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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCBC-670-NEW MATTERS Staff MinutesDecember 05, 2019 ITEM NO. 1 C.B.C. 670 — NEW MATTERS Applicant: Owner Address: Description: ORDINANCE REQUIRMENTS: Chapter 15, Sec. 15-96. Perimeter planting strips. Cromwell Architects and Engineers EHT Real Estate LLC 1509 Rebsamen Park Road Little Rock, AR 72201 Agent Sam Kincannon Mike Tarini Cromwell Architects and Engineers 1509 Rebsamen Park Road Lot 1, Rosenbaum Acres Addition (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.) VARIANCE REQUESTED To allow a reduction of the north, south, and east perimeter planting strips to less than the six (6) feet nine (9) inches that is typically required for developments in areas designated "mature" by the Department of Planning and Development and approved by the Planning Commission and the City Beautiful Commission. FINDINGS: This C-3 zoned property at 1509 Rebsamen Park Road is located on the east side of the street and south of the intersection of Old Cantrell Road. The surrounding properties are comprised of mixed commercial and industrial zoning uses including retail and restaurant related facilities. Until recently this site had been occupied by a one-story commercial building and associated parking. Earlier this year the applicant petitioned the Board of Adjustment requesting variances concerning the building setback requirements for a new development. Staff was supportive of these requests and they were approved on April 29th. However, it was noted that a variance from the City Beautiful Commission would be required for the perimeter planting strips to be less than the required six (6) feet nine (9) inch minimum width. The applicant proposes to provide a new building with 3,800 square feet of restaurant space, including an interior courtyard area for seating, and 5,200 square feet for food and drink production. The proposed building is approximately fourteen (14) feet narrower and approximately 2,000 square feet smaller than the previous building that occupied this site. The square footage of the purposed building requires 45 off-street parking spaces. The site plan exceeds this requirement showing 48 parking bays. However, for the parking space size and maneuvering areas to function properly and comply with the code requirements the perimeter planting strips adjacent to the vehicular use areas will need to be reduced to a width less than the required six (6) feet nine (9) inch minimum. Not unlike the proposed development the previous building was located on the southwest corner of the site with a drive on the north leading to parking located behind the building at the east end of the site. This initial development did not include any perimeter landscape strips or other landscape areas and was either built or paved to the property lines. The adjacent north property provides a perimeter planting strip between parking along the shared property line. The east property line is adjacent to a railroad easement that is mostly vegetated with volunteer trees, shrubs, and groundcover. The property to the south is mostly a vacant paved lot with a perimeter planting strip next to an area previously used for parking along the shared property line. The purposed development provides a perimeter planting strip on the north property line that ranges in a width of two (2) feet at its narrowest point to approximately seven (7) feet at its widest. The plan does show a small amount of landscape adjacent to the south and east perimeters but most of the perimeter planting strips have been eliminated in these areas to allow for the proper vehicular circulation. The applicant purposes to relocate any trees or shrubs that are required for the reduced or eliminated planting strips to be installed on other areas of the site. Also, as shown on the attached landscape plan the interior, building, and right-of-way landscape areas meet or exceed the minimum landscape requirements for this development. Additional green space is shown to be provided from the west property line / street sidewalk to the front of the building and a large mature sycamore tree is shown to be retained in this area at the southwest corner of the site. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff is supportive of the request to allow the reduction of the north perimeter landscape strip and partial elimination of the south and east perimeter landscape strips providing that the placement of all required landscape and irrigation be installed elsewhere on site. Staff recommends approval of the requested variance.