Planning Commission approves two conditional use permits

A pair of conditional use permits were approved by the Bella Vista Planning Commission during its regular session held Monday at the District Court Building, one for the annual return of a fireworks stand and the other for the arrival of five sheep to a parcel located in the northwest corner of the city.

The first, a temporary conditional use permit, was granted to applicant Ryan

Blue, a lawyer working on behalf of Meramec Specialty Company, for a fireworks stand at 8862 McNelly Road.

The vendor, Atomic Fireworks of Arkansas, will operate the stand on the parcel owned by the Village Art Club at the permanent location of the Wishing Spring Gallery near the intersection of McNelly Road and Bella Vista Way.

“The applicant has requested and been granted a conditional use permit to operate a fireworks tent on this parcel since 2014,” said Taylor

Robertson, the community development planner who presented the request to the Planning Commission. “The operation of the fireworks tent this year would be similar to the way they have operated their business in previous years.”

The tent will be similar in shape and color as the one used in the past and will be 40 feet by 80 feet and 15 feet high. Banners advertising the tent will be 8 feet by 4 feet, which conforms to the city’s sign ordinance.

According to the request, the hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. from June 22-July 5, except on July 1-4 when the hours will be 7 a.m. to midnight.

The permit was approved by a 7-0 margin.

The second conditional use permit granted during the regular session will allow Tyler and Laura Burns to raise five sheep on their property at 16816 Cardinal Road.

Their parcel is zoned in an R-E (Residential Estate) District and is bordered by R-E District property to the south and west and P-1

Conservation parcels to the north and south.

Keeping livestock is allowed with a conditional use permit within an R-E Zone.

“My wife wants them as hobby farm animals basically,” Burns told the Planning Commission. “They’re not for raising and selling, just for fun.”

City staff originally considered tabling the request because, as of the start of the meeting, it had not received the final return receipts from registered letters the applicant was supposed to send to the owners of property adjoining his parcel.

But Burns produced the receipts when he addressed the Planning Commission and city staff proceeded with its recommendation to approve the permit.

The request passed by a 7-0 vote.