FARMINGTON -- Farmington School District had hoped to have its landscape plan for the new high school approved by Farmington Planning Commission last week but only four members showed up for the meeting, just short of a quorum of five.
"I apologize about that," commission Chairman Robert Mann told Mark Haguewood with Hight Jackson Associates in Rogers and Geoffrey Bates with Bates and Associates engineering firm, of Fayetteville. The men were attending the meeting to present Farmington's landscape plan. "We knew two weren't going to be here. I apologize we can't have a meeting,"
Mann and commissioners Gerry Harris, Bobby Wilson and Jay Moore attended the commission's regular monthly meeting, Jan. 25. Commissioners Judy Horne and Toni Bahn had previously said they would not be able to attend the meeting. A few minutes before 6 p.m., city staff and commissioners tried to contact members Matt Hutcherson and Seth Schader to find out if they were on their way. Hutcherson later replied he had a family emergency. They did not hear back from Schader.
Last week's meeting also was a public hearing because the school district is requesting a variance from meeting requirements of the city's landscape ordinance. Three people attended the meeting after receiving a notice about the public hearing. City Attorney Steve Tennant said the city is required to give a 15-day notice for public hearings and would have to publish another notice before the next public hearing.
The school's request for a landscape variance will be considered at the commission's Feb. 22 meeting.
Alex and Mary Lacy live across from the high school property on Highway 170 and said they were at the public hearing because of some concerns about the school district's landscape plan.
"We just want it done right," Mary Lacy said afterward.
Alex Lacy said he thinks the district would want to meet the requirements of the city's landscape ordinance.
"As a public building, they ought to exceed it," said Alex Lacy.
He said he appreciates the city's landscape ordinance, noting that landscaping installed by Walmart, Casey's General Store and Kum & Go looks nice in Farmington.
The Planning Commission approved the large-scale development plan for a new high school on Nov. 30, 2015, contingent on the approval of a landscape plan at a later meeting.
The large-scale development plan in November did not meet requirements of the city's landscape ordinance. The school was given the option to either submit a new landscape plan that meets the ordinance or request a variance.
According to the landscape ordinance, the school district would be required to plant 41 trees and 410 shrubs along the street frontage and 92 trees and 552 shrubs along the property perimeter.
The school proposes to plant 29 trees and 169 shrubs along street frontage and 62 trees and no shrubs within the interior of the property, instead of along the perimeter.
Haguewood said the school does not want to plant trees along the highway because of road improvements planned in the future. In addition, he noted the new school is designed so that the hills to the southeast are visible.
Trees along the highway frontage would block this view, Haguewood said.
"It's more appealing to put landscaping within the property, not on the fence row," Haguewood added.
The school district is still on schedule to advertise for bids for the high school project this week and open bids Feb. 18. Landscaping will not be a part of the construction bids. Haguewood said the school district will take care of landscaping, except for sod and seed.
General News on 02/03/2016