure to do so can result in removal
of any improperly placed concrete or asphalt at the expense of the owner or
contractor.
7. Hauling of cut and/or fill material on or off project sites over municipal streets
require approval prior to a grading permit being issued. Contact Public Works
Traffic Engineering at 621 S. Broadway 501-379-1800 with any questions or
for more information.
8. Damage to public and private property due to hauling operations or operations
of construction related equipment from a construction site shall be repaired by
the responsible party prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
ENGINEERING COMMENTS (PUBLIC WORKS): No comments.
E. UTILITIES/FIRE DEPARTMENT/PARKS/COUNTY PLANNING:
Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority: No comments received.
Entergy: No comments received.
Summit Energy: No comments.
AT & T: No comments received.
August 14, 2025
ITEM NO.: 12 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10188
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Central Arkansas Water:
All Central Arkansas Water requirements in effect at the time of request for water
service must be met.
Fire Department:
1. Full plan review.
Parks and Recreation: No comments received.
F. BUILDING CODES/LANDSCAPE:
Building Code:
Provide the following information:
Previous Use appears have been a church.
Proposed Use appears to be Institutional
Construction Type?
Confirm single story 1191.8 sf? Appears to be 11,981 sf.
This appears to be a change of occupancy from a business occupancy to an
Institutional occupancy. This will most likely require the installation of Fire
Sprinkler and Fire Alarm.
Project is subject to full commercial plan review and approval prior to issuance of
a building permit. For information on submittal requirements and the review
process, contact a commercial plans examiner: Curtis Richey at 501.371.4724;
crichey@littlerock.gov or Tim Whitener at 501-371-4875 twhitener@littlerock.gov
Landscape: No comments received.
G. TRANSPORTATION/PLANNING:
Rock Region Metro: No comments received.
August 14, 2025
ITEM NO.: 12 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10188
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Planning Division:
Land Use Plan:
The request is in the 65th Street West Planning District, District 12. The Land Use
Plan shows Office (O) use for the requested area. The Office (O) use category
represents services provided directly to consumers (e.g., legal, financial, medical)
as well as
general offices which support more basic economic activities. The application is
for a Conditional Use Permit.
August 14, 2025
ITEM NO.: 12 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10188
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This site is not located in an Overlay District.
Master Street Plan:
Stagecoach Road is a Principal Arterial on the Master Street Plan. 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. This street may
require dedication of right-of-way and may require street improvements.
August 14, 2025
ITEM NO.: 12 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10188
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Bicycle Plan:
Stagecoach Road is a designated bike route in the Master Bike Plan as a Proposed
Class II Bike Lane. Class II Bike Lanes provide a bike lane on both sides of a
roadway for the sole use of bicycles as a separate facility.Tall Timber Blvd is not
shown on the Master Bike Plan with existing or proposed facilities in this area.
Historic Preservation Plan:
The application, as shown, should have no effect on identified historic resources.
H. ANALYSIS:
The applicant is requesting a conditional use permit to allow the existing developed
property to be utilized as a mental health and therapeutic community facility. The
facility will operate twenty (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week.
The Gardens is a therapeutic community with current facilities in Sherwood and
Texarkana. The Gardens proposes to occupy the existing developed property with
a living facility for sixteen (16) individuals. There will be up to eight (8) staff
employees/care givers at the facility at any given time. The Gardens provides care
for adults diagnosed with a serious mental illness and/or intellectual disorder. The
Gardens provided the following information regarding their clients:
“Our admission screening is similar to a tenant applying for residency (just
like any of us would do). We run thorough background checks on each
potential client. We are extremely selective & have weekly conference calls
to vet applicants. We meet potential clients prior to admission. No one on
the sexual registry is accepted. We do not allow any drugs or alcohol on the
property & clients are subject to drug screening if use is suspected. We do
not accept clients with current substance abuse issues. We accept
approximately one (1) out of every five (5) applicants.”
The site is located on the east side of Stagecoach Road and contains an existing
one-story building. The building was previously occupied by the Bible Doctrine
Church of Little Rock (Heart’s Journey). Properties surrounding the site contain a
mixture of zoning and uses.
Two (2) driveways extend south from Tall Timber Boulevard providing access to
the property. The western driveway will serve as primary ingress/egress. The
applicant notes that the easternmost driveway from Tall Timber Boulevard, the
driveway closest to the single-family residential neighborhood, will be gated and
used only for emergency access.
August 14, 2025
ITEM NO.: 12 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10188
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The existing building is 11,918 square feet in area. The applicant intends to
remodel the building as needed for their use. The existing parking lot located on
the north side of the building provides ample parking for staff and visitors. Staff
feels the parking is sufficient to serve the proposed use.
The applicant notes that transportation is provided for all clients, and they will not
be roaming the streets and neighborhood.
The applicant is not proposing additional signage at this time. Any future signage
must comply with Section 36-553 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance (signs permitted
in office and institutional zones).
The site plan does not show a dumpster at this time. Any dumpster placed on the
property must be screened to comply with Section 36-523 of the City’s Zoning
Ordinance.
The site plan does not show perimeter fencing at this time. Any fencing erected on
the property must comply with Section 36-516(e)(2) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance
(fences and walls).
Any new sight lighting must be low-level and directed away from adjacent
properties.
The applicant provided responses to additional information regarding all issues
raised during staff’s review of the application. To staff’s knowledge, there are no
outstanding issues.
Staff is supportive of the requested conditional use permit. Staff feels the
applicant’s proposed re-use of the developed site is an appropriate use at this
location. The property is over seven (7) acres in area and will be occupied by only
sixteen (16) residents. The proposed facility should prove to be a very quiet and
low traffic use. The property is located along a principal arterial roadway (State
Highway 70). The only daily vehicular access will be from the westernmost
driveway near the intersection. The majority of the property is undeveloped, and
tree covered. There is an existing land use buffer along the east property line,
ranging in width from one-hundred (100) feet to two-hundred (200) feet. In staff’s
opinion, the proposed use will have no adverse impact on the surrounding
properties.
August 14, 2025
ITEM NO.: 12 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-10188
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STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the requested conditional use permit, subject to
compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraphs D, E and F,
and the staff analysis, of the agenda staff report, and the following condition:
The conditional use permit will be for “The Gardens” facility and operators only. If
“The Gardens” ceases use and vacates the property, the conditional use permit
will become null and void, and will not be transferred to another user.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (AUGUST 14, 2025)
The applicant was present. There were (7) objectors present. David Wright,
Denise White, William Ellis, Ed Wellington, Benard Mitchell, Gale Long, and
Director BJ Wyrick all voiced concerns over the neighboring detox center
stating that is has caused numerous problems within their adjacent
neighborhood and of the noise from the fire trucks, ambulances and police
being called frequently, as well as the detox residents wandering their
neighborhoods. They also voiced concerns over possible safety issues from
the residents of the facility, concerns about the possibility of their property value
decreasing, as well as density issues with having the two facilities close to their
neighborhood. David Wright and Denise White voiced concerns of the facility
not being suitable for a residential area. After a lengthy discussion there was a
motion to approve the application. There was a second. The vote was (9) ayes,
(1) nay and (1) absent. The motion passed. The application was approved