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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA-352 Staff Report w MinutesFebruary 3, 2026 FILE NO.: A-352, LU2025-18-03, and Z-10240___________________________________________ NAME: Valerie Place Annexation, Ellis Mountain Land Use Amendment from C to RM, and MF-12, Multifamily Zoning District and C-1, Neighborhood Commercial Zoning District LOCATION: 14600,14617, & 14621 Kanis Road OWNER/AUTHORIZED AGENT: Pladcock, LLC (Owner) Kurtbogan Volkan (Owner) PO Box 242142 204 Pebble Beach Drive Little Rock, AR Little Rock, AR 72223-0021 72212-2663 SURVEYOR/ENGINEER: Joe White & Associates, Inc. 25 Rahling Circle, Suite A-2 Little Rock, AR 72223 AREA: 20.78 acres more or less WARD: N/A PLANNING DISTRICT: 18 CURRENT LAND USE: C & RM CURRENT ZONING: Not currently zoned. BACKGROUND:  Petition for Annexation was filed on October 28, 2025 with the County Court of Pulaski County pursuant to A.C.A § 14-40-409 on May 14, 2025.  The petition qualifies as an annexation by 100%, in accordance with Arkansas Code § 14-40-609. There are multiple separate property owners, and all owners have signed the petition to request that the are be incorporated into the municipal boundaries.  The County Judge’s Order verifying findings was filed on December 2,2025.  In a letter dated October 10, 2025, the Arkansas GIS Office confirmed that the annexation request meets all requirements outlined in Arkansas Code § 14-40-101.  The subject area lies within the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction and is contiguous to the City of Little Rock’s municipal boundary along the area’s eastern boundary. A. PROPOSAL/REQUEST/APPLICANT’S STATEMENT: The request is to grant the 100% petition, accept the property petitioned to be annexed, and to obtain municipal services. The annexation request involves February 3, 2026 FILE NO.: A-352, LU2025-18-03, and Z-10240___________________________________________ 2 approximately 20.78 acres proposed for incorporation into the City of Little Rock. The applicant (petitioners) seeks access to municipal services in order to facilitate development of the western property for uses under the MF-12 Multifamily Zoning District and the eastern property for uses under the C-1 Neighborhood Commercial Zoning District. The request is also to amend the Ellis Mountain Planning District from Commercial (C) to Residential Medium (RM) for the western property and to establish the MF-12 Multifamily Zoning District designation for the western petitioned land and C-1 Neighborhood Commercial Zoning District designation for the eastern land upon annexation. The land use plan amendment and zoning designations are being requested concurrently with the annexation request. B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: Land use authority The property is located outside the city’s incorporated limits, within what was previously the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). With the enactment of Act 314 by the Arkansas State Legislature, the City’s authority over zoning, land use, and infrastructure regulations in unincorporated areas outside the city limits was repealed in August 2025. Little Rock Municipal Ordinance No. 22,651 repealed the City of Little Rock’s ETJ in compliance with Act 314 and clarified the retention of comprehensive plans, including the Land Use Plan, Master Street Plan, and other long range plans. Upon annexation of any property into the corporate limits of the City of Little Rock, all applicable municipal planning documents and regulations shall immediately apply to the annexed property. Development & environmental context The western site consists of approximately 20.59 acres of primarily wooded land with a stream traversing the eastern section parallel to Kanis Road and a single-family home, mobile homes, and two accessory structures located in the northeastern section of the parcel. The eastern site consists of approximately 0.19 acres with a single-family structure located on the parcel. All structures within the land petitioning for annexation are vacant and derelict. C. NEIGHBORHOOD NOTIFICATIONS: Neighborhood Association contacts are notified of all items on the Planning Commission agenda via a single notice prior the Commission’s hearing. February 3, 2026 FILE NO.: A-352, LU2025-18-03, and Z-10240___________________________________________ 3 D. ENGINEERING COMMENTS: Engineering Division, Planning & Development Department: No comments received. Public Works Department: Kanis Road adjacent to the subject properties is currently constructed as a 2-lane roadway. Per the Master Street Plan, Kanis Road is shown to be a 5-lane minor arterial street with a 90 ft right-of-way. Based on predicted traffic volumes, the 5-lane section will be warranted for Kanis Road in the future. The estimated cost of improving Kanis Road to a 5 lane minor arterial street adjacent to the subject properties is a $875,000 impact on the City of Little Rock. No City of Little Rock street and drainage improvement project is proposed for this portion of Kanis Road. At the time of building permit issuance, dedication of right-of- way and boundary street improvements to the Master Street Plan standard will be required. F. BUILDING CODES/LANDSCAPE Building Code: No comment received. Landscape: No comment