City Council approves rezoning

ROGERS — The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a rezoning that received pushback from some residents.

The council voted to rezone 1.81 acres on North Valley West Drive north of Walnut Street to allow townhomes to be built. Several neighbors spoke against the development at last week’s Planning Commission meeting, citing issues such as increased traffic and wanting to keep open space.

“Our client is wanting to do a continuation of the multifamily project that’s just located south to the tract of land,” said a representative, Daniel Ellis of Crafton Tull.

Council member Mark Kruger said he looked at the property.

“There is a natural line there that we end commercial and multifamily and go into single family,” Kruger said. “I will not be in favor of anything other than single-family north of this property.”

The development will 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, Kim Fugitt, the developer’s representative, said at last week’s Planning Commission meeting.

The council also voted to issue more than $145 million in sales and use tax bonds. Voters in August approved a $299.5 million bond issue including $180 million for streets, $59.5 million for debt refinance, $41 for parks and recreation, $11.5 million for police and $9.5 million for fire.

“We’re only issuing a portion of the ballot, so we can go back now and do another bond issue without going back to the voters. It can be done in two separate issues,” Finance Director Casey Wilhelm said after the meeting.

The issue includes more than $100 million for streets, more than $25 million for parks, more than $10.9 million for police and more than $9 million for fire.

The money will hit the city’s bank account around Dec. 4, Wilhelm said.