HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-10-22 Minutes•
PLANNING COMMISSION
A regular meeting of the Fayetteville Planning Commission was held on Monday, October 22, 2001, at
5:30 p.m. in Room 219 of the City Administration Building, 113 W. Mountain, Fayetteville, Arkansas.
ITEMS CONSIDERED
Minutes of the October 8, 2001 meeting
Page 2
ADM 01-39.00: Administrative Item
Page 3
ADM 01-41.00: Administrative Item
(City of Fayetteville -Section 171.12)
Page 6
CUP 01-11.10: Conditional Use
(Golden Corral Corporation, pp96)
Page 17
• LSD 01-9.10: Large Scale Development
(Golden Corral Corporation, pp96)
Page 20
LSD 01-33.00: Large Scale Development
(Country Inns & Suites, pp 402)
Page 25
ACTION TAKEN
Approved
Forwarded to City Council
Tabled
Approved
Approved
Approved
PPL 01-5.00: Preliminary Plat (Heritage East, Phase II, pp 565) Approved
Page 30
ADM 01-42.00: Administrative Item (City of Fayetteville Planning Area)
Page 43 Forwarded to City Council
ANX 01-4.00: Annexation (Foster, pp398)
Page 48 Forwarded to City Council
RZN 01-22.00: Rezoning (Foster, pp 398)
Page 50 Forwarded to City Council
CUP 01-27.00: Conditional Use (Bass/Shewmaker, pp 483)
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Page 52 Withdrawn by applicant
Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 2
MEMBERS PRESENT
Bob Estes
Lee Ward
Lorel Hoffman
Nancy Allen
Don Marr
Donald Bunch
Sharon Hoover
Loren Shackelford
STAFF PRESENT
Kit Williams
Tim Conklin
Dawn Warrick
Ron Petrie
Hugh Earnest
Renee Thomas
MEMBERS ABSENT
Alice Church
STAFF ABSENT
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 3
Roll call and approval of the minutes from October 8, 2001.
Estes:
Welcome to the Monday, October 22, 2001 meeting of the Fayetteville Planning
Commission. The first item of business is the roll call. Renee, would you call the roll
please?
ROLL CALL: Upon the calling of roll six Commissioners were present with Commissioner Church being
absent, Commissioners Hoffman and Marr arrived at 5:35.
Estes:
A quorum being present the next item of business is approval of the minutes from the
October 8, 2001 meeting. Are there any changes, additions, comments or amendments
to the minutes from the October 8, 2001 meeting? Seeing none they will be approved.
ADM 01-39.00 Administrative Item to revise the Flood Damage Prevention Code by adding/revising
the setback from a stream bank in Zone A and Zone X flood zones. The proposal is to change the setback
from a stream where a flood plain has been delineated from 5 times the width of the stream channel or 20
feet to 2.5 times the width of the stream channel or 25 feet whichever is greater. The second proposal is
to establish a setback from a stream bank in a floodplain where a detailed study has not been provided
(Zone A) at 2.5 times the width of the stream channel measured from top of bank to top of bank.
Estes:
The first item on the agenda under old business is Administrative Item to revise the flood
damage prevention code by adding and revising the setbacks. Before we begin the
discussion ofthis item, Renee would you let the roll call reflect that Commissioner Hoffman
is now present and attending? Tim, are you going to make a presentation regarding this
administrative item?
Conklin: Yes I will. If you refer to page 1.2 it outlines the options of what you can develop in a
Zone A, this item was tabled at the last Planning Commission meeting in order for the
Commission to have more detailed information with regard to how this impacts individual's
property when they develop within an area that is designated as a hundred year floodplain
as shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map. The proposed amendments include requiring
a setback from the stream 21/2 times the width of the stream channel or a 25 foot setback,
whichever is greater. If the applicant would like to see if that data is inaccurate, they could
apply for a letter of map amendment through FEMA which the boundaries could be
changed. Another option would be for the applicant to hire a professional engineer to do
adetailed hydrologic hydraulic study which would delineate a floodway. A floodway then
would act as the setback. The applicant could modify the channel and we've included that
section of the ordinance that allows an applicant to modify the channel and thereby
relocating the stream on the property or if the applicant believes that the regulations need
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 4
Estes:
to be varied, they could apply for a variance to the Planning Commission. Once again, we
are trying to establish a minimum setback within a Zone A which is a hundred year
floodplain with no detailed study shown on a FIRM map. The second amendment would
be to revise the setback. We currently require, upstream from the Zone A, five times the
width. In looking at our Flood Insurance Rate Maps, typically, as you go further upstream,
your floodway narrows. On average what we found is about a 50ft wide floodway which
would correspond to that minimum 25 foot setback. In one area we are establishing a
setback in the area upstream we're reducing that setback but that setback more
corresponds to what a floodway would be on that property. We are trying to offer
protection for both upstream and downstream properties. If you have any questions I
would be happy to answer them at this time.
Thank you Tim. Before we take public comment on this proposed administrative item,
Renee, would you let the roll call reflect that Commissioner Marr is now present and
attending?
Thomas: Yes.
Estes: Is there any Commissioner who has a question of Mr. Conklin before we proceed to
public comment?
Bunch: On our map on page 1.5, showing Zone X on page 1.4 we do not show Zone X in the
revised ordinance, could you clarify that please?
Conklin: Zone X represents areas that are outside the hundred year floodplain. There are actually
two areas that are classified as Zone X, one is an area of the 500 year floodplain where
flood water depths are less than 1' and also every area outside that area is also called Zone
X. It is within this Zone X where we have streams shown as a solid line on the Flood
Insurance Rate Map that this ordinance applies to. We go back to the definition of a
stream, a stream is defined as any water way that shows up in a Flood Insurance Rate
Map, that is a solid line. That is where we have the current setback of 5 times the width.
Once again, looking at floodways and how they have been delineated on the Flood
Insurance Rate Maps, typically, they are about 50 feet. To kind of give you an idea of
what a floodway is, it is an area that they require that development be free and clear of, it
carries the flood waters, high velocities. When they establish the floodway, they take in
both sides of the bank and they pull it in to establish the floodway. Under federal law the
water as you fill in the floodway can't rise more than one foot. That is what a floodway
is and it is to make sure that if you fill in the entire floodplain that you still have carrying
capacity and you don't increase flood waters over one foot.
Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 5
Estes: Any other question of Mr. Conklin before we proceed to public comment?
PUBLIC COMMENT
Estes:
MOTION:
Ward:
Is there any member of the audience who would like to comment on this proposed
administrative item to revise the flood damage prevention code by adding or revising the
setback from the stream bank? Seeing none I will bring it back to the Commission for
discussion or motions.
We've done quite a bit of work on this Tim and it makes sense to me and I will make a
recommendation that we approve ADM 01-39 administrative item to revise the flood
damage prevention code with the setbacks and I guess that is all I need to do.
Estes: We have a motion by Commissioner Ward to approve ADM 01-39 is there a second?
Hoffman. I'll second.
Estes: I'll give the second to Commissioner Hof pian. Is there any discussion? Any comments?
We have a motion by Commissioner Ward to approve ADM 01-39 and a second by
Commissioner Hoffman. Renee, would you call the roll please?
ROLL CALL: Upon the completion of roll call the motion to approve ADM 01-39 is approved by a vote
of 8-0-0.
Estes: The motion passes by a vote of eight to zero.
Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 6
ADM 01-41.00: Administrative Item (City of Fayetteville -Section 171.12) was submitted by Kit
Williams, City Attorney on behalf of the City of Fayetteville. The request is to amend Section 171.12 of
the Unified Development Ordinance (sidewalks). Also to include discussion of an ordinance under
development addressing rough proportionality of requirements of UDO of the City of Fayetteville.
Estes:
The next item on our agenda under old business is an administrative item submitted by Mr.
Kit Williams our Fayetteville City Attorney on behalf of the City of Fayetteville. The
request is to amend Section 171.12 of the Unified Development Ordinance, Sidewalks.
Mr. Williams do you have any presentation that you would like to make at this time?