received. E. UTILITIES/FIRE DEPARTMENT/PARKS/COUNTY PLANNING: Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority: No comment received. Entergy: No comments received. Summit Utilities: No comments received. AT & T: No comments received. Central Arkansas Water: No comments received. Fire Department: No comments received. Police Department: The department already provides services to this area, so no additional costs will be necessary to cover or respond to the annexed area. However, as Little Rock continues to grow west, the possibility of additional resources or a new patrol substation will likely need to be considered. February 3, 2026 FILE NO.: A-352, LU2025-18-03, and Z-10240___________________________________________ 4 Parks and Recreation: No comments received. County Planning: No comments received. G. TRANSPORTATION/PLANNING: Rock Region Metro: No comments received. Planning Division: Land Use Plan: The request is in the Ellise Mountain Planning District, District 18. The development principles of the district include ensuring that roads are improved in a manner that are supportive of all modes of transportation (walking, cycling, automobile, public transit and truck), preserving significant environmental features and functions, providing active and passive park facilities, and developing Neo-Traditional Neighborhoods in undeveloped areas. The Land Use Plan shows Commercial (C) on either side of the Kanis Road corridor and Residential Medium Density (RM) in the rear half of the western property for the petitioned area. The Commercial (C) land use designation provides for a broad range of retail and wholesales of products, personal and professional services, and general business activities. The Residential Medium Density (RM) land use designation provides for a broad range of housing types including single family attached, single family detached, duplex, town homes, multi-family and patio or garden homes. Any combination of these and possibly other housing types may fall in this category provided that the density is between six (6) and twelve (12) dwellings per acre. The areas to the north of the subject area within the city limits are designated for Residential Low (RL) uses and are characterized by developed, single-family subdivisions and Public Institutional (PI) uses characterized by the Baker Elementary School and the Islamic Center of Little Rock-West Campus. Areas to the north outside the city limits is designation Residential Medium (RM) along the Kanis corridor and Residential Low (RL) and are characterized by rural residential tracts, small offices, and fourteen (14) unit apartment building. The area to the east outside the city limits is designated Commercial (C) and are characterized by rural residential tracts, small offices, and a storage warehouse structure. The area to the south is designated Commercial (C), Residential High Density (RH), and Residential Medium Density (RM) and characterized by a pet boarding business, an 168-unit apartment complex, and undeveloped woodland. February 3, 2026 FILE NO.: A-352, LU2025-18-03, and Z-10240___________________________________________ 5 There has been one (1) Land Use Plan amendments in the vicinity which thematically changed the land use of the areas from Residential Low and Suburban Office to Residential Medium and Commercial. Master Street Plan: The subject properties have approx. 750 feet of frontage on the west side of Kanis Road and approx. 115 feet on the east side. The Master Street Plan Map shows Kanis Road as a Minor Arterial. Minor Arterials are high volume roads designed to provide connections to and through an urban area. Curb cuts should be minimized to allow for continuous traffic flow while still allowing some access to adjoining property. Deceleration Lanes are required. Standard Right-of way (ROW) is 90 feet. Sidewalks are required on both sides. Bicycle Plan: Kanis Road is not shown on the Master Bike Plan with existing or proposed facilities in this area. No existing or proposed bike facilities exist or connect to the subject properties. Historic Preservation Plan: The application, as shown, should have no effect on identified historic resources. H. ANALYSIS: The area requesting annexation is contiguous with the City limits along portions of its northeastern section. The land to the east, across Kanis Road, was annexed by the City in 2016 with Ord. 21,187 (A-326 Kanis Ridge Annexation) and in 2023 with Ord. 22,283 (A-344 National Property Holding Annexation). The subject area has historically been a mix of rural residential and undeveloped woodland, located along the Kanis Road corridor in western Pulaski County. The area lies within the Ellis Mountain Planning District and has long served as a transitional zone between the more urbanized areas of Little Rock and the rural tracts to the west. The site consists of approximately 20.78 acres, primarily wooded, with a stream traversing the eastern portion of the western parcel. Existing structures on the land include a vacant single-family home, mobile homes, and accessory structures, all of which are currently derelict. February 3, 2026 FILE NO.: A-352, LU2025-18-03, and Z-10240___________________________________________ 6 The Arkansas Geographic Information Systems Office (AGIO), in a letter dated October 10, 2025, confirmed that the annexation