Rogers council OKs rezonings

ROGERS — The City Council approved a rezoning Tuesday that will turn almost 18 acres into a residential neighborhood with homes for lower-income residents.

Bell Constructions Solutions received unanimous approval to turn an agricultural zone north of east New Hope Road and South O Street into a subdivision with up to 79 lots.

Developer Chuck Bell originally asked the Planning Commission last week to approve his request to make the property an affordable housing zone, which would allow mobile homes and up to eight units on each acre of property.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines affordable housing as housing costing occupants no more than 30 percent of their income for housing costs, which includes utilities.

Bell’s request sparked opposition from nearby residents who said they feared the neighborhood would turn into a trailer park. Bell told the commission and the audience he has no intention to have mobile homes on the property.

The property was originally owned by Christ For The World International and was sold to better the community around it, Steven Claypol, previous property owner, said at the commission meeting.

The commission amended the requested zoning from affordable housing to neighborhood residential to ease residents’ concerns and to better reflect Bell’s intentions.

A neighborhood residential district provides affordable housing the same as the residential affordable housing, but doesn’t allow mobile homes and allows fewer units per acre.

Northwest Arkansas has a reputation for its low cost of living compared with major cities around the country. U.S. News & World Report ranked the region this year as the fifth-best to live in and found Northwest Arkansas was a better value than most metropolitan areas its size when comparing median income to median rent, which is about $750, and other housing expenses.

The average annual wage for Northwest Arkansas workers is $44,980, according to the 2017 Northwest Arkansas Region Report. This makes the affordable housing cost for the region $1,124 a month.

The council also approved a rezoning request to create a nursing home south of New Hope Road.

Mill Creek Manor received unanimous approval to turn a section of South 30th Street and Green Acres Road into a multifamily zone after tabling the request at the last meeting.

The request was tabled because of a last-minute addition council members hadn’t been able to review, said John McCurdy, community development director.