Williams: Mr. Chairman Ijust want to say that I appreciate the comments that were made at the last
Planning Commission meeting. We've looked at that. I've gone back and redoled my
efforts on researching the law. It is still my opinion that the rough proportionality test is
appropriate for this sort of development exaction that Fayetteville is now requiring and can
require in most circumstances. I still believe that when it comes to a single family home in
an infill lot that what we have required when the ordinance actually became effective has
been beyond the rough proportion of the impact of that development on the sidewalk
traffic. Because of that, I do think that this ordinance, I have gone through with the staff
prior to ever presenting it to you, I think it is constitutionally required and I am here to
answer any questions you might have on that. As I have said numerous times, this does
not affect the City's ability in our subdivision ordinances, that when someone builds a new
residential subdivision the sidewalks can certainly be required in there because the test
there would be if the subdivision was not there they would simply not have any need to put
the sidewalks in at all. Therefore, the impact of that subdivision is what requires the
sidewalks and so I think we are on firm constitutional grounds there. Apart from that if you
all have any questions I would be happy to answer them or any comments you might
further want to make.
Estes: Are there any questions of Mr. Williams before we ask for public comment?
Hoover: What is the definition of rough proportionality?
Williams: That is what I tried to give you in the October 18th memo. It was defined by the Supreme
Court. In the case of Dolan v. City v. Tigard, they said that "we think", I'm quoting the
Supreme Court, "We think the term such as rough proportionality best encapsulates what
we hold to be the requirement of the fifth amendment, no precise mathematical calculation
is required but the city must make some sort of individualized determination that the
required dedication is related both in nature and extent to the impact of the proposed
development." Basically, what they are trying to say on that I think to paraphrase them is
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 7
that the city must look at the impact this development is causing to the city and whether it
be roads, streets, sidewalks or whatever and if what we require the developer is the rough
proportionality of the impact that the development is having on the city then everything is
fine. If it is way out of kilter which I think it is with single home infill lots then I think that
we have a problem and we need to address that problem which is why I brought this
forward.
Estes: Any other questions for Mr. Williams?
Williams: Dtd that answer your question at all?
Hoover: Yes, thank you.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Estes:
Is there any member fthe audience who would like to comment on this administrative item,
the proposal to amend the sidewalk ordinance? Seeing none will bring it back to the
Commission for motions, discussions or comments.
Conklin: You did ask me to talk with our consultants who are in town this evening with regard to
our impact fee study. Clancy Mullen is here in the audience if you have any questions or
would like to ask him any questions this evening or I can briefly go over what we
discussed. It is up to you.
Estes: Mr. Conklin, did you inquire of Duncan & Associates as to if it was permissible to include
an impact fee of sidewalks in the current and ongoing impact fee study?
Conklin: Since our consultant has volunteered to speak to you tonight I would rather have him,
instead of going from the consultant to me to you, you can hear it exactly from the
consultant if you don't mind.
Estes: Alright.
Conklin: I would like to introduce Clancy Mullen with Duncan & Associates. They are here this
evening to discuss part one of our ongoing impact fee study for water and wastewater. At
7:00 there is a question and answer session in room 326 for those who are interested. Mr.
Mullen.
• Estes: The one question that I had was first of all the impact fee study part one is titled water and
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 8
waste water, I presume it does not include sidewalks, is that correct?
Mullen: That is correct. We are also doing roads and parks but we are not including sidewalks in
there as part of our contract.
Estes: Have you formed an opinion as to what the additional cost would be to include sidewalks
in the impact fee study?
Mullen: It would be difficult to give you a price off the top of my head, I hadn't really considered
it. I don't know that it would fit. Part of the cost of doing a study like that is the fact that
you are having the meeting concurrently. We only have a couple of meetings in this
contract. If it meant coming back obviously that would have some of the impact on the
cost. Let me give you a little bit of my take on sidewalk impact fees. We have not done
a sidewalk impact fee and the kind of fee that you have today I'm not sure that we could
do something that is similar to this. It would be like having an impact fee for a local street.
You don't have impact fees for local streets. Yours is like a fee in lieu. You don't have
fees in lieu of local streets because you have to have a street to have access to your
property obviously. It is a local benefit to the property. Sidewalks are kind of in that
mode. They are typically considered if they are part ofan internal subdivision, a local
improvement that is benefitting the property. Either they are required as part of the
development it is an assessment district on a front footage basis. I haven't seen an impact
fee designed and I'm not sure how one would go about doing that kind of impact fee.
What we have done for the city of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, we did an impact fee for
bikeways and trails. It was done similar to a road impact fee in the sense that there was
a master plan for bikeways and trails, there was a clear rational that this plan was designed
to relieve the streets oftraffic We based a fee based on traffic impact. Essentially you've
got a defined system improvement that would be a system wide type of plan that would
move people around the community as opposed to intemal local subdivision improvements.
Estes: Any other questions Commissioners?
Hoover: How would you suggest, what we are talking about on our sidewalk issue here is how to
determine how much impact a development has on an area. If you have an infill lot which
is the question that I keep having that we are not going to require sidewalks on infill lots
and that could be in the downtown area where people are possibly walking more than they
might be walking out on Joyce Ave. or on College. How do we determine how much the
impact is and that is where we are stuck.
• Mullen: I would have to defer to the City Attorney on the issue ofan infill lot where it is separate
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 9
from a subdivision if there is a different kind of connection there. I mean I am not a land
use specialist. We deal in impact fees and to try to quantify what the cost of it is. The way
you are doing it now you are basically taking the frontage and what would it cost to put in
the improvement and saying pay that fee in lieu and we will do that somewhere else I see
that as difficult to establish an impact fee because an Impact fee needs to be proportional
to their impact. Their impact, like I said, the only way we've been able to do an impact
fee for anything close to this, and that was a bikeway and trail system, was to base it on
trip generation not on frontage.
Hoover: You've never done a sidewalk study based on trip generation?
Mullen: It wasn't a local sidewalk improvement, it was bikeways and trails.
Hoover: That could be different than actual sidewalks. It is a little bit of a different animal I think
than trails.
Mullen: I think it would be, whether or not, if you have a fee that is put in escrow to build it later.
I think that is a different animal than taking the money and spending it somewhere else.
Hoover: You are saying to build it later in that location?
Mullen: Right, just a deferred dedication requirement as opposed to really a fee in lieu.
Estes: Any other discussion, questions or motions? Commissioner Hoover.
MOTION:
Hoover: I still have questions about the contention about the infill lots and there are several comer
lots in the downtown area that would never have sidewalks. I can understand that the
issue here is trying to be fair to everybody. Is that my understanding? I understand that
right now our City Attorney is saying that right now we are not being fair to the single
property home owner, is that right?
Williams: I am saying that what we have required here in a couple of cases that I am aware of is
beyond our constitutional power to require. It is not whether or not we think it is fair it is
what the Supreme Court has laid down in its test of rough proportionality and I don't think
that there is any way that we can meet a rough proportionality test when there is a single
house or a single person or a single family when at this time a single person is required to
donate in lieu or give in lieu of building sidewalks over $4,200. That is way more than
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 10
what anybody could justify in a way of the rough proportionalty of the impact of this
person moving into that house. What I'm saying is that we need to follow the Fifth
Amendment of the Constitution. According to the Supreme Court the Fifth Amendment's
guarantee was designed to bar the govemment from forcing some people alone to bear the
public burdens which in all fairness and justice should be born by the public as a whole.
I think it is wrong for us to try to require these individual lot owners to have to pay way
more than what their real impact of their building that house is. When it is really an impact
that you and I and all of us in Fayetteville need to pay. That is why we have appropriated
money to build sidewalks and that is the better way to handle this. That is the only way in
my mind, not just fair way but that is the only constitutional way when we are talking about
infill Tots with single family homes. That is why I brought it forward. If I didn't think that
it was constitutionally improper for us to go forward on this I wouldn't have done it. Then
it would be apolicy decision but I feel like this is actually aconstitutional issue that we need
to change our ordinance to some extent. This isn't a giant problem, we don't have a whole
bunch of these coming through but I just felt for the ones that we are having come through
we need to change our sidewalk ordinance for these particular types of occasions which
I think we can not properly defend as being roughly proportionate to the impact of that
particular development.
