ALLOWED
USES: Single-family residential and a non-conforming cabinet and
wood working
shop
PROPOSED
ZONING: PCD
PROPOSED
USE: Cabinet and wood working shop and the addition of a
liquor store
VARIANCES/WAIVERS
REQUESTED:None requested.
A.PROPOSAL/REQUEST:
The
applicant is proposing the rezoning of this site from R-2, Single-family to PCD
to allow the addition of liquor sales to the allowable uses for the site.The building was constructed prior to the City exercising
Extraterritorial Planning Jurisdiction and was used as a cabinet shop.The liquor sales was added to the site after the City extended its
Planning Boundary.The applicant
has indicated the site has a history of commercial activity including a flower
shop.
The
front of the site is currently paved with a drive extending the entire length of
the property.The site plan
includes the striping of eleven parking spaces.The existing right-of-way is 25-feet from centerline.The applicant has indicated a dedication of right-of-way to 40-feet from
centerline to meet the Master Street Plan requirement.
B.EXISTING CONDITIONS:
The
site contains a metal building currently being used as a liquor store.The liquor store appears to be using a small portion of the building.The building was once used as a cabinet shop but there is no indication
the cabinet shop still exists on the site.There is a paved area located adjacent to Lawson Road but there is no
striping on the paved area to indicate parking spaces.In addition the driveway extends the entire length of the property.
The
area contains a combination of uses including residential and non-residential
uses.There is a restaurant located to the west of the site and a
salvage yard located to the east of the site.The single-family homes located in the general area are both site built
and manufactured homes.Immediately
east and south of the site are single-family homes.
C.NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS:
All
owners of property located within 200 feet of the site and all residents, who
could be identified, located within 300 feet of the site were notified of the
public hearing.As of this writing
staff has received several phone calls from area residents in opposition to the
proposed request.There is not an
active neighborhood association located in the area.
D.ENGINEERING COMMENTS:
Lawson
Road is classified on the Master Street Plan as a minor arterial.A dedication of right-of-way 45 feet from centerline will be
required.The proposed
parking area would be in the Master Street Plan right-of-way.
Any
future construction of site re-development will be subject to Master
Street Plan construction requirements.
Driveway
width should be limited to 36 feet.
E.UTILITIES AND FIRE DEPARTMENT/COUNTY PLANNING:
Wastewater:Outside the service boundary.No
comment.
Entergy:Approved as submitted.
Center-Point
Energy:Approved as submitted.
SBC:No comment received.
Central
Arkansas Water:No objection. Central Arkansas
Water records do not show water service to this address. If water service is
provided all Central Arkansas Water requirements in effect at the time of
request for water service must be met. Contact Central Arkansas Water regarding
procedures for obtaining service. Approval of the City of Little Rock will be
required prior to water service being provided.Contact Central Arkansas Water at 377-1225 for additional information.
Fire
Department:Place fire hydrants per
code.Contact the Little Rock Fire
Department at 918-3700 for additional information.
County
Planning:A
40-foot setback is required along all property lines.
Plan must meet state minimum standards.
Access should be controlled by means of an entrance drive as
opposed to access throughout entire width of parking area. Driveway will need
County permit and design review.
Additional right-of-way should be dedicated in compliance with
Pulaski County Master Highway Plan, which list Lawson Road as a Rural Minor
Collector (80’ total r/w width).Therefore, the County will require an additional 15-feet
dedication under separate description.
Indicate owners and use of adjoining parcels.
Meet requirements of the City of Little Rock.
CATA:The site is not located on a dedicated CATA Bus Route.
F.ISSUES/TECHNICAL/DESIGN:
Planning
Division:This request is located
in the Crystal Valley Planning District.The Land Use Plan shows MCI (Mixed Commercial Industrial) for
this property.The applicant has
applied for a Planned Commercial Development for a liquor store.
The
request does not require a change to the Land Use Plan.
Master
Street Plan:Lawson Road is shown
as a Minor Arterial on the Master Street Plan and is not constructed to Minor
Arterial standards.The purpose of
a Minor
Arterial is to provide connections to and through an urban area.Lawson Roadwill
require dedication of right-of-way and half street improvements.
