Several are residents expressed concerns during a public hearing of the Planning . Commission when a request to rezone 13.5 acres at 936 Slack St. was presented. The plan proposed by Bill Watkins, the attorney representing the property owner, called for commercial and residential lots.
Property owners questioned whether Wilson Street would be used. They were advised that connectivity between subdivisions is one objective of city plans.
One homeowner said he he was promised that property would remain agricultural. He also complained that some of the houses in his subdivision are being rented.
"That's something you should address with your POA (Property Owners Association)," Dr. Karen Sherman, planner, said. "We don't own the property, somebody else does, they have the right to ask."
City attorney Shane Perry explained that the current meeting was for a zoning change.
"We want to manage public expectations, this is a zoning hearing," Perry said. "No one should leave here expecting that a public street should not connect from one subdivision ... connectivity is very important.
"No one should leave here thinking a public street should be isolated," he said.
Another concern expressed by planners, but which did not impede the ultimate approval, was the small amount of commercial planned for the development which, according to the city's long-range plan, should have commercial along Slack Street (Arkansas Highway 72).
"I'm concerned there's approximately .3 acre development for commercial instead of what is shown on our long-range plan," Sherman said. "I feel l like it's important we preserve the commercial area for commercial property."
"It took time sifting through the city code," Watkins said. "As I understand it, your long-range planning is a guide."
"With the explosive growth that's coming," Perry said, there's a good reason for us to be concerned about commercial and residential mix. We do have subdivisions up and down there."
Planner Patrick Wheeless said he agreed with Sherman and was disappointed that the proposed commercial lot was so small. Planner Greg Pickens and Sherman voted against the motion to approve the rezone with four votes in favor of it.
In other business, city planners agreed to:
• Rezone Commercial-1 to Residential-1, 3.06 acres 1938 Slack St., by Scott & Jennifer Jacobs;
• Rezone A-1 to R-2SF & C-1 13.47 Acres 936 Slack Street (Doug Sperber); and
• Rezone A-1 to R-3 & C-3 10 Acres 1840 W. Pickens Road (Dye Investments LLC).