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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1982-05-26 Minutes• • • MINUTES OF A SPECIAL PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING A Special Meeting of the Planning Commission was held at 5:00 P.M., Wednesday, May 26, 1982, in the Lounge at the First Place Building, Fayetteville, Arkansas. PRESENT: Chairman Ernest Jacks, Bobbie Jones, Barbara Crook, Morton Gitelman, Larry Wood, David Williams, Cynthia Stewart. David Williams asked about the COMMERCIAL ZONING extensive commercial zoning on Highway 71. Jacks stated that 71 was pretty well developed commercial when the zoning ordinance was adopted. There was not too much the Planning Commission could do about it. The Planning Commission has more or less adopted a policy not to strip zone any more highways. Gitelman said the Planning Commission had done a pretty good job of protecting the bypass, Highway 16 East and Highway 45 from strip commercial zoning. Jacks said the Planning Commission has adopted a policy of placing commercial zoning at one mile intervals or at Major intersections, which has worked out pretty well. Barbara Crook stated she has a R-1 HOLDING ZONE problem with designating undeveloped properties R-1. She said when someone purchases a piece of property they look at the zoning map and see that all the areas around it are R-1 and assume that it is to be developed R-1. She felt there should be some other designation for the properties that are in a holding phase. Jacks said the Commission decided to designate the vast areas of undeveloped properties R-1, because it is so restrictive it gives the Commission more control over how it develops. Gitelman said if a new zone were developed to handle the undeveloped areas, by ordinance they would have to also adopt district regulations for that zone, such as uses permitted in the zone. Gitelman suggested having R-1 for the holding zone, but placing strips on the portions of R-1 that the Planning Commission recognizes may develop other than R-1. Larry Wood said that could be accomplished fairly easily. Barbara Crook wondered if SPEED ZONES ON DIFFERENT there was any way to get different STREET DESIGNATIONS speed zones for streets. Such as; have a certain speed zone for collector and arterial streets and a lesser speed zone for residential streets within neighborhoods. She felt if the speed zone on the collector streets was 30 miles per hour and the speed zone on residential streets is 15 miles per hour, perhaps it would discourage persons from cutting through residential streets and encourage them to 81 Special Planning Commission Meeting May 26, 1982 . Page 2 • • use the collector and arterial streets for through traffic instead. David Williams stated he felt INCREASED DENSITY IN that several planning assumptions TOWN from the 1970 plan are based on the movement of great amounts of traffic. He wondered if, with the present economic conditions, and development of smaller cars, if some of these assumptions should not be looked at. He wondered if Fayetteville might not be making a trend towards more walking and bicycling, with neighborhood commercial facilities to serve each neighborhood. Williams felt Fayetteville was set up in such a way that in the downtown area it is pretty easy to get from residences to the downtown facilities. Gitelman stated the design standards for streets were based on national statistics. He did not see any indication that the assumptions on which these were based had changed radically. Gitelman felt if any change in the arterial collector lay out were to be considered, it should be after very careful evaluation. Gitelman said perhaps the plan could be guided to facilitate more foot and bicycle traffic, but that vehicular traffic cannot be done away with. He said he felt the City was doing this to some extent in the stricter enforcement of the sidewalk plan and the bicycle route system. Gitelman said in view of the changing REDUCTION OF MINIMUM times and the cost of development, he LOT SIZES felt the Commission should take another look at their minimum requirements as far as lot sizes. He felt they could be reduced. Even though minimums are reduced, there will still be developers who will develop larger lots if there is a demand for them. Barbara Crook said she would like to see duplexes as a use by right in R-1 DUPLEXES IN R-1 Jacks said this used to be the case at one time, however there was very much public opposition to it. He said it appears that persons look at duplexes as rental properties, which they do not want to see in their single family neighborhoods. Crook said she would be in favor of doing what can be done to get duplexes as a use by right in R-1. She felt this would be a good idea in of the growing elderly populatipon. Jacks said it is time to get down to appointing a committee. He said as he sees it, the following things have been of interest. ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED IN COMMITTEE 22 Special Planning Commission Meeting • May 26, 1982 Page 3 Goals and policies, residential density concepts, smaller lot sizes, general updating of uses within certain zoning districts, ironing out inconsistencies, consideration of housing in C-3, zoning classifications and restrictions for the historic district, duplexes in R-1, adaptation of ordinance to allow more than one principle structure per lot. • The meeting adjourned at 6:40 P.M. • • 83 A