Planning Commission OKs animal hospital, townhomes

The commission approved the animal hospital on 2.09 acres east of West Chastain Crossing and South 43rd Street.

ROGERS — The Planning Commission voted Tuesday to allow an animal hospital and new townhouses to be built in the city.

Animal Medical Center has a veterinary clinic at 205 S. 20th St. and is looking to expand by building an animal hospital, Dr. Dwaine Dickey said before Tuesday’s meeting.

The commission approved the animal hospital on 2.09 acres east of West Chastain Crossing and South 43rd Street.

Dickey said he and his partner, Dr. Kyle Fugett, plan a 6,000-square-foot hospital to primarily serve companion animals, such as cats and dogs.

“We’re ready to go as soon as we can get formalities taken care of,” Dickey said.

The veterinary clinic has been open 27 years.

“We’ve had so much growth,” he said.

The veterinarians have introduced more technology into their practice and will further that at the hospital, he said.

“We’re looking at advanced diagnostic imaging capabilities,” Dickey said, adding the hospital will also offer more surgical procedures.

The hospital will have indoor overnight boarding, Hunter Haynes, a representative for Animal Medical Center, told the Planning Commission.

No residents spoke in favor or in opposition of the animal hospital.

Several residents, however, spoke in opposition of rezoning property on North Valley West Drive north of Walnut Street to allow new townhomes to be built, citing issues such as increased traffic and wanting to keep open space.

Resident Marilyn Mothershed said she has lived in the neighborhood for 41 years.

“When we first moved there, the children were able to play on the streets. There’s so much traffic now, you’re not able to talk to the neighbor across the street with the cars going by, so I think it would be a detriment to the community,” she said.

One resident, Fred Johnson, supported the rezoning, calling the townhomes the highest and best use of the property.

“This development is basically a mirror image of the existing development on Valley West Court,” Kim Fugitt, the developer’s representative, said.

The development would consist of 19 townhomes, nine will have two bedrooms and two bathrooms on one floor and 10 will have three bedrooms and two bathrooms on two floors, Fugitt said.

“As much as we would all like to have open greenspace lots that are currently vacant, it’s really not practical to tell your neighbor that they’re not allowed to develop that,” Commissioner John Schmelzle said.

Both items passed unanimously with commissioners Mark Myers and Don Spann absent from the meeting.