Council overturns rezoning denial

SPRINGDALE — The City Council on Tuesday night overturned 6-2 a rezoning denial approved by the Planning Commission. The landowner, Billy R. Fields, requested the appeal, according to his attorney Jim Crouch.

The land in contention was 20 acres along Ball Road in Northwest Springdale, just north of Ball’s intersection with West County Line Road.

Fields requested a zoning designation of SF-2, which would allow for a subdivision of low- to medium-density construction of single-family homes on the property. The land is surrounded on three sides by property lying within the Elm Springs city boundaries.

Nearby landowners and homeowners in the Camelot subdivision voiced opposition, from possible drainage and traffic issues to the size of homes to be built in the proposed subdivision. Lots in Camelot measure the minimum of 1 acre, while the rezoning would allow for four houses per acre. Crouch said the developer planned for three units per acre.

Patsy Christie, director of the Planning Department, explained the only difference in the city’s definitions of low- density and mediumdensity areas for single-family homes was the lot frontage and size of the lot. In a low-density area, the lots must be 10,000 square feet with a minimum of 80 feet of frontage along a city street. The medium-density requirements are 9,000 square foot lot and 70 feet of frontage. Both allow a maximum of four units per acre.

“There are lots of subdivisions all over town zoned SF2 that have various sizes of houses,” she said.

This zoning question and others have arisen as the city grows. Christie said the city ordinances don’t address a minimum size for a house nor are there design standards in place.

Kevin Parsley, chairman of the Planning Commission, agreed and said the commissioners are working during their monthly work sessions to develop standards. The city wants to get the highest and best use it can out of any property, and the commissioners, when considering rezoning, must keep in mind what could be the lowest use of the land allowed by current standards, he said.

The proposed subdivision with medium-density single-family housing does fit into the city’s Land Use Plan, Christie said. The land for the proposed subdivision sits across the street from the planned Shaw Family Park, which will be built using money from a bond issue passed by residents in February.

Nathan Miles addressed the council, saying he spoke for several land owners in the Excalibur subdivision. He expressed concerns the developer of the new subdivision, Rausch Coleman Homes, and the builder, Riggins Construction, build homes that merely meet building codes, trying to maximize profit. The companies included no plans for amenities such as green space, pools and common areas in the subdivision, Miles said.

He added homes in the area’s Legacy subdivision, after about two years, evolved into rental units with a transient population, decaying properties and stagnant home values.

Miles said owners of the current homes in the area invested $400,000 to $1 million in their homes. Crouch said Riggins planned to build homes sized 1,800 to 2,200 square feet that would sell for about $240,000.

“That won’t get you much in Springdale,” Miles countered.

“You said you wanted to take that northwest corridor and make it special,” Miles continued. “With the new park, you will draw the finest engineers and builders to the area.”

Miles urged councilmen to follow the path of Bentonville, which regulates closely what can be built around the city’s amenities such as Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Orchards Park. He wanted the city to consider building homes that would attract doctors moving to the area to work for Arkansas Children’s Northwest and the Mercy clinic under construction on Elm Springs Road. He said this will help close the economic gap Springdale has with other cities.

“Let’s build something better,” Miles said. “We are not opposed to the land being developed. Let’s just do it the right way.”

“I think 60 $ 240,000 homes would benefit the city greatly,” Councilman Cody Fulfer countered. He added 80 percent of the residents in Springdale can’t afford to live in a $400,000 home, but those with an average household income could afford a $240,000 home, and they are common in neighborhoods throughout the city.

“The demand for homes is set by the market and what people are willing to invest,” Fulfer said, noting the more expensive homes are not selling in Springdale right now. “I’m think a quarter- million-dollar home is a plus to the area that’s going to have a park.”

The council will vote on approval of the rezoning at its June 5 meeting.