Little Rock residents oppose complex for elderly

Residents of a west Little Rock neighborhood won the first battle in a fight against a company’s attempt to build a community for senior citizens on property previously agreed to contain office buildings.

A city Planning Commission vote on rezoning to allow the construction of a multifamily building went in the residents’ favor Thursday, with five commissioners voting against Deltic Timber Corp.’s request and four voting in favor.

Bill Spivey, an attorney representing the corporation, said he would consult with his client on whether to appeal the commission’s decision to the Little Rock Board of Directors. Several commissioners said they expected an appeal.

Deltic Timber wanted to have property on the northwest corner of Champagnolle Drive and Rahling Road, near Chenal Parkway, rezoned from quiet office space to residential development.

That would have allowed for a planned three-story, two-wing building with 130-units for people age 55 and older, though the company said it anticipated the average tenant’s age would have been 75 to 80.

The building was planned to contain studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units. There would be live-in managers, a 24/7 staff, concierge service, free scheduled car and bus service, full-service dining and weekly housekeeping.

Single-family property owners on nearby Witry Court didn’t welcome the plans.

They said the development would cause an increase of all-hours traffic next to the Champagnolle playground and pool where their children play.

The neighbors reached an agreement with Deltic Timber almost 20 years ago to support the company’s request at the time to zone the land for offices. The city board approved zoning for offices in 2010, but the development never occurred.

Now Deltic Timber has decided on the senior citizens community. The city’s planning and development staff recommended that the Planning Commission approve the request, saying it would have had limited effect on surrounding neighborhoods.

The commission went against staff advice Thursday with its split vote after neighbors showed up wearing green T-shirts that said “Chenal Matters To Us!”

Jennifer Hill, a member of the Witry Court Property Owners Association board, said the extra traffic a senior-citizen living complex would draw to the area was an “unnecessary hazard.”

“Increased traffic means increased accidents, injuries and possible deaths in our neighborhoods,” she said.

Representatives for Deltic Timber said traffic studies they commissioned show that the formerly planned office development would have generated 1,344 vehicle trips per day, whereas estimates for the senior-citizen complex show just 478 trips each day.

Witry Court resident Kyla Aycock said that doesn’t take into account that the cars visiting the office buildings would only be present Monday through Friday until about 5 p.m.

She said she and her husband would not have bought a home in the area eight months ago if they had known of Deltic Timber’s plans. A company representative told their Realtor that office space was planned.

“As a mom, privacy and safety of my children is very important. So we looked for two years for a Chenal home meeting our needs,” she said, noting her house has floor-to-ceiling windows that residents of the proposed apartments could peer in.

Many commissioners said concerns like Aycock’s persuaded them to vote against the development.

Meanwhile, others pointed out that the planned office development had proposed 13 buildings, with no set closing time and no set building height.

“Be careful what you ask for,” Commissioner Paul Latture said. He voted for the rezoning Thursday.

“It could be worse,” said Commissioner Bill May, who voted against the rezoning.