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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4 Z-10176 File No.: Z-10176 Owners: Tract 1: Haybar Properties, LLC Tract 2: Haybar Legacy, LLC Applicant: Jonathan Nunn (Agent) Address: Northwest Corner of Pepper Avenue and 5th Street Tract 1: 511 Pepper Avenue Tract 2: 1603 East 5th Street Legal Description: Tract 1: Lot 1, Block 18, Garlands Subdivision, City of Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas Tract 2: Lot 2, Block 18, Garlands Subdivision, City of Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas Zoned: UU Urban Use District Present Use: Tract 1: Vacant Tract 2: Vacant Proposed Use: (2)-Unit, Office, Showroom and Warehouse Development Variance(s) Requested: The building materials provisions of Sec. 36-342.1 to allow Corrugated on all side walls not directly exposed to the street. The street-level floor provisions orientation provisions of Sec. 36-342.1 to allow the ground level floor of a structure without the minimum surface area of 60% transparent or window display. The parking lot provisions provisions of Sec. 36-342.1 to allow off-street parking between the building and the abutting street. Justification: The applicant’s justification is presented in an attached letter. STAFF REPORT Planning and Development Civil Engineering Comments: No Comments. B. Buffering and Landscape Comments: Site plan must comply with the Little Rock Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 36-342.1. UU Urban Use District and the City’s minimal landscape and buffer ordinance requirements. Signage is to be reviewed and permitted separately. 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. This strip shall be at least nine (9) feet wide. The property is located in the City’s designated mature area. A twenty-five (25%) percent reduction of the buffer requirements is acceptable. The minimum dimension of the perimeter planting strip shall be six (6) feet nine (9) inches. One (1) tree and three (3) shrubs or vines shall be planted for every thirty (30) linear feet of perimeter planting strip. Screening requirements will need to be met for the vehicular use areas adjacent to street rights-of-way. Provide screening shrubs with an average linear spacing of not less at three (3) feet within the required landscape area. Provide trees with an average linear spacing of not less than thirty (30) feet. For parking areas with twelve or more spaces 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. Building landscape areas shall be provided between the vehicular use area used for public parking and the general vicinity of the building. These shall be provided at the rate equivalent to planter strip three (3) feet wide along the vehicular use area. One (1) tree and four (4) shrubs shall be planted in the building landscape areas for each forty (40) linear feet of vehicular use area abutting the building. An irrigation system shall be required for developments of one (1) acre or larger. For developments of less than one (1) acre a there shall be a water source within seventy-five (75) feet of all plant material if an automatic irrigation system is not provided. All landscape areas shall be protected as per City of Little Rock Landscape Ordinance (Sec. 15-100). Provide notes on plan specifying type and location of mulch, edging, wheel stops, and/or concrete curb and gutter. All ground or roof mounted mechanical systems shall be screened from abutting properties and streets. Any trash receptacles or pickup shall be oriented away from a primary street side of the property and screened from the public right-of-way. Screen shall exceed the height of the dumpster or trash containment areas by at least two (2) feet no to exceed eight (8) feet total height. The City Beautiful Commission recommends preserving as many existing trees as feasible on this site.  Credit toward fulfilling Landscape Ordinance requirements can be given when preserving trees of six (6) inch caliper or larger. Any Chapter 15, landscape code requirements that cannot be met may require a variance from the City Beautiful Commission. C. Building Codes Comments: No Comments D. Staff Analysis: The UU zoned properties located at 511 Pepper Avenue and 1603 East 5th Street are currently vacant. The survey indicates that Tract 1 has a width of 49.9 feet along Pepper Avenue, and an average depth of 100 feet. Tract 2 has a width of 50 feet along East 5th Street and an average depth of 100 feet. The applicant is proposing to construct a new 4,400 square foot multi-use structure on the Urban Use (UU) zoned properties with street access from both Pepper Avenue and East 5th Street. The applicant has stated that the property will be developed with separate two-lane access drives with parking for each street facing the business front entry. The proposed development consists of two separate tracts of land. The first tract located at 511 Pepper Avenue, is currently vacant and lies from West to East. The second tract of land is located at the northeast corner of Tract 1 and connects to East 5th Street. This parcel is vacant with heavy vegetation. The applicant is requesting several variances from the UU district development criteria established in Section 36-342.1 (c). The variances are as follow: 1. Section 36-342.1. (c)(4) [Building Materials.] states, “Façade materials may be any standard material, except corrugated or fubbed materials.” (Pepper Avenue and East 5th Street). Brick will be used on the street facing (front) facades and all other facades will be of corrugated metal and will be visible from both 5th Street and Pepper Avenue. 2. Section 342.1 (c)(8) Street-level floor, states, “The ground-level (street fronting) floor of nonresidential structures shall have a minimum surface area of sixty (60) percent transparent or window display.” Transparency requirements are requested to be less than 60% due to the design of interior spaces and limited street access. 3. Section 342.1 (c)(10)(b) Parking Lots, states, “Surface parking is to be located behind or adjacent to a structure, never between the building and abutting street.” The interior connection of the lots at the rear influences both the location and feasibility of new structure construction. The situation prohibits the parking area from being located in the rear of the lots to gain street access. The applicant proposes to develop a (2)-Unit, Office, Showroom and Warehouse Development. Similar variances have been granted in the area. Staff believes that each of the requested variances is appropriate and will have no negative impact on the surrounding area. D. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the requested variances, subject to compliance with the Staff comments outlined in the staff report.