Planning Commission Meeting

Monday, January 6th, 2024, 6:00 PM

Greenland Community Center

170 North Letitia

 

Members Present: Charlotte Carnes, Hunter Collins, Brenda Reynolds, Dan Cypert, and Bill Yoes

Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM.

1. Planning Commission: Election of Officers

a. Yoes motioned to reelect Reynolds to Chair. Cypert seconded. Passed 4-0

b. Reynolds motioned to newly elect Cypert to Vice Chair. Carnes seconded. Passed 4-0

c. Carnes motioned to reelect Collins as Secretary. Reynolds seconded. Passed 4-0

d. Closed voting at 6:04 PM.

 

2. Public Hearing: Guzman 522 E. Ralph Phelps Drive Lot Split

a. Tim West as representative for Guzman lot split. Both tracts have adequate access to Ralph Phelps Drive and US 71. Yoes asked a question about sewer access. Mr. West explained access will be given to both parcels through easements if necessary.

3. Guzman, 522 E. Ralph Phelps Drive Lot Split

a. Cypert motioned to approve. Carnes seconded. Passed 4-0.

4. Public Hearing: Sweetser Rezone Located Between N Letitia Ave and N Allen St

a. Blake Murray with Crafton Tull to represent. Rezone 72.5 acres from C-2 to R-3. The properties in question are surrounded by residential properties and City of Greenland property to the south.

b. Cypert asked why R-3 is being proposed instead of R-1. Mr. Murray explained it allows for 6,000 square foot lot sizing. Chair explained that a PZD would be more appropriate in this instance. The applicant is interested in single family homes only. The commission is ensuring that the rezone would only be for that single family use. This would align more to a Planned Zoning District rather than R-3 which would be more suited to apartment complexes and multifamily development. Mr. Murray said his client would be willing to put down a bill of assurance, ensuring that they would only build single-family homes. It was stated that 4 units per acre would be the densest allowable for the property based off topography.

c. Pam Horn. What is the minimum house size for the lots if an R-3 was approved? Chair explained that 24’ wide by 24’ deep is the smallest structure size that could be built based off City code.

d. Penny Plat. Could an R-1 be pursued with a variance for the size of the homes? Chair explained it is not efficient to have a variance for each lot that goes beneath the minimum size. It is more transparent to set the rules at the beginning rather than on a case-by-case basis.

e. Randall Baker. Is Sweetser planning on building $350,000+ homes on this property or less expensive houses? Chair explained this is just the rezone meeting. There is no plan being reviewed for this meeting. No plan has come across the City’s desk.

f. Mary Lowe. My concern is a high-density type of rental. Arkansas has the worst renter laws in the nation. The tenant has no requirements for upkeep of the property or safety of the property. She is concerned about the high-density single-family dwellings or rentals that people could buy and rent out. Chair explained that the Sweetser group is wanting to build single family dwellings for sale. They are not planning on renting these houses out.

g. Chad Wooten. I am concerned that the owner could put down this bill of assurance, sell the property, then someone else, under the R-3 zoning, would be able to build apartment complexes. Chair explained this would not be possible. The bill of assurance would be attached to the zoning and would follow the zoning independent of the owner.

h. Russell Flatte. I am an adjacent property owner. I spoke to around 35 families around the property and none of those families wanted R-3 zoning for that set of properties. Most families were amicable to R-1 zoning.

i. Morgan Dooley. We do not have enough police officers or fire department personnel to handle 165 to 270 more homes. I am for development, but I don’t believe there is enough infrastructure to support the neighborhood. I believe that the density being unknown in the notification letter is insulting to the citizens of Greenland.

j. Mr. Wise. I have been a Greenland resident my entire life. I am in the land development business. Developers usually have a concept and know the density long before purchasing a property and therefore believe the applicant is not being forthcoming with the plan for the property.

k. Allison Williams. Parking, sewage, ecological and emergency services impacts are my main concerns. How would this density benefit us? How would the bill of assurance be changed, if possible? Chair explained that the bill of assurance can only be changed if the City itself removes that bill of assurance attached to the zoning of the property.

l. Jared Hollis. Is the bill of assurance iron-clad or can it be changed? Chair explained that the bill of assurance can only be changed if the City itself removes that bill of assurance for the rezone.

m. Heather Sur. How would the developers take into consideration the sewer impacts with the upgrades that are happening now? Nathan Crouch, the City Engineer, explained there is no plan right now. This is just a rezone.

n. Jerusha Getlan. Why not use this bill of assurance and zone it R-1? Chair explained that the applicant wants the smaller setbacks and lot sizing so that it can meet the density requested in R-3 zoning.

o. Mrs. Luellen. Why go to R-3 and make an exception with a bill of assurance? The public is requesting this property be zoned R-1 to keep the density down and see how the effects on the city and infrastructure works with the 500+ homes already approved to be built over the next few years.

p. Public Hearing closed at 7:24 P.M.

5. Sweetser Rezone Located Between N Letitia Ave and N Allen St.

a. Mr. Yoes. The two streets that give access to this development cannot handle the traffic for the proposed number of homes. We also need to ensure that the sewer improvements can handle the increased flow.

b. Mr. Cypert. I believe that this project would fit perfectly in a planned zoning district. This would allow the developer to show their plan and set their own density while allowing the citizens of Greenland to see intent and layout of the development. Planning Chair read the code for the requirements for rezoning to the public prior to voting.

c. Collins abstained from voting. Cypert motioned for rezone to PZD. Carnes seconded. 4-0 approved recommendation for rezone to PZD.

6. Public Comments

a. No further public comment.

Collins motioned to adjourn. Carnes seconded. Meeting adjourned at 7:47 PM.