Hoffman: I agree with most ofwhat Kit is saying except that I think that in reading the memorandum
of the 18th where it talks about no precise mathematical calculation is required but the city
must make some sort of individualized determination. I think the thing that brought this up
was the $4,200 requirement and that a lot owner with a corner lot was required to pay
$4,200 for a sidewalk on a very steeply sloped lot. I like the wording of the proposed
draft to the UDO for the appeal very much. I think that that would be an appropriate route
for this person and other people to pursue when the cost is obviously out of bounds. It
seems to me that, with the rough draft the way you have it, I am still concerned about the
infill lots next to the schools that would not give us, except the city, any way to provide a
sidewalk, and when we are under a budget deficit and seem to continue to be and we are
talking about having to charge impact fees for development, this has not really been a
problem as you said except maybe in a couple of cases. Why couldn't we just have an
appeal process instead of changing the sidewalk ordinance so we can still get our
connectivity?
Williams: Certainly the City Council under your recommendations one way or another can decide
what they want to do with Unified Development Ordinance. My feeling is that when it
comes to a single family infill lot even if it hadn't have been a comer lot it would have still
been over $2,000 on one side. I think that is still going to be far in excess ofwhat would
be the rough proportionality of that single person coming in and building that house so I
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
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think that I am not going to make any policy argument that we should be encouraging infill
lots or anything else. I will make a policy argument that in those sorts of circumstances that
I have selected here, a lot split, a single home, a single duplex, I don't think we ought to
force those people to come down and ask. We are requiring sidewalks in many, many
other situations. In other words, I didn't say triplexes. A builder of a triplex might come
down and say this is too much. Then you would have to decide but I think that it is not
really right to force citizens to come back and appeal and appear in front of you when it
should be almost obvious that there is no way that the city can withstand its burden to
show that there is a rough proportionality. I would rather just not burden those people to
have them come down here. It is up to your recommendation and what the City Council
decides to do and thanks for the comments on the rough proportionality because
regardless of what you decide on this I do think we need the rough proportionality
amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance.
Hoffman: If a person develops in a subdivision, if a person develops a new subdivision and the
property owners go and buy a lot in a new subdivision you are paying in the price of the
lot for the sidewalk that has been required. In essence how are we treating infill lot owners
differently, whether positively or negatively?
Williams: It is very similar to what our expert here said when he talked about local streets. If the
subdivider or the subdivision owner when he builds a subdivision, a local street is like a
local sidewalk, it is there for the local use basically and until the subdivision is built you
don't need that local street and so it is a subdivider's responsibility to build that as well as
the sewer and the waterlines and the sidewalks. I think that is a different situation than an
infill lot where you already have usually a street there, there might be a sidewalk, might not
be a sidewalk and someone is just building a lot and when this particular subdivision was
done, we didn't have a sidewalk ordinance requiring all subdivisions to have them. I think
that is really the basic difference there between that and when you would have an entire
subdivision being built.
Hoffman: I will stop with this. I disagree on that one point and I don't see that the city can afford to
build all the sidewalks when you think about Root School, City Hospital, University of
Arkansas area, the rental houses around that area as those are redeveloped and they will
I think with the University's expansion plans and so forth. lust don't know that there is
a way to determine what the city is going to be held responsible for to build those
sidewalks as they come around and am kind of worried about the budget on the city side
too.
• Williams: I certainly share those concems but unfortunately, the Fifth Amendment doesn't allow us
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
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to say "Well for budget reasons we are going to ignore the fifth amendment and put it on
the property owner." I certainly share those concems and I know that the budget is tight.
However, I just don't think in these particular circumstances that we can require the home
owner to do it.
Hoover: I have got another question, I guess Tim, when we worked on other ordinances, like I'm
on the outdoor lighting ordinance committee, and we have samples of other ordinances
across the country. One issue that I'm having with this Kit is that I'm not seeing anything
else of what other cities are doing.
Conklin: We did do research in Arkansas but I know you didn't like the answer last time.
Hoover: In the outdoor lighting committee we have gone beyond Arkansas.
Conklin: Yes, we can look outside of Arkansas. I think the issue here too is the time the
Subdivision was developed, everybody in the subdivision bought lots within that
subdivision and developed and they weren't required to put a sidewalk in and now we
have some subdivisions with one or two lots left with really no plans in the next 10-20
years or even longer to put sidewalks in that subdivision. Those are the biggest issues we
are dealing with are the infill lots. I guess to get back to your question, we can do some
research and see what other cities do. However, in Arkansas, this amendment would
follow what a lot of cities do in Arkansas.
Hoover: I think this question is more complex than what we can do here and I hate to suggest this
but I think we need a sidewalk committee to really look at this. I appreciate our outdoor
lighting committee, which I know it has gone on longer than we intended but I think that we
are doing a very thorough job and I just don't feel here that I really know exactly what is
going on and I don't have these examples from other places to draw on. I don't know
how everybody else feels about that.
Estes:
My thinking is that this is a complex issue. It is a complicated issue. I don't think it is as
simple as a person would think on first inspection. An example would be that if you had
an infill lot that was next to a school, common sense would say that we need a sidewalk.
If you have an infill lot that is out on Highway 45 perhaps a year would go by or two years
would go by before there would be any pedestrian traffic in front of that lot and there may
never be any pedestrian traffic in front of that lot. Using the rough proportionality test, how
much are you going to assess the owner ofthe infill lot next to the school and how much
are you going to assess the owner of the lot on Hwy. 45 east. That is just one example of
some ofthe complexities that I see. I certainly agree with Mr. Williams, our City Attorney
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 13
in the remarks that he has made. I think it is very important to point out that the ends do
not justify unconstitutional means. Just because the intent is pure and good does not mean
that we can ignore the constitution to achieve that end. That too is a complex issue. The
lower courts as I have reviewed the reported cases and I spent last week not reading and
studying but simply quickly reviewing the head notes of over a thousand cases so I
wouldn't walk away with the notion that I don't understand this rough proportionality test.
It is not as simple as it has been presented. I think it deserves more study and I would
certainly be in favor of such a motion.
MOTION:
Hoover: I would like to make a motion that we create a Sidewalk Committee to thoroughly study
this issue that we have been discussing tonight.
Allen- I'll second.
Estes: We have a motion by Commissioner Hoover to form a committee. Commissioner Hoover,
have you given any thought or consideration to who would appoint that committee?
Hoover: I think that would be up to our chair.
Estes: Alright. A motion by Commissioner Hoover that the chair appoint a study committee and
that motion has been seconded. Is there any discussion?
Williams: The City does have a Sidewalks and Trails Committee already in existence. 1 have met
with them about this particular issue already. I don't think the Planning Commission needs
to establish a new committee when there is already a Sidewalks and Trails Committee that
when this ordinance was first revised back in the Spring which allowed the money in lieu
of for the first time, it went through that committee and I think that if there needs to be any
more committee work that should be the place. However, my opinion as your City
Attorney is that we are now operating unconstitutionally. I don't like to see that with the
city. I think we need to get moving and make a decision This is a very minor change to
this ordinance, a change that can keep us from operating unconstitutionally. We have gone
very slow with this. I wrote my initial memos on this in the Summer. Here it is late
October. I am concerned that I know government acts slowly, but I am concerned that
in this particular case I believe we are potentially acting unconstitutionally in this case and
I would like to have a quicker action I think than referring it back again to various
committees to look at when this is actually a legal issue not a policy issue. It doesn't make
any difference in a lot of ways what other cities have done because everybody has to
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 14
follow the United States Constitution. Everyone has to follow what the Supreme Court
says so I am a little bit concerned about having this drawn out too long.
