Directors approve city code changes

LITTLE ROCK — The Little Rock Board of Directors approved a slate of code changes that align the city’s planning, zoning and development laws with changes within the department and with current development trends.

At least half of the changes deal with shifting responsibility from either the city’s planning or public works departments to a restructured development division that includes staff members who focus solely on helping applicants.

The departmental and code changes aim to streamline the development process, something Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said he wanted to do when he got into office in 2019.

Little Rock Planning and Development Director Jamie Collins said recently that the city has not made comprehensive changes to the codes since the late 1980s.

“It’s been well over 30 years since the city of Little Rock has taken this initiative,” he said at a virtual town hall meeting that aimed to answer the public’s questions about the changes May 11.

Many of the changes are to align city code with current development trends, zoning practices and what city staff members and the public have seen over the years, Collins said.

Collins said the planning staff met with residents, developers and landowners over the past year during the process of updating the codes. Two of those people were William Clark, chief executive officer of Clark Contractors LLC, and Chris East of Cromwell Architects Engineers, Collins said.

The Little Rock Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the changes to the city board Jan. 9.