Neighbors speak against duplexes

After more than an hour of comments of opposition from residents whose properties are near … city Planning Commission members denied a request to rezone 9.5 acres on West Harris Street from Agricultural to Residential-2 multi-family. Applause erupted after the final vote.

“Just as a point of clarity, we can take this to the City Council?” asked John Wary, engineer, vice president and division manager of Morrison-Shipley Engineering’s Bentonville office, after the denial. Planners told him he could appeal to the Council.

Two residents in the audience, Sheila Wilkerson and Courtney Hurst, asked if residents would be notified of an appeal and were told by city building official Tony Townsend that the agenda would be published and the Council meeting was public.

Only one of three rezoning requests received public comments and those were overwhelmingly in opposition to the request for multi-family dwellings.

There are two parcels — one 9 acres and the other 28 acres — which are part of a 35-acre development, according to Wary, who said the multi-family portion is for duplexes. The land is owned by Lester and Barbra Hall in the Hall Revocable Trust. Plans call for 117 units on the larger parcel and 24 units on the smaller. The multi-family residences are planned to be duplexes.

Drew McGee, saying he represented the Ella McGee family trust, said: “That looks like way too many homes for that piece of property!” He questioned who would be responsible for road improvements to West Harris Street, which he said is very narrow. He also asked about drainage.

“There’s also a cemetery on that property,” McGee said. “What’s going to be done about that?”

Townsend asked Wary about the cemetery. Wary said it was about a half acre identified as a grave site in the southwest corner of the main parcel and would “be left in its current state and not disturbed.”

“I join that property,” Ella McGee said. “One of my concerns is the run-off because I have a spring and a pond.

“I talked to Lester (Hall) and he just blew me off. With that many homes in that area, it will devalue the surrounding homes and Shepherd Hills. That was such a good property. Pea Ridge wants to keep the place nice. This is not one that can tolerate that many living units in that small an area,” she said.

Planner Al Fowler said an R-2 zone requires 1,200 square feet so he questions the number of parcels allocated to that property and believes it should be fewer than proposed.

“When I see the roads coming in there, how is Pea Ridge able to handle that many homes in that area?” Mrs. McGee asked. She said her son, grandson and other family members enjoy fishing in her pond and she says runoff will be destructive to it.

Planning Commission chairman Chris Johnson said the city’s drainage regulations should prevent negative impact from drainage to surrounding areas. He reminded the audience that the question is just for rezoning.

“We just bought property south of Harris,” Braxton Hurst said. “Some concerns are that many houses will create much traffic on both Harris Street and Ryan Road that are barely bigger than one-lane roads.”

Jennifer Jones, who lives in Shepherd Hills, told planners: “When I was shopping for a home in Pea Ridge four years ago, I wanted at least 2,000 square feet and four bedrooms.

“There were only two neighborhoods that offered that — Shepherd Hills and the golf course — that did not butt up to houses half the size,” Jones said, adding that there’s nothing wrong with smaller houses but that the city has an obligation to engage in strategic planning and specific locations for various residential types.

“The town moving forward should be more strategic instead of having such a patchwork neighborhood,” Jones said, “so people can have confidence in their home values and you can keep people in Pea Ridge instead of going to Bentonville or Rogers.”

Chris Jones, Shepherd Hills, said he would like to see more information about access roads, drainage, types of residences planned and the city’s plans for improving the intersection of West Harris Street and South Curtis Avenue.

“This is just a rezone tonight to see if its suitable for smaller lots,” Townsend said. “If goes through, then would discuss preliminary plat. This is just a concept. It may change.”

Townsend said there are access points planned off Harris Street, Hall Street and Ryan Road. He said Shepherd Hills has larger lots “simply because of topography.”

“We live in Shepherd Hills,” Mark Woollard said. “We, and the rest of us who are here, are wondering what that’s going to do to our area. There are not a lot of places in this area that you can get that size home and not have to worry about multi-family right down the street.

“It seems like we already have a multi-family area on Hall Street. Why wouldn’t that be a consideration … why not adjacent to what’s already there?” Woollard asked.

Stephanie Hackney said she objects to the multifamily and the increase in traffic. She said she is not opposed to single-family dwellings there.

Michael Stewart, Shepherd Hills, expressing concern both about increased traffic and possible decrease of the value of his property, said: “I probably wouldn’t have purchased in that area had I known that was potentially there.