Hoffman: If the need is that pressing and I think we are only talking about the couple of property
owners. I was looking at the rough draft of the possible ordinance within Chapter 155 for
appeals and we go ahead and start our due notice on that, get the appeals portion of this
moving, I would be in favor of putting an appeals process in place to give these property
owners some relief as soon as practical. I feel the same way as Commissioner Hoover and
Allen that the rough proportionality or some method or some means needs to be looked
at for these other infill lots. I understand if we have got something on top of Markham Hill
or somewhere where anybody is rarely going to be walking in traffic that that is one thing.
I am really concerned about traffic safety, safety for the children, and I don't mean to
sound like I'm waiving the flag there or something but I really think that that portion of this
ordinance needs more study. Could we notice this and run it through more quickly than
the sidewalk portion of it just to get the other people?
Williams: You will have to ask our planner about the notice. I think you were planning on doing a
notice on this rough proportionality amendment.
Conklin: Yes, and we will put that in the paper under state law, we are required to give 15 days
notice any time we amend our Unified Development Ordinance. We will do that and plan
to hear that at the November 26 Planning Commission meeting.
Ward: Tim, do you have a wild guess of how many infill lots that are not developed out there that
do not have sidewalks9
Conklin: There are quite a few. Before this ordinance Mr. Rutherford, our Sidewalk Coordinator,
would pick me up and take me out there to look at them. Let me throw an idea out here.
Is there any way, our City Attorney, we can have subcommittee meetings, but I believe
Mr. Williams has stated his opinion and I'm sure it is not going to change anything, having
subcommittees on this issue. Is it a possibility ofrepealing this ordinance and reinstate the
ordinance we had before which allowed us to do sidewalks on infill lots? The issue is that
collection of the fee. That is the issue that we are dealing with. If they build the sidewalk,
we have not been challenged on that. It is the issue ofthe collection ofthe fee that is kind
of how I look at it.
Estes:
We have a motion by Commissioner Hoover and a second by Commissioner Allen for the
chair to appoint a study committee to consider the amendment to the sidewalk ordinance.
Is there any further discussion?
Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 15
Shackelford: I guess I'm going to weigh in my opinion here. I have seen a couple of these come through
where individuals developed on these outlots. I remember as we went through this process
thinking that this ordinance put some sort of undue hardship on them in that type of
development. Obviously, I'm not in favor of anything else that could be viewed as a
barrier towards further development in the city. Obviously, I'm taking a vested interest in
this. Basically where I'm coming from is, I'm not an attorney, when I need a legal opinion,
I hire an attorney, I listen to the attomey and I take his advice. I think that is what the city
has done. I think we have a legal opinion from the City Attorney and I think we ought to
listen to that. If we have an unconstitutional ordinance out there then we probably need
to address it. I am not going to vote for any measure that would table this or lengthen this
process out any further.
Marr.
Estes:
I just had a question I guess for the Commissioners who are supporting the motion of a
committee to study it. The one thing that I've heard from Kit that I would support. In
some ways Loren's comment just now, is that the unconstitutionality of what we are doing
as a city 1 think is something that needs to be addressed. One statement that Kit made that
I tend to agree with is that if it is an unconstitutional requirement I can't imagine what I
would see in another city that would address that issue. I too would like to see some other
cities ordinances. I think on some things we've done an excellent job, I think the definition
of family was something we did some great research on across multiple places and it gave
us good data to make decisions on I certainly support the concept of understanding what
is out there but I don't see how it relates to the issue before us to make this more
constitutional. Secondly that I would like to hear some feedback on, what prohibits us
from going back and adding or continuing with a committee to address whether or not we
want to change the ordinance or recommend to the City Council to change the ordinance.
We do it all the time on other things and I don't think we are bound by having to wait to
get our ordinance in line to do the changes that we might want to improve on. I would like
to hear a little bit why we couldn't go that route verses why we would want to stop the
whole thing.
If I may attempt to respond to that in part Commissioner Marr. I don't want to vote for
something that I don't feel is as good a work product that we could possibly get out of this
Commission. I just don't feel that 1 am prepared to do that at this point in time.
Commissioner Shackelford seemed to indicate that we have seen these issues before. I
want to be corrected if I'm wrong but I don't believe as a Commission we have ever seen
this issue. That is part of the problem. These matters don't come before us. We've never
'seen this before that is why we need to take a look at this draft that has been prepared by
our City Attorney regarding appeals from the Unified Development Ordinance. One ofthe
problems that I see and I hate to keep going back and reiterating that it is a complex and
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 16
complicated issue but when you read some of these court decisions, what they talk about
is they talk about that these are adjudicated decisions made by staff and they are not
legislative or administareial decisions made by a Commission or by a City Council. They
are an adjudicated decision made by staff and the aggrieved constituent, the aggrieved
citizen has no place to go. That is I think what Commissioner Hoffman was talking about
is can we put both of these things on a fast track so we can see them at once. I guess the
seminal problem that I see is that these are administrative decisions. We have not seen any
of these, we don't see any of these, they are handled by staff and an aggrieved citizen has
nowhere to go. We need to give notice and we need to study carefully the proposed
ordinance change on the right ofappeals from the Unified Development Ordinance at the
same time we look at handling this rough proportionality issue. If I am asked to vote on
this proposed ordinance and send it to the City Council and then if I voted for that and then
I was asked to appear before the City Council and explain exactly what I was doing and
why I was doing it I couldn't do it because there are just too many unanswered questions.
Now if we get the ordinance providing for appeals from the Unified Development
Ordinance before us and we get to look at the rough proportionality issue in the ordinance
then maybe we could have a product that we can either vote up or down and send to the
City Council. I hope that is responsive, Commissioner Marr, to your question and ifI'm
wrong in anything I've said, correct me Mr. Conklin.
Conklin: I have no corrections.
Estes:
We have a motion by Commissioner Hoover and a second by Commissioner Allen for the
chair to appoint a study committee to consider the rough proportionality issue. Is there any
other discussion?
Williams: Is this the sidewalk or the... there were two different ordinances. One is where you
would allow it to be appealed if the developer felt that it was beyond rough proportionality.
The other ordinance was the sidewalk ordinance. Which was your committee supposed
to look at?
Estes:
I understood the motion to be the rough proportionality. I would like to see both of these
back at the same time but we're going to have to do the 15 day notice period to get that
done. Any other discussion? Renee, would you call the roll please?
ROLL CALL: Upon the completion of roll call the motion for the chair to appoint a subcommittee to
consider an ordinance repealing section 171.12 passed by a vote of 6-2-0.
• Estes: The motion passes by a vote of six to two.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 17
CUP 01-11.10: Conditional Use (Golden Corral Corporation, pp 96) was submitted by Robyn Wilgus
of Freeland -Kauffman & Fredeen on behalf of Golden Corral Corporation for property located at the SW
corner ofNorth College Avenue and Main Drive. The property is zoned C-2, Thoroughfare Commercial
and contains approximately 13.23 acres. The request is for 90 parking spaces in excess of that permitted
by the UDO.
Estes:
Davidson:
Estes:
Davidson:
Estes:
Estes:
Wilgus:
The next item of business is a conditional use request. This is.. .
Did you have public comment on sidewalks or are you taking public comment on
sidewalks?
We did.
At the beginning? Ok, I thought you discussed and then went to the public and I'm sorry
about that.
The next item of business is a conditional use request. This is item number 3 under new
business. This is a conditional use request by Golden Corral Corporation for property
located at the southwest corner ofNorth College Avenue and Maine Drive. The property
is zoned C-2, Thoroughfare Commercial and contains approximately 13.23 acres. The
request is for 90 parking spaces in excess of that permitted by the UDO. Staff
recommends approval ofthe conditional use based on the findings included in your staff
report and subject to the following conditions.
1. Planning Commission approval ofthe accompanying large scale development and
all conditions associated with that project.
Is the applicant present? Do you have a presentation that you would like to make on the
conditional use request? This is the request for 90 parking spaces in excess of that
permitted by the UDO?
Yes Sir. Currently the ordinance that we have requires, for restaurants, one parking space
for 200 sq. ft. of gross floor area. My client is proposing to build a 10,000 sq. ft.
restaurant which will seat approximately 390 people. They also expect to have at their
peak hours up to 40 employees on site. Under the current ordinance that would allow only
52 parking space with a 20% overage allowance which would equal 62 parking spaces.
