Planners OK 3 large-scale developments

ROGERS — Planning commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved three large-scale developments, including a community center, additions to Eastside Elementary School and a vehicle repair facility.

The development at Eastside will include four building additions totaling 5,573 square feet and restriping a parking lot on the 13-acre campus, according to planner Amber Long.

Commissioners approved a fee-in-lieu of stormwater runoff detention requirements but denied a waiver from the requirement of a sidewalk along the south side of the property. The sidewalk isn’t necessary because the school doesn’t serve children on the south side of East New Hope Road, said Dirk Thibodaux of Morrison Shipley Halff. The road is also a highway and a sidewalk would interfere with right of way, he said.

The city engineer will work with Thibodaux on the placement of the sidewalk, said John McCurdy, director of community development.

Caliber Collision, 3444 W. Ajax Ave., will include a 16,100-square-foot vehicle repair facility and paved parking lot on 2.9 acres, Long said. A permit was approved for the project in July with the stipulation the business would provide additional screening and landscaping around the vehicle storage area.

The commission approved a variance to allow storage parking to count toward minimum parking requirements. However, the number of Americans with Disabilities Act spaces will be proportional to the number of customer parking spaces. A waiver from the requirement to provide one tree per 15 parking spaces was also granted since the business will have additional trees in the screening area around the storage parking lot.

Variances to reduce the front setback and front and side landscape areas were also approved.

The development at Samaritan Community Center will include two community service buildings totaling 44,792 square feet on 33 acres on South Eighth Street, Long said. The property is owned by Fellowship Bible Church of Northwest Arkansas.

Other actions taken include:

• Approving a request to rezone 0.32 acres at 110 W. Easy St., from the highway commercial zoning district to the residential duplex, patio home zoning district.

• Approving a request to rezone 0.43 acres at the southeast corner of West Olive and North Sixth streets from the residential duplex and patio home zoning district to the neighborhood transition unit. • Approving a permit for Hounds Lounge Pet Resort and Spa to allow animal boarding and animal grooming at 1201 S. 43rd St. in the highway commercial zoning district.

• Approving a permit to allow a warehouse office for the Hudson Road Commercial Park south of the intersection of Hudson Road and Fourth Street in the highway commercial zoning district.