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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCBC-668-SINGH CONVENIENCE Staff MinutesI Alper*%)VD P26 ?XCVt*\r*'�Vt-V I - " - lfk IK5 July 11, 2019 ITEM NO. 1, C.B.C. 668 - NEW MATTERS Applicant: Address: Description: ORDINANCE REQUIRMENTS: Chapter 15, Sec. 15-96. perimeter planting strips. GarNat Engineering, LLC Owner ABDTD Investments LLC 3900 W 65`h St Little Rock, AR 72209 Agent Vernon Williams GarNat Engineering 3900 W 65" St Northwest corner of W 65`h St and Scott Hamilton Dr (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. The perimeter planting strip adjacent to freeways or expressways shall be at least thirty (30) feet wide except within mature areas. (A twenty-five (25) percent reduction of the landscape provisions can be taken for developments within mature areas. In these areas it is allowable for perimeter planting strips to be a minimum of six (6) feet nine (9) inches wide.) E ► 018:13i111MMU7 To allow the removal of the required six (6) feet nine (9) inch perimeter landscape strip on the south side of the property that is required between the vehicular use area and the 65"' Street right-of-way and to allow removal of the required six (6) feet nine (9) inch perimeter landscape strip on the north side of the property that is required between the vehicular use area and the neighboring property. FINDINGS: This site at the northwest corner of W 651h St and Scott Hamilton Drive is located within an area of mixed commercial and industrial zoning uses. Buildings on the adjacent properties include retail and a - T r medical related facilities. In addition, there are several vacant buildings in close proximity of the site. The property currently contains an unmanned fueling operation with a small building in the northwest corner of the property and a gas pump canopy between the building and the south property line. The applicant proposes to remove the existing building and construct a new 2,560 square foot convenience store building at the northwest corner of the property. The existing gas pump canopy will be refurbished and reused and one (1) access drive from each of the two (2) frontage streets will be maintained. The parking area will provide approximately twelve (12) onsite parking spaces which conforms with ordinance standards. The applicant recently requested a conditional use permit for this 1-2 zoned property to allow the development of a convenience store with gas pumps. Also, requested with this CUP were two zoning variances. The first was to locate the buildings walk-in cooler closer to the property line than the 25-foot rear setback would allow, and the second variance was to allow the land use and street buffer standards to be less than the nine (9) foot minimums. On June 20, 2019 the Little Rock Planning Commission approved this request with the condition that the City Beautiful Commission must approve any landscape ordinance variance(s) prior to a building permit being issued. With the reuse of the gas pump canopy and the proposed location of the new building and associated service areas, portions of the north and south perimeter landscape strips will fall below the required minimum of six (6) feet nine (9) inches. There is approximately twenty-five (25) feet of vehicular use area adjacent to the north property line west of the access drive. Due to the proposed location of the dumpster and the associated paving the perimeter planting strip has been eliminated in this area. There is an excess of greenspace east of this access drive that will compensate for the loss of this small perimeter landscape strip. A portion of the south perimeter adjacent to the W 65th St right-of-way is currently paved and is proposed to remain this way due to the location and reuse of the existing gas pumps and associated canopy. However, there is approximately fourteen (14) feet of right-of-way greenspace between the parking curb and the W 65th St curb. The applicant is proposing to install all required landscape materials in this area. In addition to the right-of-way greenspace an excess of landscape area is provided at the southeast corner of the site. As shown on the attached landscape plan the applicant intends to meet or exceed the minimum landscape requirements for this development. Any trees or shrubs that are required for the eliminated planting strips will be relocated to other areas of the site. A franchise is required for plantings and irrigation to be placed in the public right-of-way. Before a building permit can be issued the applicant shall provide a final landscape plan and obtain a franchise agreement from Little Rock Public Works for any landscape or irrigation planned for installation in the public right-of-way. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff is supportive of the request to allow the elimination of the north perimeter landscape strip and a portion of the south perimeter landscape strip providing that the placement of all required landscape and irrigation be installed elsewhere on site and that a franchise agreement be obtained from Little Rock Public Works for any landscape or irrigation placed in the public right-of-way. Staff recommends approval of the requested variance.