When you ratio that out that comes to about 7 customers to car with no spaces left over
for staff. We felt that the 152 is reasonable. Normally they like to go in with 155. Do you
have any questions about that?
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 18
Estes: Does any member of the Commission have any questions ofthe applicant's representative?
Does that conclude your presentation?
Wilgus: I don't have anything further.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Estes:
Is there any member of the public who would like to comment on this conditional use
request? Seeing none, I will bring it back to the Commission for any questions of the
applicant's representative any discussion or motions.
Conklin: Mr. Chair, members of the Commission, you did receive a letter this evening that was not
in your packet on the noon deadline on Friday when we got your revised agendas out. I
just wanted to make you aware of that.
MOTION:
Ward:
Marr:
I feel like we tried to get a different type of parking passed through council before where
we would allow more parking for restaurants. I guess ifa restaurant comes through us it
has to have more parking. Golden Corrals I guess have a lot of busses and large vehicles
coming in there and out of there. 1 think it is a request that should be appropriate for
allowing more parking. I am going to go ahead and make a motion to approve CUP 01-
11.10 for Golden Corral Corporation.
I'll second that. I do have a question for Tim if I could. I don't even know if you
remember way back when we tried this. When we tried to amend the parking requirement
in this case, do we know what the proposed amendment that we had would have allowed
under those conditions?
Conklin: 164. What I calculated was one per four seats, 390 seating plus, and I can't remember
if we did peak employees but they had 40 employees, that was 137, multiplied it by the
maximum amount of overage, 20% and came up with 164.
Marr:
I guess my comment and I'm probably going to say this every time. It is kind of like
Loren's not wanting to table, I kind of feel like this about restaurant parking. It just seems
ludicrous to me that we have to see every single one of these with 60% of what is being
asked for is what is able to be approved that we can't get closer between a tighter band
even after the 20% waiver. It is something that we might want to look at, another try as
opposed to having every one of these come in front of us but I certainly support the waiver
in this case.
Estes: We have a motion by Commissioner Ward and a second by Commissioner Marr to
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 19
approve CUP 01-11.10, is there any other discussion?
Hoffman: I just want to note that in the letter ofJennifer Michaels, she has apparently talked to Mr.
Petrie and I just wanted to make sure that they are going to be following all the drainage
ordinance requirements with regard to the parking lot and its adjacent to the water shed
for Lake Fayetteville.
Petrie:
Just real quick, I just wanted to make sure the Commission understands, we have no
ordinances when it comes to water quality coming offthe parking lots. That will be a part
of the new Phase II regulations that is mandated by the EPA. At this point only water
quality that is entering a designated wet land must be addressed on water quality except
for of course during construction the sedimentation. For this particular project they have
left a real nice buffer in between the parking lot and the creek. What is coming off the
parking lot the majority of the runoff is in a sheet flow condition. It is not being point
discharged which helps to spread it out more.
Hoffman: My question was meant to address did we meet the current ordinance requirements. I
don't mean to imply that we are requiring filtration, that is coming I think but not quite yet.
Petrie: They have met the preliminary requirements at this time.
Hoffman: Ok, thank you.
Estes: Any other discussion or questions?
Hoover: I would just like to make one comment, I'm not generally in favor of more parking and
concreting everything but in this particular case the extra parking spaces are in the rear of
the building, excuse me, they don't call it the rear, you can't see it from the street, let me
put it that way. 1 think some day it would be nice to have some type of ordinance that if
you would like more parking spaces if they are behind the building so we can't see them
from the public way that that would be acceptable whereas I would not like to see 150
spaces right there next to the curb of the street.
Estes:
Any other discussion? We have a motion by Commissioner Ward and a second by
Commissioner Marr to approve Conditional Use request 01-11.1, this is a conditional use
and will require five affirmative votes, any other comments or questions? Renee, would
you call the roll?
• ROLL CALL: Upon the completion of roll call the motion to approve CUP 01-11.10 is approved by a
vote of 8-0-0.
Estes: The motion passes by a vote of eight to zero.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 20
LSD 01-9.10: Large Scale Development (Golden Corral Corporation, pp 96) was submitted by
Robyn Wilgus of Freeland -Kauffman & Fredeen on behalf of Golden Corral Corporation for property
located at the SW corner of North College Avenue and Main Drive. The property is zoned C-2,
Thoroughfare commercial and contains approximately 3.49 acres. The request is to build a 10,330 sq.ft.
restaurant with152 parking spaces.
Estes:
The next item on the agenda is the large scale development for Golden Corral Corporation
for the property located at the southwest corner ofNorth College Avenue and Main Drive.
The property is zoned C-2, Thoroughfare Commercial and contains approximately 3.49
acres. The request is to build a 10,330 sq. ft. restaurant with 152 parking spaces. Staff
recommends approval subject to conditions of approval. Tim, are there signed conditions
of approval?
Conklin: Yes.
1. Planning Commission approval ofa requested conditional use for90 additional parking spaces.
By code, 62 spaces are allowed and a total of 152 parking spaces are being requested for this
restaurant.
2. Planning Commission determination of compliance with Commercial Design Standards including
signage.
a. Staff would like to bring to Commission's attention that neon is being used according to
the photographs provided by the applicant.
b. A pole sign is being proposed which is 26.6 feet tall and approximately 75 square feet in
area. The applicant is requesting a variance from the required 40 foot setback. This
variance will have to be approved by the Board of Sign Appeals.
c. All utility equipment located on the ground shall be screened by vegetation.
3. Approval shall be provided from the City of Springdale for the water and sewer connections to
Springdale water and sewer mains located along Main Street.
4. Plat Review and Subdivision comments (to include written staffcomments provided to the applicant
or his representative, and all comments from utility representatives - AR Western Gas, SWBT,
Ozarks, SWEPCO, Cox Communications)
5. Staffapproval of final detailed plans, specifications and calculations (where applicable) for grading,
drainage, water, sewer, fire protection, streets (public and private), sidewalks, parking lot(s) and
tree preservation. The information submitted for the plat review process was reviewed for general
concept only. All public improvements are subject to additional review and approval. All
improvements shall comply with City's current requirements
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 21
6. Sidewalk construction in accordance with current standards to include a minimum five foot
sidewalk along Main Drive according to the City of Springdale's specifications. An assessment in
lieu of installation in the amount $7,802.64 for the sidewalk along College Avenue was assessed
as a condition of approval for the lot split which created this tract.
7. Large Scale Development approval to be valid for one calendar year.
8. Approval of this project does not guarantee that sewer capacity will be available at the time of
construction.
9. Prior to the issuance of a building permit the following is required:
a. Grading and drainage permits
b. Separate easement plat for this project
c. Project Disk with all final revisions
d. Completion of all required improvements or the placement of a surety with the City (letter of
credit, bond, escrow) as required by §158.01 "Guarantees in Lieu of Installed Improvements" to
guarantee all incomplete improvements. Is the applicant present?
• Wilgus: Yes.
•
Estes: Do you have a presentation that you would like to make? Would you tell us your name
and your address please?
Wilgus: My name is Robyn Wilgus I'm with Freeland Kauffman & Fredeen in Rogers. I am
representing Golden Corral for this project. As you know from the previous conditional
use, we are asking for approval for this large scale development to build a 10,330 sq. ft.
restaurant with 152 parking spaces. I believe that Dawn has the materials for it.
Estes: Does that conclude your presentation?
Wilgus: No, I was going to pass that around. My client feels that this is a very good location for
this project and they are very eager to build in Fayetteville. They have gone through
considerable trouble to try and work with the city ordinances. We've redesigned the
building facade in the rear which was one of the points of contention at the Subdivision
Committee. I believe you should have copies of the revised building elevations for the
facade along Main Drive.
Estes:
Are there any members of the Commission that have questions of the applicant's
representative at this time? Is there any member of the audience who would like to
comment on this proposed large scale development for Golden Corral Corporation?
