MARCH 3, 2005

ITEM NO.:      B

FILE NO.:       LU04-01-07

Name:             Land Use Plan Amendment - River Mountain Planning District

Location:        Cantrell Road west of Pinnacle Valley Drive

Request:         Transition and Suburban Office to Mixed Use

Source:           Joe White, White Daters Engineering

PROPOSAL / REQUEST:

Land Use Plan amendment in the River Mountain Planning District from Transition and Suburban Office to Mixed Use. The Mixed Use category provides for a mixture of residential, office and commercial uses to occur. A Planned Zoning District is required if the use is entirely office or commercial, or if the use is a mixture of the three.  The Land Use Plan shows Suburban Office & Transition for this property. The applicant has applied for a POD -Planned Office Development for a mixed use development.  The applicant has previously applied for a POD and a Land Use Plan Amendment from Transition and Suburban Office to Mixed Use that was withdrawn without prejudice at the June 3, 2004 Planning Commission hearing.

EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING:

The property is a house built on a large lot and currently zoned R-2 Single Family and is about 3.58 acres in size.  The remainder of the expanded area includes a single family home and an out building on a large lot and currently zoned R-2.  The vacant land to the north is zoned R-2 Single Family.  The property to the east is zoned Planned Commercial Development with a recently constructed Walgreen’s and a Catfish City Restaurant under construction, both at the intersection of Cantrell and Taylor Loop Roads.   Further to the east is a development zoned C-3, General Commercial District, anchored by a hardware store and other small offices and restaurants.   The land to the southeast is a Planned Commercial Development for the David Claiborne furniture store and the Victorian Garden Restaurant.  Further southeast is a POD, PDO-Planned Development Office, and even farther southeast are areas zoned as R-2 and PCD -Planned Commercial Development, for a bank, church, offices, hair salon, animal clinic and single-family homes.  The land to the south and southwest is mostly vacant land zoned R-2 with a single family development backing onto Cantrell Road and PR for parks and recreational use.   The property to the west is zoned PDO with a Bank of the Ozarks at the front of the lot and a two story office building at the rear. Further to the west are several PODs consisting of homes converted into offices.

FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS:

On April 6, 2004, a change was made from Transition to Commercial about a quarter mile northeast of the applicant’s property at Cantrell Road and the east leg of Taylor Loop Road, immediately northeast of the expanded area, to accommodate proposed development.

On August 19, 2003 a change was made from Transition to Commercial to about a half mile to the northeast of the property on the north side of Cantrell Road just east of Pinnacle Valley Drive to accommodate a proposed development.

On February 18, 2003 multiple changes were made within a 1 mile radius of the project site recognize existing conditions.  These include Transition to Suburban Office north of the site, Transition to Single Family about quarter mile west of the site, Transition to Commercial about a half mile east of the site and on the opposite side of Cantrell Road, and Transition to Single family about one mile due east of the site

The applicant’s property is shown as Suburban Office and Transition on the Future Land Use Plan.  The neighboring land to the north is shown as Single Family.  The property to the east and southeast is shown as Commercial.  The property south of the amendment area is shown as Transition and Single Family.  The property to the southwest is shown as Single Family and Park / Open Space.  The area to the west is shown as Suburban Office. 

MASTER STREET PLAN:

Cantrell Road is shown as a Principal Arterial on the plan.  Cantrell Road is built as a five-lane road through that area.  The primary function of a Principal Arterial is to serve through traffic and connect major traffic generators or activity centers within urbanized areas.  Cantrell Road may require dedication of right-of-way and street improvements.  Since this property is located on a Principal Arterial, access to the site should be minimized and should not impede through traffic.

Existing or proposed Class I, II, or III bikeways are not in the immediate vicinity of the development.

PARKS:

The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Master Plan of 2001 shows the Taylor Loop Park located a short distance to the southwest of the applicant’s property.  Taylor Loop Park is shown as a park of 35.0+ acres.  Taylor Loop Park is listed as an undeveloped Community Park intended to remain as a passive open space parcel of undeveloped land and is designed to serve the open space needs of several neighborhoods.