Bicycle
Plan:Existing or proposed Class I,
II, or III bikeways are not in the immediate vicinity of the development.
City
Recognized Neighborhood Action Plan:The property under review is not located in an area covered
by a City of Little Rock recognized neighborhood action plan.
Landscape:The plan submitted does not provide for the average 11-foot wide on-site
street buffer required by the Zoning Ordinance.The minimum requirement is 9 feet in width at any given point.Additionally, the plan does not provide for the 9-foot wide street
on-site perimeter landscape strip required by the Landscape Ordinance.
A
6-foot high opaque screen, either a wooden fence with its face side directed
outward, a wall or dense evergreen vegetation, is required west of the business
activity area.
Mr.
Stephen Giles and Ms. Sheila Colclasure were present representing the request.Staff stated the property was located outside the City limits
but within the Planning Jurisdiction.Staff
stated the site was zoned R-2, Single-family but was a legal non-conforming use
for a cabinet shop.Staff stated
the applicant had added liquor sales to the site, which was not in compliance
with the approved non-conforming status.
Staff
stated there were additional items necessary to complete the review process.Staff requested the applicant provide a cover letter
outlining the proposed development.Staff
also requested the applicant provide the days and hours of operation for each
business, the number of employees of each business and the total square footage
designated for each use.Staff
also requested the applicant provide details of any proposed signage.
Public
Works comments were addressed.Staff
stated the indicated drive did not comply with City ordinances.Staff stated the site would be limited to one drive a maximum of 36-feet
in width.Staff also stated a
dedication of right-of-way 45-feet from centerline would be required.Staff noted this would greatly impact the parking on the site.County Planning stated their required right-of-way would be 40-feet from
centerline.City staff stated they
would defer to the County’s required right-of-way.County staff also stated they would allow the applicant to utilize the
right-of-way for parking until such time as the road was widened.
Landscape
comments were addressed.Staff
stated the indicated site plan did not allow for sufficient landscaping.The applicant stated all the improvements were existing.Staff stated the landscaping comments did not apply to the proposed
development since no new construction or paved areas were planned.
Staff
noted comments from the various other reporting departments and agencies
indicating the applicant should contact them individually for further
clarification.There was no further
discussion of the item.The
Committee then forwarded the item to the full Commission for final action.
H.ANALYSIS:
The
applicant submitted a revised plan to staff addressing most of the issues raised
at the February 10, 2005, Subdivision Committee meeting.The applicant has provided a cover letter indicating the days and hours
of operation, the number of employees and the total square footages of each of
the businesses.The applicant has
also indicated proposed signage on the site plan.
The
applicant has indicated the liquor sales business will be open from 8:00 am to
12:00 am six days per week.The
applicant has also indicated there are four employees of the business.The applicant has indicted the cabinet shop hours of operation are from
7:00 am to 7:00 pm six days per week.The
applicant has indicated signage will conform to signage allowed in commercial
zones or a maximum of 36-feet in height and 160-square feet in area.
The
applicant has indicated approximately 2,500 square feet of the site is utilized
for the liquor sales and the cabinet shop utilizes 6,550 square feet.The site plan includes the placement of eleven on-site
parking spaces.The new
right-of-way dedication extends to the edge of the proposed parking.After the dedication of right-of-way, the customers will be backing
directly into the right-of-way.The
typical minimum parking required for the indicated uses would be 16 parking
spaces.The commercial aspect would
require eight parking spaces and the cabinet shop/warehouse would require eight
parking spaces.The indicated
parking is not adequate to meet the minimum paring demand.
The
applicant has also indicated the driveway cannot be narrowed because when
semi-trucks are making deliveries and picking up finished product, they cannot
maneuver the site with a narrow drive.Staff
has concerns with this proposal.In
addition to the free flow of traffic accessing the site and causing safety
concerns, staff is also concerned that when semi-trucks are accessing the site
they will be blocking parking spaces and possible customers.The site is very tight on parking and the blocking of the parking spaces
is not an acceptable option.
Staff
is not supportive of the applicant’s request.The design of the site lends itself to activities that do not generate a
great deal of traffic to the site such as a cabinet shop or a low volume retail
business such as a flower shop.Based
on the availability of parking on the site, staff does not feel the proposed use
is appropriate.