Seeing none I will bring it back to the Commission for discussions, questions for the
applicant's representative or motions.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 22
Hoover: I just want to thank the applicant. This north elevation has greatly improved since we were
at Subdivision and I think it definitely meets the commercial design guidelines.
Hoffman: Dust have one question. On large scale developments we seem to in the past have been
able to approve the signs at this level without sending it to some other body since we have
a rather broad range of authority over large scale developments can we just approve the
sign? I think it is in keeping with what is in the area and I certainly have no problem with
it, can we just go ahead and take care of it at this time?
Conklin: By ordinance, those variances go to the Board of Sign Appeals so I don't think there is a
way to not do that.
Hoffman: I thought in Spring Creek Center we did something.
Conklin: We have limited the types of signs the ordinances will allow through commercial design
standards and approved those. We have not granted those variances. Those do go to the
Board of Sign Appeals.
Hoffman: I tried.
Conklin: I would like to thank Golden Con -al, they have worked hard to meet our ordinances. They
enlarged the lot they have to meet the tree preservation plan. We did approve a
conditional use to enlarge the parking lot. Along with that, there is additional landscaping
as you add additional spaces so we are not just paving the entire site, we are landscaping
the site. I think the Commission is aware of that and the public is aware of that. When we
do approve a conditional use they do have to meet other ordinance requirements. As the
site is enlarged they are going to save more trees and they do have to plant more trees in
the parking lot. With regard to building elevations, staff worked hard with the applicant
to bring something to you tonight that meets our commercial design standards and we
worked very hard to ensure that we can bring development to you that you can approve
and I would like to thank Golden Corral for working with us to revise that north elevation
because it will be a nice looking elevation facade entering into Fayetteville from the north
so thank you.
Allen: I wondered if you gave some consideration to something other than the pole sign?
Wilgus: We did look at that, we looked at several different monument signs as an option. The
problem is that as you come down North College, going north, our side is considerably
lower than the level of the road. A monument sign would be virtually invisible.
Ward: At Subdivision we discussed most of these issues and I thought the pole sign was going to
be appropriate not only because of the way the lot sits but the other properties all being
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 23
Allen:
Marr:
in Springdale all have pole signs right there. It is not like this is the only one that is going
to have a pole sign. The banks, the Locomotion, everything in that area has a pole sign.
This would be almost putting the Golden Corral at a disadvantage not to have a pole sign
in this particular instance.
I understand that but it just seems to me that we are forever making exceptions for the pole
signs. This may be a good place to make another one, I can see that they have made a lot
of efforts but at some point we have to stick by our guns.
I actually think a pole sign is allowed, it is the set back that we are discussing in terms of
making an exception as to whether they are allowed to have a pole sign, it is my
understanding that they can. That is not the exception we are making. It is the distance
from the road that we are making an exception on if that helps you.
Allen: It does, thank you.
Marr: Certainly, have we done public comment on this?
Estes: Yes.
MOTION:
Marr: I would like to move for approval of LSD 01-9.10 with the finding that we meet the
commercial design standards. We certainly don't have any unpainted, unarticulated walls,
we don't have a square box like structure and I don't believe that our sign is out of scale.
The flashiness in terms of the neon I think is certainly acceptable, based on my experience
of seeing Golden Corral's around the country. With that, I will move for approval of that.
Estes: We have a motion by Commissioner Marr to approve LSD 01-9.10. Is there a second?
Shackelford: I'II second.
Estes: We have a second by Commissioner Shackelford. Is there any discussion, comments, any
questions of the applicant's representative?
Bunch: I think it would behoove us to recommend to the Board of Sign Appeals our thinking on
the sign even though we are not the ones that have the approval, I think it would be good
for us since we have taken comment and have examined this to possibly include in the
motion a recommendation to the Board of Sign Appeals reflecting our thinking on this
issue.
Estes: Mr. Conklin, do I understand correctly that neon is being used but it will not be animated?
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 24
By that I mean it will not flash?
Conklin: That is correct.
Estes: It will be a static neon sign?
Conklin: The neon will not flash, blink, move, it will be constant.
Marr: I guess my motion, I was going under the assumption of the requirements as outlined in
staff comments as a condition as guidance for the sign committee. If it is something
different that you would like I would certainly do that.
Estes: We have a motion by Commissioner Marr and a second by Commissioner Shackelford
to approve LSD 01-9.10, is there any further discussion? Renee, would you call the roll?
ROLL CALL: Upon the completion of roll call the motion to approve LSD 01-9.10 is approved by a
vote of 8-0-0.
• Estes: The motion passes by a vote of eight to zero.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 25
LSD 01-33.00: Large Scale Development (Country Inns & Suites, pp 402) was submitted by John
Wary of Morrison -Shipley Engineers, Inc. on behalfofN WA Hospitality LLC for property located at Lot
5, Wedington Place. The property is zoned C-2, Thoroughfare Commercial and contains approximately
1.80 acres. The request is to build a 12,665 sq. ft. building with 65 units.
Estes:
The next item of business to come before the Commission is a large scale development,
Country Inn & Suites submitted by John Wary of Morrison -Shipley Engineers, Inc. on
behalfofNWA Hospitality LLC for property located at Lot 5, Wedington Place. The
property is zoned C-2, Thoroughfare Commercial and contains approximately 1.80 acres.
The request is to build a 12,665 sq. ft. building with 65 units. Staff recommends approval
subject to conditions of approval. Mr. Conklin, do we have signed conditions of
approval?
Conklin: No we do not.
Estes: Those conditions of approval are
1. Planning Commission determination ofcompliance with Commercial Design Standards and Design
• Overlay District requirements. Staff is in support of the proposed elevations, site plan, and
requested variances.
•
A. The applicant is requesting a waiver from the requirement of one curb cut for every 200
feet of frontage. This property has 322 feet of frontage and the applicant is proposing two
curb cuts. The first curb cut is approximately 105 feet from McDonald's curb cut to the
south. The two curb cuts on this property are 200 feet apart. As part of the lot split which
created this lot, a requirement was placed that a curb cut would be directly across from
the curb cut of the approved large scale across Steamboat.
The applicant is requesting a waiver from the requirement that only one wall sign be
permitted per business. The applicant is requesting four wall signs. One on each side of the
building.
C. Parking lot lighting shall be designed and located in such a manner to preserve the scenic
appearance of the corridor. Lighting shall be shielded and directed downward to the
parking lot and light spread shall not reflect into the adjacent neighborhood. Lighting shall
not exceed 35 feet in height and shall utilize sodium lighting fixtures.
D. All outdoor storage of material and equipment shall be screened with natural vegetation.
Plat Review and Subdivision comments (to include written staff comments provided to the applicant
or his representative, and all comments from utility representatives.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 26
3. Staffapproval of final detailed plans, specifications and calculations (where applicable) for grading,
drainage, water, sewer, fire protection, streets (public and private), sidewalks, parking lot(s) and
tree preservation. The information submitted for the plat review process was reviewed for general
concept only. All public improvements are subject to additional review and approval. All
improvements shall comply with City's current requirements.
4. Large Scale Development approval to be valid for one calendar year.
5. Approval of this project does not guarantee that sewer capacity will be available at the time of
construction.
6. Prior to the issuance of a building permit the following is required:
a. Grading and drainage permits
b. Separate easement plat for this project
c. Project Disk with all final revisions
d. Completion of all required improvements or the placement of a surety with the City (letter of
credit, bond, escrow) as required by §158.01 "Guarantees in Lieu of Installed Improvements".
e. Parks fees paid and/or deed received for parks land dedication.
Estes: Is the applicant present?
Ward: I must recuse from this particular item.
Estes: Ok.
Conklin: We do have signed conditions now.
Estes: Ok, is the applicant present? Do you have a presentation you would like to make?
Wary:
Estes:
Actually I don't have a presentation of such. At this time we are asking for your approval
of the large scale plan and I will be glad to answer any questions that you have.
Does any member ofthe Commission have any questions ofthe applicant's representative
at this time?