HISTORIC DISTRICTS:

There are no city recognized historic districts that would be affected by this amendment.

CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN:

The applicant’s property lies in the area covered by the River Mountain Neighborhood Action Plan. The Sustainable Natural Environment goal listed an objective of promoting
the vigorous enforcement of the Landscaping and Excavation Ordinance. This action could result in the removal of trees in order to accommodate the development of uses possible in the Commercial land use category.

ANALYSIS:

The application area is located in an area of the city characterized by an increase in Office and Commercial uses.  Suburban Office requires a Planned Zoning District and a change to Mixed Use would continue the requirement of Planned Zoning Districts for new non-residential developments.  Although this amendment could increase the amount of Commercial development along the north side of Cantrell Road, development style could be limited to acceptable design standards through the site plan review process.

The back part of the applicant’s property was the subject of a Land Use Plan Amendment for a change from Transition to Suburban Office as part of a Future Land Use review along Cantrell Road presented to the Planning Commission on January 9, 2003.  The change to Suburban Office for the front part of the applicant’s property was approved since it was felt that Office developments were more likely to take place fronting Cantrell Road. It was also determined that the Transition land use category should remain in some areas to allow for office development similar to the requirements found in the Suburban Office category while also allowing residential development. 

Within a half mile of this property is a total of about 52.01 + acres shown as Commercial at two commercial nodes less than a half mile apart on Cantrell Road.  These two nodes are at the east leg of Taylor Loop Road and east of Pinnacle Valley Drive.  Changing this property to Mixed Use could result in an increase of 10 + acres of commercial uses, a 20% area increase.  Three recently approved PCDs are located either at the existing Taylor Loop node or in between the two.  The new pattern of PCDs indicates a trend of infill at and between the two existing nodes.  This amendment would expand potential Commercial west, not following the present trend of infill at or between the existing commercial nodes.   Immediately west of this application land shown as Suburban Office has recently developed with three PODs consistent with the Land Use Plan.   If the application area were to remain Suburban Office the possibility of similar office development of the site could occur, which would limit westward expansion of the Cantrell Road/Taylor Loop node and be consistent with the present office development in the area. 

NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS:

Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations:  Pleasant Valley Property Owners Association, River Valley Property Owners Association, Pankey Community Improvement Association, Piedmont Neighborhood Association, Pleasant Forest Neighborhood Association, Secluded Hills Property Owners Association, Walton Heights-Candlewood Neighborhood Association, Westbury Neighborhood Association, Westchester/Heatherbrae Property Owners Association, Chenal Ridge Property, and Charleston Heights/North Rahling Road Neighborhood Association.  Staff has not received any comments from Neighborhood Associations at this time.

STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:

Staff believes the change is not appropriate.  This amendment would further increase the amount of Commercial along the north side of Cantrell Road while expanding the existing Commercial node to the west.

PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION:                                  (DECEMBER 2, 2004)

The item was placed on the consent agenda for deferral to the January 20, 2005 Planning Commission meeting.  A motion was made to wavier the by-laws for a five-day notice to defer prior to the Planning Commission meeting.  That motion was made and approved with a vote of 9 ayes, 0 noes, and 2 absent.  A motion was made to approve the consent agenda and was approved with a vote of 9 ayes, 0 noes and 2 absent.

STAFF UPDATE:

The applicant has not submitted any alternatives or scheduled any meetings with Staff regarding this application. The application remains unchanged.

PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION:                                  (JANUARY 20, 2005)

The item was placed on the consent agenda for deferral to the March 3, 2005 Planning Commission meeting.  A motion was made to approve the consent agenda and was approved with a vote of 10 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent.

STAFF UPDATE:

The applicant has not submitted any alternatives or scheduled any meetings with Staff regarding this application. The application remains unchanged.