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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCBC-633-MACARGHUR COMMONS Staff MinutesSeptember 04, 2014 ITEM NO. 2 C.B.C. 633— NEW MATTERS Applicant: Address: Description: ORDINANCE REQUIRMENTS: Chapter 15, Sec. 15-96. Perimeter planting strips. River Market South, LLC Owner Jimmy Moses / Rett Tucker Agent 414 E Capitol Avenue 400 Block of Capitol Avenue (a) A perimeter planting strip is required along any side of a vehicular use area that abuts adjoining property or the right-of-way of any street, highway or freeway. This strip shall be at least nine (9) feet wide. Chapter 15, Sec. 15-97. Interior landscape areas. (a) Interior landscape areas shall comprise at least eight (8) percent of any vehicular use area containing twelve (12) or more parking spaces. (b) In order to apply toward the required eight (8) percent landscape area, the minimum size of an interior landscape area shall be one hundred fifty (150) square feet for developments with one hundred fifty (150) or fewer parking spaces. (c) Trees shall be included in the interior landscape areas at the rate of one (1) tree for every twelve (12) parking spaces. VARIANCE REQUESTED (a) To allow a reduction and the removal of a portion of the landscape perimeter strip along the north boundary of the property to less than the nine (9) feet as typically required. (b) To allow a reduction in the required eight (8) percent of interior landscape areas within the vehicular use area containing twelve (12) or more parking spaces. (c) To allow a reduction in the size of the interior landscape areas to less than one hundred and (150) square feet and to allow smaller interior landscape areas to be counted towards meeting the interior requirements. (d) To allow less than the required number of trees in the interior landscape areas. FINnINrS- The proposed development is located on the north side of the 400 block of East Capitol Avenue, bounded by Rock Street on the west side and River Market Avenue on the east side. The overall site area contains 1.001 acres. This project is consistent with several visions of the City of Little Rock's redevelopment of the downtown area and continued revitalization efforts in the adjacent MacArthur Park Overlay District and the River Market Overlay District. The block was occupied by the old ARKLA building which has since been removed. This development will occupy the south % of the block. (A separate development will occupy the north % of the block.) Originally the purposed mixed -use project was to consist of eight (84) apartments with a pool and several other amenity features over a covered garage level with approximately 2,900 square feet of retail space at the ground level facing River Market Avenue. The applicant requested the flexibility to not construct the parking within the development if parking can be secured from a nearby or adjacent site. The apartments will be one and two bedroom units with spacious balconies and projected bay window facing the streets and courtyard. The request to rezone the property from UU, Urban Use District to PCD to allow the redevelopment of this 1.2 block with a mixed use development including multi -family a density greater than the typical standard of the UU, Urban Use Zoning District was adopted by the Board of Directors at their October 1, 2013, Public Hearing approving a Planned Development MacArthur Commons Short -form PCD (Z-1718- A) July 10, 2014 the building and site plans where distributed for permit review. The initial review determined that the site plan varied from the approved PCD site plan. Variations included the deletion of the parking structure and the addition of surface parking, retail space had been deleted, and the number of dwelling units had been decreased by more than (10) percent. Section 36-461 defines staff's ability to vary an approved site plan. At a staff level staff can not approve a variation in the site plan which decreases the land coverage, height of the building or number of dwelling units by more than ten (10) percent. An application has been filed to revoke the PCD zoning and to return the property to its previous UU zoning classification since the density now complies with that allowed in UU The surface parking as shown on the site plan does not meet minimum landscape and parking design standards as determined by the Little Rock Code of Ordinances. These deficiencies include the following: • A perimeter planting strip is required along any side of a vehicular use area that abuts adjoining property. This strip shall be at least nine (9) feet wide. The property is located in the City's designated mature area. A 25% reduction of the perimeter requirements is acceptable. A minimum 6.75 foot planting strip is required along the entirety of the north property line. Twenty-six (26) feet of the approximate two hundred and seventy-five (275) linear feet of the vehicular use area meet the buffer requirements. Another sixty (60) feet has no buffer. One hundred and forty (140) feet includes a 4.5 foot buffer and the remainder of the perimeter includes an outdoor lounge and the neighboring properties utility area / compactor screen. Eight percent (8%) of the vehicular use area must be designated for green space; this green space needs to be evenly distributed throughout the parking area(s). The minimum size of an interior landscape area shall be one hundred fifty (150) square feet for developments with one hundred fifty (150) or fewer parking spaces. Interior islands must be a minimum of seven and one half (7 1/2) feet in width. The property is located in the City's designated mature area. A 25% reduction of the interior green space is acceptable. There is approximately sixteen thousand one hundred and seventy (16,170) square feet of vehicular use area. This would require one thousand two hundred and ninety-four (1,294) square feet of interior green space or eight (8%) percent. The property is located in the City's designated mature area. A 25% reduction of the interior green space is acceptable. Nine hundred seventy (970) square feet of green space is required. One hundred and seventy-four (174) square feet of green space is provided. No individual space meets the minimum one hundred fifty (150) square feet. Trees shall be included in the interior landscape areas at the rate of one (1) tree for every twelve (12) parking spaces. There are fifty-four (54) parking spaces shown. Five trees (5) would be required. Only one (1) tree can be attributed to the parking area. The remainder of the trees shown on the plan are counted towards perimeter, street buffer, or building requirements. Staff is supportive of the requested variances. This is a somewhat unusual circumstance in that the parking is located in an area behind and between two buildings, almost as if the area functioned as an alley with parking off of it. Very little of the parking area is directly visible form the public streets. Landscaping will be focused on those areas where the parking is most visible. In addition, no parking is required for developments in the UU zoning district. In accordance with Sec. 36-342.1. UU urban use district. (10) Parking requirements. No off-street parking shall be required. (b.) Parking lots. Surface parking is to be located behind or adjacent to a structure, never between the building and abutting street. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff is supportive of the requested variance.