Hoover: The applicant might explain the color chart because I was at Subdivision but a lot of
Commissioners were not so I think you need to explain the materials and the colors.
•
Wary:
Estes:
These are the colors we are actually using, this green is the color of the roof. This is closer
to the actual color of the building than the actual elevations.
Any other questions of the applicant's representative?
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 27
Petrie:
Estes:
Conklin:
Estes:
Shackelford:
Petrie:
Marr.
Petrie:
Hoffman:
Petrie:
I have to apologize for this. This has not been a condition of approval but during
preliminary meetings we had notified the applicant that this is a requirement so I do
apologize for this In this area there is a $200 per R-1 lot usage for sanitary sewer
improvements in this basin. I do not have that total number, the assessment that that would
be for this project other than to say it will have to be computed based on the R-1 lot
standard usage and that is a $200 assessment. I apologize for not having that in the report.
Thank you Mr. Petrie. Is there any member of the audience who would like to comment
on this requested LSD 01-33, Country Inn & Suites? Seeing none I will bring it back to
the Commission for discussion, comments and motions.
I would just like to thank the applicant. They have worked hard with the city. We've had
several preappl ication meetings. They are within our design overlay district. They are also
within the Wedington Place subdivision. We have spent a long time to make sure that they
understand what the ordinances are and they are requesting several variances. Staff is
100% in support of those variances and I would just like to thank the applicant for taking
that much time to do preapplication meetings with us prior to submittal.
Thank you Mr. Conklin.
Just for my edification. Ron, you confused me a little on that. It is per R-1 lot so can you
ball park it? Will your calculation be this piece of property could have been six lots,
therefore, how does that work?
The number I don't know and I amjust going to have to get some text books or if we have
some city data exactly how much does a motel generate when it comes to sewer. We
know exactly how much it generates per a R-1 lot, about 200 gallons per day. I will have
to consult with the information I have and use that. My guess is it is probably
approximately $50 per room, that is an approximate. It may be less than that, I don't think
it is more.
Is there not currently a guideline for commercial development? Why would we be using
a residential guideline in this case?
The assessment is based entirely on the usage from an R-1 lot, $200 per lot assessment.
That is the only thing I have to go by. I may have just confused you more. I have a
breakdown of retail commercial as opposed to R-1 usage based on square footage.
Didn't we just do a Marriott over on Millsap?
This is only in the Hamstring Creek Basin.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 28
Hoffman: Oh, because of the lift station.
Petrie. Right.
Hoffman: Are you going to be charging the sewer rate based on the number of units he has got
because that could get costly. That would equal a single family dwelling or do you take a
percentage of that because of the vacancy rates and so on.
Petrie: I can tell you it will be approximately $3,000 to $5,000.
Hoffman: Does the applicant have any problem with that, do you have any comment on it?
Wary: No, probably not.
Petrie: 1 would certainly agree if there was some disagreement between the applicant and the
number I would ask that he come back to Subdivision or Planning Commission to discuss
that. I really hate to see this held up for something that is obviously my mistake.
Hoffman: We were just trying to figure out what you were talking about.
Petrie: Sure.
Wary. My one question is will I have the ability to visit with you about this? If we can provide
some historic data as to what the costs for hotels.
Petrie: Right. That would really be the information we really need.
Estes: Any other discussion or motions?
MOTION:
Hoffman: I will make a motion for approval of LSD 01-33 and in that motion I intend to include the
variances for the curb cuts, the waiver for the curb cut and the waiver for the wall signs for
the business due to the location of the building and the need to be seen from the bypass.
I also do find that they are in compliance with the commercial design standards.
Estes: Does your motion also include condition of approval number 7 as articulated by Mr.
Petrie?
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 29
Hoffman:
Petrie:
Hoffman:
Estes:
It does and I would just emphasize that if the city departments and the applicant can work
together towards that assessment to a mutually agreeable assessment. If not, it will come
back to the Subdivision Committee for their review. I believe it could be approved at that
level.
I believe that if the Commission grants the ability to do that it can be.
If you do have to make another board appearance it would be to the Subdivision
Committee over the sewer rate and that the Subdivision Committee could grant that
approval.
We have a motion by Commissioner Hoffman to approve LSD 01-33, is there a second?
Shackelford: I'll second.
Estes:
We have a second by Commissioner Shackelford, is there any discussion? We have a
motion by Commissioner Hoffinan to approve LSD 01-33 and a second by Commissioner
Shackelford, any discussion or comments? Renee, would you call the roll please?
ROLL CALL: Upon the completion of roll call the motion to approve LSD 01-33 was approved by a
vote of 7-0-1.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 30
PPL 01-5.00: Preliminary Plat (Heritage East, Phase 1I, pp 565) was submitted by Landtech
Engineering Inc. on behalfofNorthwest Builders for property located between 15th Street and Huntsville
Road on the east of Curtis Avenue. The property is zoned R-2, Medium Density Residential and contains
approximately 11.4 acres with 40 Tots proposed.
Estes:
The next item is approval ofa preliminary plat, this was submitted by Landtech Engineering
on behalfofNorthwest Builders for property located between 15th Street and Huntsville
Road on the east side of Curtis Avenue. The property is zoned R-2, Medium Density
Residential and contains approximately 11.4 acres with 40 lots proposed. Staff
recommends approval subject to certain conditions of approval. Mr Conklin, do we have
signed conditions of approval?
Conklin: Yes.
Estes: Those conditions of approval are
1. A decorative safety fence to be approved by the Planning Division shall be installed on the north,
west, and east sides of the detention pond which does not obscure the view within the common
area.
A minimum of 25' of right-of-way from the centerline of Curtis Avenue shall be dedicated in
accordance with the Master Street Plan.
3. Access to Lots 7-11 will be limited to Sherman Avenue. A note should be added to the Final Plat
which states this requirement.
4. A note shall be added to the fmal plat which limits the development of these lots to Single Family
Residential and covenants reflecting this requirement shall be filed prior to final plat approval.
5. The entire detention pond is required to be sodded with concrete pilot channels connecting the inlet
and outlet structures.
6. All drainage located outside of the street right-of-way including open ditches, swales, channels, and
the detention pond shall be privately maintained by the Property Owner's Association. The filed
covenants shall contain provisions for this maintenance responsibility.
7. Plat Review and Subdivision comments (to include written staff comments provided to the applicant
or his representative, and all comments from utility representatives.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 31
8. Staff approval of final detailed plans, specifications and calculations (where applicable) for grading,
drainage, water, sewer, fire protection, streets (public and private), sidewalks, parking lot(s) and
tree preservation. The information submitted for the plat review process was reviewed for general
concept only. All public improvements are subject to additional review and approval. All
improvements shall comply with City's current requirements.
9. Payment of parks fees will be due pursuant to the current fees enacted at the time of final plat
approval by the Planning Commission.
10. Sidewalk construction in accordance with current standards to include four foot sidewalk and six
foot greenspace along Fairlane Street, Sherman Avenue and Nelson Drive.
11. Approval of this project does not guarantee that sewer capacity will be available at the time of
construction.
Estes: Is the applicant present? If you would come forward please, tell us your name and your
address.
• Gabbard: My name is Leonard Gabbard, I'm from the west side of Fayetteville, 12543 Hwy. 16
West in Fayetteville. I am with Landtech Engineering and I am representing Northwest
Builders here tonight. I have no formal presentation but I stand ready to answer any
questions which you might ask of me.
•
Estes: Commissioners, do you have any questions of Mr. Gabbard at this time before we ask to
take public comment?
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Estes:
Is there any member of the audience who would like to comment on this proposed
preliminary plat for Heritage East Phase II? I fso, would you come forward and tell us
your name and where you live and provide us with the benefit of your comments?