request meets all requirements outlined in Arkansas Code § 14-40-101. The petition qualifies as a 100% annexation under Arkansas Code § 14-40-609, with all property owners having signed the petition. The Pulaski County Judge’s Order verifying the annexation was filed on December 2, 2025. The Order sets the exact boundaries of the annexation, which, by custom, includes all adjacent rights-of-way. Land Use & Zoning The subject area is currently designated as Commercial (C) by the Land Use Plan. The applicant requests a Land Use Plan amendment to Residential Medium (RM) for the western portion of the site and proposes zoning designations of MF-12, Multifamily District, for the western parcel and C-1, Neighborhood Commercial District, for the eastern parcel. These requests are being made concurrently with the annexation. The MF-12 zoning district is intended to accommodate a variety of housing types at a density of 6 to 12 units per acre, consistent with the RM land use designation. The C- 1 zoning district supports low-intensity commercial uses that serve nearby residential neighborhoods. The proposed zoning and land use amendment align with the development principles of the Ellis Mountain Planning District. Surrounding land uses include Residential Low (RL) and Public Institutional (PI) to the north within the city limits, and a mix of Commercial (C), Residential Medium (RM), and Residential High (RH) designations to the south. Staff finds the proposed zoning is compatible with these surrounding uses and supports a logical extension of the City’s development pattern. Infrastructure & Services Upon annexation, the City will assume responsibility for the regulation and coordination of infrastructure improvements in accordance with the Master Street Plan. Kanis Road, which fronts the subject properties, is currently a two-lane roadway. The Master Street Plan designates Kanis Road as a Minor Arterial with a 90- foot right-of-way. While no City street or drainage improvement project is currently planned for this section, future development will require dedication of right-of-way and improvements consistent with the arterial standard, including sidewalks and deceleration lanes. The Little Rock Police Department currently provides service to this area and has indicated that no additional resources are immediately necessary. However, as February 3, 2026 FILE NO.: A-352, LU2025-18-03, and Z-10240___________________________________________ 7 development continues westward, the need for additional patrol resources or a substation may be evaluated. Municipal solid waste services will be provided to the area should residential development occur. Where zoned for commercial use, no municipal solid waste services will be provided. The nearest feasible Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority (LRWRA) facility is a 8” sewer line approximately 815 feet from the subject area. No comments have been received by Little Rock Water Reclamation on the proposed annexation. The nearest Central Arkansas Water (CAW) facility is a 24” water line approximately directly adjacent to the subject area within the right-of-way of Kanis Road. As part of the development of any land within the annexation area, the developer will have to extend these services from the existing service lines to any new development in coordination with CAW and LRWRA. The nearest fire station is Station 20 at 300 Oak Meadow Road, approximately 0.9 miles from the closest annexation area utilizing the existing street system. No comments have been received the Little Rock Fire Department on the proposed annexation. The current patrol district for the Little Rock Police Department adjacent to this area is approximately 3,775 acres. The annexation would increase the patrol district by 0.55 percent. The Police Department indicate there are no issues with the annexation request. The proposed annexation of the Valerie Place properties is consistent with the City’s long-range planning goals and represents a logical extension of the municipal boundary. The requested land use amendment and zoning designations are compatible with surrounding development and align with the Eliss Mountain Planning District goals. The annexation will allow for the orderly provision of municipal services and infrastructure, and the development of the sites will contribute to the City’s housing and commercial needs in a growing area of west Little Rock. February 3, 2026 FILE NO.: A-352, LU2025-18-03, and Z-10240___________________________________________ 8 I. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: The Staff recommends approval of annexation and incorporation of the land into the City of Little Rock and the concurrent designation of the land use designation to Residential Medium (RM) for the western property and the zoning classification of the area to MF-12, Multifamily Zoning District and the eastern property for uses under the C-1 Neighborhood Commercial Zoning District. J. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (DECEMBER 11, 2025) The applicant was present. There were no persons registered in opposition. Staff presented the item with a recommendation of approval. The item remained on the Consent Agenda for Approval. The vote was nine (9) ayes, (0) nays, and (2) absent. The motion passed. The application was approved.