Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
New Life Church to build new youth facility
SILOAM SPRINGS — Planning Commission members approved allowing New Life Church to construct a two story, 24,635-square-foot building.
The building will house the children’s educational area on the first floor and administrative offices on the second floor, according to Tim Estes, senior pastor. This is the first phase of development for the church, Estes said. A second phase will be a new worship center, Estes said. A date for the second phase of construction hasn’t been set, Estes said.
City staff recommended approval with several conditions, according to a report prepared by Senior Planner Ben Rhoads on May 29.
The conditions require the applicant to show exterior lot lighting; pay a sidewalk fee projected to be $6,888; indicate the west driveway as a right-out-only or right-turnonly drive on the plan; show drainage improvement from the detention basin outlet to North Lincoln Street; and have a drainage analysis approved by the city engineer, according to the staff report.
All the requirements need to be completed before getting the building permit.
Ron Homeyer of Civil Engineering, who is representing New Life Church, addressed the requirements. Homeyer said he and Estes don’t completely agree a grandfathered drive should have to be held to the higher standard of the right-turn-only.
“I know they are saying that is needed to comply with good planning, but at the same time that is an existing driveway that should be under a grandfather clause,” Homeyer said.
Homeyer said the church has a history with drainage issues which come from the Gabriel Park subdivision to the north of the property.
“The city has tried a couple of times to improve the drainage through this site in order to improve the drainage in Gabriel Park subdivision,” Homeyer said. “It seems a little tough we’re now being told that because of a drainage complaint from a neighbor that we’re expected to further improve the drainage from the detention basin over to Lincoln Street.”
Bob Whitaker, who lives in the area, said in a letter there’s already a massive flooding never addressed by the city on the west side of Lincoln Street by Renfoe’s Garage and the houses in the area.
Whittaker said he would like to see the development incorporate a large drainage ditch flowing directly into the culvert under the intersection of Cheri Whitlock Street and Lincoln Street and eliminate some flooding on Lincoln Street and Renfoe’s Garage.
Homeyer said the church is willing to do the improvement, but they were hoping to start the improvement during the next phase of construction when the church puts in a driveway on Lincoln Street since that’s where the culvert is.
“If we do drainage improvements now, more than likely we’ll have to get a highway construction permit to do the drainage improvements and then (get a second highway construction permit) later to do a driveway,” Homeyer said.
A few members of the Planning Commission had some questions for the developers. Commissioner Jerrod Driscoll doesn’t think having the driveway on the west as a right-turn-only is necessary because traffic on Sunday is different than traffic the rest of the week. As for the drainage, Driscoll asked if something could be done to temporarily fix the back-up but leave the major construction for the next phase.
Commissioner J.W. Smith said he had no problem approving the permit, but didn’t want the approval to further damage the neighbor’s driveway. Smith motioned to approve the permit with the conditions laid out by Rhoads, except for the one designating the driveway to the west as right-turn-only. The permit will go before the city board of directors July 7. Marc Hayot may be reached by email at mhayot@nwadg.com.