“It (Shepherd Hills) was a wonderful addition. It’s paradise for me,” Stewart said. “This traffic will be a major concern. We’ve got low volume right now, but put in that many homes and Harris and Ryan will have increased traffic.”

Galen Harris, Shepherd Hills, said: “I have lived here for three years now. I feel like I practically grew up in Pea Ridge as well. I’m in the funeral business. One of my concerns is that cemetery, I have a deep passion for the dead. I would like to see research, fencing … If you put multi-family in there, you’re going to have vandalism. This is the first I’ve heard of cemetery

“My main concern is my way of life. We moved from a nice home out on lake to Shepherd Hills. We love the schools! We looked at 100 homes. This one is absolutely perfect. The neighborhood is a dream come true. I work in a busy atmosphere and I drive 45 minutes so I can get back to ‘Mayberry.’

“Please don’t take that away from me. Don’t put a multi-family in our neighborhood. There are so many other places to do this with so many other aspects. I love neighborhoods,” she said.

“I know that property is going to get developed,” said John Brown. “How it is developed is the question. I live on Harris Street. Looking at this plan, I’m going to be looking right down that street. That’s not a good thing for me — 117 units, that’s a lot of houses or duplexes. Couldn’t the developer think about building 80 houses on half-acre lots and make it more nicer? He’ll make just as much money. That makes sense, I could live with that. That’s just half the people and it wouldn’t affect my property near as bad.”

Sheila Wilkerson asked about Ryan Road, which would be one of the access roads. “It’s very narrow, as it is, and very deep areas of drop off and very difficult for two cars to pass … Are there plans to widen? Ryan Road is an American Heritage trail. Are there regulations governing it?”

Sandy Button said Shepherd Hills is comprised of 20 acres with 13 houses and the possibility of one or two more houses.

“It was built with flow of the land. Very few trees were taken out. It was really important that it was built that way,” Button said. “My main concern is the integrity of that property — 9 acres R2 multi-family — I don’t agree,” she said.

“You’ve heard enough people here and you’ve heard their concerns. Are you going to listen to what they’re asking?” Drew McGee said to the planners.

“I know the city needs to grow,” Brown said. “How would you feel if this were being built next to you?”

“I know it’s going to be developed, but let’s not develop in a way that’s going to affect the home values,” Brown concluded.

Ott Bell, who said he lives in Shepherd Bell, asked: “Why wasn’t request for R1 instead of R2?”

John Wary answered “Because the developer wants to build R2.”

“What determines suitability?” Bell asked planners.

“The zoning around it and the overall city plan plays a part in it,” Johnson told him.

Planner Karen Sherman said the city’s long-range plan was developed 12 years ago.

“We know there is going to be a development,” Ella McGee said, adding that she bought her property in 1970 and enjoys the pristine spring and pond. She said it’s a beautiful place but that a densely populated residential area would negatively affect her property.

“If it has to be done, put it where it fits in,” she said. “It’s a beautiful community. If we start putting things like this in, it’s not going to be that nice little community of Pea Ridge. I don’t think this is the place.”

Sherman asked Wary: “You’ve sat in the room and listened to people’s concerns. Do you have an idea for the people you’re representing tonight? it seems to me that the surrounding people believe a multifamily is not good for that location. Can you go back and look at it?”

“This is the location they think is the best use of this land,” Wary said.

“I confess I have a lot of mixed emotions on all sides of conversations,” Al Fowler, planner, said. “It’s certainly appropriate for us to consider the amount of community concern brought before us. I’m not prepared to make a motion.”

Sherman said planners do get similar concerns voiced when mulit-family zoning is requested but not usually as many people as appeared before the commission on this subject.

“I would make a motion that we decline to have multi-family in that area,” Sherman said. Jason Palik seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Planners approved:

• Rezone from Agricultural to Residential-2 single family residences for 28.11 acres for Lester and Barbra Hall;

• Rezone Residential-1 to Residential-3 multi-family residences for 4.46 acres on Pickens Road and Weston Street for Jarrett McLelland;

• Approved a lot split for 24.91 acres on Hazelton Rod for Emma Ellen Mather; and

• Approved a lot split for tract D Sugar Creek Res. Comm. by K-Vest Inc. (Kevin Felgenhauer).