PUBLIC HEARING ITEM:

 

ITEM NO. 13:     A TO RS-2; EAST OF GEORGE WILLIAMS WAY (EXTENDED) AND WEST OF STONERIDGE DRIVE (EXTENDED) (SLD)

 

SUMMARY

 

Z-08-39-04:  A request to rezone a tract of land approximately 19.283 acres from A (Agricultural) District to RS-2 (Single-Family Residential) District.  The property is generally described as being located east of George Williams Way (extended) and west of Stoneridge Drive (extended).  Submitted by Landplan Engineering, P.A., for Stoneridge Holdings, L.L.C., contract purchaser, and Alvamar, Inc, property owner of record.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Current Zoning and Land Use:

A (Agricultural) District; unimproved land.

Surrounding Zoning and Land Use:

A (Agricultural) District to the north and east; undeveloped.

 

RS-2 (Single-Family Residence) District to the southeast; developing single-family Fox Chase residential neighborhood.

 

Pending publication of RS-2 (Single-Family Residence) District to the southwest; residential development known as Green Tree Subdivision.

 

Pending publication of RM-1 (Multiple-Family Residence) District located on the west side of George Williams Way (extended) and being part of the Diamondhead development.

 

Applicant’s Reason for Request:

Planned single-family development

 

I.         ZONING AND USES OF PROPERTY NEARBY

 

Staff Finding - The area to the east and south is zoned for residential purposes. This area was annexed as part of the W. 6th Street annexation project but was not rezoned to a comparable city zoning designation. The immediate surrounding area is undeveloped with the exception of an existing residence to the north on what is known as the Collister property and is accessed from W. 6th Street.

 

II.       CHARACTER OF THE AREA

 

Staff Finding – The defining character for this area has been established as a low-density, single-family, residential neighborhood. The neighborhood is anchored with an elementary school and public park land located south and west of the subject property. The subject property is adjacent to designated collector street Stoneridge Drive (to the east) which includes a planned collector street intersection with W. 6th Street in the future.

 

III.      SUITABILITY OF SUBJECT PROPERTY FOR THE USES TO WHICH IT HAS BEEN RESTRICTED

 

Staff Finding - The current A (Agricultural) District zoning designation is inappropriate since the property has been annexed into the City of Lawrence. Prior to annexation, this area was located within the Urban Growth Area and had been planned and anticipated for urban development for many years.

 

IV.       LENGTH OF TIME SUBJECT PROPERTY HAS REMAINED VACANT AS ZONED

 

Staff Finding - The property is unimproved and has been zoned A (Agricultural) since the adoption of County zoning in 1966.

 

V.        EXTENT TO WHICH REMOVAL OF RESTRICTIONS WILL DETRIMENTALLY AFFECT NEARBY PROPERTY

 

Approval of this request will add restrictions to development of the property and establish a framework for applicable housing type and density. Development requires approval of both a preliminary and final plat, which allows for refinement of the street and lot layout and additional review prior to construction.  Housing type would be limited to single-family homes.

 

Staff Finding - Approval of this request should not result in an isolated development.  Direct access to Stoneridge Drive should be limited and controlled through the subdivision plat. Relationship and orientation to the public park/open space should be incorporated into the final design of the development.  Access would need to be considered along a network of public sidewalks and streets as well as the potential use of the utility easement along the west or southwest property line. Approval of a final plat ,to show how lots and streets will provide both transition and connection between the subject property and the surrounding area, is recommended as a condition of this zoning request.

 

VI.       RELATIVE GAIN TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE BY THE DESTRUCTION OF THE VALUE OF THE PETITIONER’S PROPERTY AS COMPARED TO THE HARDSHIP IMPOSED UPON THE INDIVIDUAL LANDOWNERS

 

Staff Finding - This area has been anticipated for residential development since the late 1980’s. The proposed request is consistent with anticipated land use for this area. The proposed request reflects the established land use pattern in the developing neighborhood.

 

VII.     CONFORMANCE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

 

Horizon 2020 recommends that “Compatible densities and housing types should be encouraged in residential neighborhoods by providing appropriate transition zones between low-density residential land uses and more intensive residential development and between higher-density residential uses and nonresidential uses.” The Plan also anticipates that low density residential development will “continue to be the predominate land use in the City.”  The most common method to assure compatibility is to extend or continue a particular zoning district. The proposed request will expand the low-density residential district in this area and is consistent with the generalized land use expectation for residential development.

 

Municipal services can be extended to this property. The plan further provides recommendations for lot orientation and access which will be discussed as part of the preliminary plat review.

 

Staff Finding - The proposed request conforms to land use recommendations found in Horizon 2020. Additional detail must be provided through the subdivision plat review process to complete the evaluation of this request.

 

STAFF REVIEW

Development of the property for single-family land use will require additional attention to the proximity of individual lots which abut the collector street.

 

Key elements related to appropriate development are: connectivity and integration of the subject property with the surrounding platted and un-platted parcels. These elements are included in a review of the physical development of the subject property through the subdivision plat process. Staff has been working with the applicant on preliminary concepts to address these issues. The intent of this discussion is to forecast to the neighborhood and the developer the City’s expectations of how the subject property should ultimately be developed. Staff recommends that rezoning be conditioned upon the approval of a final plat to address compatibility with the Comprehensive Plan and with the existing neighborhood character.

 

Some of the goals and policies in Horizon 2020 cannot be assessed as to having been met without a plat accompanying a rezoning application. Staff has found that requiring the zoning to be contingent upon final platting reduces the number of errors that result when platted lot lines and zoning boundaries do not coincide. The recommendation that the zoning be contingent upon approval and recording of a final plat is consistent with previous land use requests.

 

PROFESSIONAL STAFF RECOMMENDATION

 

Staff recommends approval of the 19.28 acres from A (Agricultural) to RS-2 (Single-Family Residence) District and forwarding it to the City Commission with a recommendation for approval based on the findings of fact found in the body of the staff report and subject to the following condition:

 

1.      Recording of a final plat prior to publication of the rezoning ordinance.