Proposed 100-foot KATV tower in Little Rock's Riverdale neighborhood draws critics; vote delayed

KATV, Channel 7, a fixture at Fourth and Main streets in Little Rock for 50 years, wants to relocate its studios and newsroom to a Riverdale neighborhood office building.

But a request for a variance from city zoning ordinances to allow a 100-foot broadcast tower was delayed one month after two dozen owners of luxury condominiums near the station's planned purchase showed up at the monthly Little Rock Board of Adjustment meeting Monday to object. They said the proposed tower would harm their Arkansas River view and their property values.

City zoning ordinances allow a maximum tower height of 75 feet. City planning staff members supported the request, calling it reasonable and saying the proposed tower height wouldn't be out of character with the heights of other buildings and towers in the area surrounding 10 Turtle Creek Lane, the office building the station is negotiating to purchase. They noted a 154-foot tower for a Signal Media station at 2400 Cottondale Lane.

The building, which is owned by the Student Guarantee Loan Foundation of Arkansas, is listed for $3.69 million. Built in 2007, the 2-story, 26,615-square-foot office building sits on a nearly 4-acre site between Riverfront and Brookwood drives.

In 1969, KATV moved into its present location, the site of a former Worthen Bank Building, built in 1928 and on the National Register of Historic Places.

Mark Rose, the station general manager, said the extra tower height was needed for the station to operate "efficiently" from its new home.

"The extra 25 feet on top of the 75 that is already approved is for future use as in treetops," he told the board. "We can't control the trees, their growth. So this will provide us a long period of time to continue to broadcast our signal from this facility."

But it was another set of set of treetops that tripped up KATV's variance request. Owners of Treetops condominiums, a 10-story, 48-unit building off Rebsamen Park Road and about a quarter-mile from the proposed tower, first learned of the proposed tower Saturday.

State law and city ordinance require only property owners within 200 feet of the proposed variance be notified.

The owners enjoy views of the Arkansas River and downtown Little Rock, which they said would be marred by a new broadcast tower.

"We as owners believe the proposed tower would interfere with clean unobstructed nature of these views as well as the other more broadly aesthetic visuals in the Riverdale community," Bob Ratchford, president of the Treetops Property Owners Association told the board. "For these reasons, we believe the proposed tower would weigh heavily and negatively on the values and quiet enjoyment of owners' properties."

Two other condominium owners also presented objections on technical grounds, but planning staff members said they were incorrect assumptions about city ordinances and said the tower, as proposed, could be allowed within city ordinances and state law.

One of those owners, James Conner, an urban planner, lives on the 10th floor, which he said gives him 190-degree view from upriver and Burns Park down to the Clinton Presidential Center and back around to the state Capitol.

"This tower, this erector set, is right smack in the middle of my expensive view," he said. "It is an industrial blight in an office and residential area."

Joe White, a civil engineer working with KATV, told the board that the top of the tower would still be below the elevation of the base of the Treetops building.

Rose also told the board the tower narrows toward its top. "In terms of views and things like that, it shouldn't have any much more effect than a 75-foot tower versus a 100-foot tower," he said.

The five-member board had just three members present. A variance request needs three votes to pass. KATV representatives asked for the board to go forward with a vote, but Conner asked for a delay to allow Treetop owners to obtain legal counsel.

A motion by board member Carolyn Lindsey won unanimous approval to delay consideration of the matter until the board's March 25 meeting.

"I personally have concerns that I would like to have addressed," said board Chairman Frank Allison.

Business on 02/26/2019

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