PRAIRIE GROVE -- A request to rezone property from A-1 to B-1 to park RV trailers was pulled from the agenda Thursday night when it appeared the request would not be approved by Prairie Grove Planning Commission.
This is the second time Jerry Coyle of Prairie Grove has submitted a rezoning request for the property at 455 Wayne Villines Road. It is adjacent to his storage building business and he asked to rezone the property to provide space for storing RVs.
The Planning Commission denied the request a year ago and Coyle was asking the Commission to reconsider his request. If a rezoning request is denied, the petitioner cannot resubmit the same request for one year.
Several property owners living near to Coyle's business objected to the property being rezoned commercial. Concerns expressed included additional traffic, effect on property values and having to look at the trailers parked on the land.
One person said changing the neighborhood from residential to business would be "detrimental."
Another said, "I can see a little bit of it now but I don't want to see more of it."
Coyle pointed out he is not proposing a new development because his existing business already has storage units and stores RVs. He said he believes there is a need for more storage space in the community.
J.C. Dobbs, Commission chairman, said the city's long-range plan shows the area should be single-family or multi-family residential.
Another commission member, Lynn Gregson, said he had a concern that if the land was rezoned B-1 and Coyle sells the business at some point, a new owner would be able to put in anything that is allowed in a B-1 zone.
"Rezoning may not be good in the long run," Gregson said. "That particular place does not lend itself to business."
Coyle said he wanted to be a good neighbor and asked to pull the request from the agenda so he would not be limited again by the one-year restriction in case he wants to try again.
"I know which way this is going to go so I might as well pull it," Coyle said. "It's something I would like to do but I want to be respectful to the neighbors."
In other action, the Council approved another request from Coyle to rezone property at 661 E. Douglas Street from R-1 to B-2. This is property that is behind the land where Coyle plans to build a new restaurant. It faces Center Street.
The Commission approved a third request from Coyle for a variance on landscape requirements for his restaurant. This change was to reduce the number of trees along Douglas Street because of drainage, the sidewalk and parking. The variance was approved with the condition the development would have the total number of trees and plants as required by the ordinance.
The drainage plan for the restaurant to direct storm water under Battle Street is being revised with input from the engineer, city and Arkansas Transportation Department, according to a memo from the city to the Planning Commission.
The Commission also approved a conditional use permit request by Eva Anderson LLC and MCSS Holding LLC to build multi-family units in a B-2 zone at 107 W. Cleveland and a conditional use permit request by MCSS Holding LLC to build multi-family units in a B-2 zone at 411 W. Thurman.
General News on 10/17/2018