Walker: My name is Theresa Walker, I live 1215 Emily, it is on the corner of Sandy and Emily, it
is on the corner of the property we are talking about. There are several issues I have that
I think should be addressed. There are some large trees in the area that I would like to see
preserved in some way. Right now there is no area for the kids to play in. There is
Southlawn apartments which is not really any kind of park or anything to go to. I have
three small kids that are stuck in that neighborhood. You can't walk anywhere because
ofthe traffic on all sides. Traffic no matter which way you go if you are exiting out through
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 32
the north end of Curtis you have to exit on Huntsville Street which is dangerous If you exit
out on to Hwy. 16 you are across from Mexican Original, that is also dangerous. The way
that Curtis Avenue is angled onto where it meets Emily there is a lot of brush and overhang
that on numerous times I've almost been hit because the angle of the street. There needs
to be something done there. Sidewalks and drainage I think is a big issue also. My last
question is the detention pond, I'm not familiar with what that is and where it would be
located.
Estes: Mr. Petrie, can you give us an explanation and perhaps answer Ms. Walker's question,
what is a detention pond and if you will show her where it is located on the plat.
Petrie:
The detention pond just for general, this area, a majority of the subdivisions in this area
were put in prior to any type of storm water management ordinances. Therefore, they
really lack the ability to carry any additional storm water. One of the different scenarios
that is acceptable is the construction of a pond that actually has the capability of
withholding water when we have large rains. Water can accumulate in these ponds and
it can slowly be released into the system to mitigate any increase in runoff.
Walker: When it is not full of water it would be empty?
Petrie: That is correct. It should be designed to drain and not hold any water after the storm. It
is a fairly large detention pond, it is a fairly deep detention pond.
Walker: Is this on a knoll area? There are a lot of hills out there.
Petrie: There will be some significant grading to make this. They are going to build a berm on this
end and will have to cut into the hillside on the north side to do that.
Walker: It would be fenced?
Petrie: Not all the way around. At this time we are recommending anyway that they fence on all
sides except for the side open to the street, Nelson Drive.
Walker. That side would just be open?
Petrie: That is right, that is certainly something that the commission should consider.
Walker: Flooding is a big issue in that area. When we do get a lot of rain, I'm on the bottom side
• and it will fill up almost completely into my driveway and I have kids who like to go out
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 33
Estes:
there and plug up the drain.
With regard to your tree comment, the site is currently 3%, the developer proposes to
preserve 1% and replace 2%, thus the total canopy on the site will be back to 3%. The
issue on the sidewalk, one of the conditions of approval is sidewalk construction along
Fairlane, Sherman and Nelson.
Walker: Ok. The trees, what part are they going to preserve? There are some really large trees
in that area, I know that the trees are an issue with the city.
Estes: Mr. Conklin, do we have a tree preservation plan? Can you tell us what is going to be
preserved?
Conklin: Sure. Ron is going to go over that. Keep in mind that in a single family residential or
actually, this is a single family zoned R-2, residential development. The tree preservation
requirements do set a percentage for a developer to try to achieve preservation. However,
after the subdivision is final and the lots are sold, homeowners can go in and remove those
trees. There is no permanent guarantee that someone that buys one of these lots will keep
the tree.
Walker: Ok.
Estes: Ms. Walker, did you have any other comments?
Walker: Just a request that I would like to see some type of park space. There are 44 homes,
there have got to be some more kids moving in. As it is there is nowhere for the kids to
play, nowhere for them to go.
Conklin: With regard to the issue of our park land dedication ordinance, this did go before the
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, they did vote to accept money instead of requiring
the developer to set aside land for park land. The fees that they will be paying are
$18,800 to the city of Fayetteville.
Walker: That doesn't do my neighborhood any good though.
Conklin: Once again, that decision was made at the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, all
developers are required to go before them prior to the Planning Commission.
• Marr: What is the closest city park to this location.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 34
Walker: Happy Hollow. I am pretty certain it would either be Happy Hollow which you would
have to cross Huntsville Street to get to it and then there is also the baseball fields on
Industrial Dr. which you would have to cross Hwy 16 to get to. There are the American
Legion baseball fields but that is just considered private property and it is just a baseball
field, nothing to get to.
Conklin: I think she covered them all. Happy Hollow school which is on Ray Street north of
Huntsville Road. The city has anoint use agreement to use their facilities. The baseball
fields down in the Industrial Park.
Walker: Then there is Walker Park which is over a mile away.
Hoffman: Do you remember on the master parks plan what parks plan were planned for this location
or vicinity?
Conklin: I don't have that illustration, their master plan with the circles on it showing their priorities.
Hoffman: Could we provide her with a copy of that perhaps? I don't know if you heard about that
but they have a master parks plan under consideration and they have the city divided into
quadrants, I know that there is something in your quadrant. I can certainly sympathize with
your point of view of not having anything available in your immediate vicinity.
Walker: There is just nothing there for the kids to do. My kids ask all the time if they can walk to
school and I have to tell them not unless you want to take your life in your own hands and
cross Huntsville Road There is no traffic lights or anything for them to cross, no
pedestrian access.
Conklin: I can get that to you, we will send that to you.
Estes: Thank you Ms. Walker.
Marr: We have had some discussion about the fence that goes around this detention pond area,
is there a reason why it is not reflective on the preliminary plat? If it is I can't find it. It is
a requirement or condition of our approval, it seems to me that it ought to be on the
drawing.
Petrie:
More than likely that condition was discussed but it was never placed and the applicant
probably never knew that was a condition until after he submitted the plans. I think in
some Subdivision Committee meetings we discussed whether it was needed but we never
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 35
Man:
Estes:
really made that a condition of any approval.
Unless I'm reading something wrong, condition one was a decorative safety fence to be
installed on the north, west and east side of the detention pond. It is a condition today and
I guess if we are going to approve it as a condition, I would like to see it reflected on the
plan unless there is some reason we don't want to.
Is there any other member of the audience who would like to provide public comment on
this proposed preliminary plat 01-5? Seeing none, I'll bring it back to the full commission
for discussion, questions of the applicant, comments.
Allen: I wondered about the Parks Commission report as to why no land was dedicated for park
land in this area.
Estes: I had the same question and that of course, we are not privileged to see that because it is
not a part of our packet. Dawn, is there an explanation?
Warrick: I was looking to see if we had the minutes from the Parks Board meeting, I believe we do.
Justification is stated as "the Parks and Recreation Division is interested in obtaining
additional park land in this section of town but would prefer a larger land dedication, the
city has recently purchased 19 acres approximately one block west of this proposed
development and the American Legion ball field is located across the street. Both ofthese
properties will be available in the future as new park sites." The minutes go on to say "A
discussion was held concerning collection ofpark land fees, currently the park land fee rate
is determined on the date of final Planning Commission approval unless it is approved at
the final Subdivision Committee level to decrease confusion City Attorney, Kit Williams
is looking at options to change this process. Staff recommends the Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board only vote on accepting money in lieu, accepting land dedication or
accepting a combination without specific amounts." There was a motion and a second to
approve the money in lieu as stated in staff's report for the item before you.
Estes:
Warrick:
Petrie:
Where is the 19 acres to the west?
I don't know that I can answer that.
The 19 acres, the access is located ofofHuntsville. If you are looking on your vicinity
map, the one mile radius, you will see a subdivision to the north and west of this and Just
the land immediately the west of that subdivision.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 36
Hoffman: That is more like 6 blocks west. Is that the A-1 zoned area on Huntsville?
Petrie: Yes, right there where that A-1 is.
Hoffman: That does put the park right over there.
Williams: That is not actually park land, the city purchased that land, there were some drainage
problems and my understanding was that it was cheaper to buy the land than to fix the
drainage problems that were coming onto that land. That is right now just general city land,
it is not necessarily park land.
Hoffman: Ok, thanks Kit.
Hoover: Does Curtis have sidewalks on it?
Petrie: I think that it doesn't.
• Gabbard: If you look on page two of your aerial photography that we submitted I think that you will
notice that there is a sidewalk along the west side of parts of Curtis. If you will follow
along, can you see it? There is a white strip along the west side of Curtis that is on the
aerial photography.
•
Estes:
Bunch:
Any other comments, any questions?
We have on the drainage, much of that is to be handled later, as part of one of our
conditions of approval, one of the questions that I had at the first part is we are showing
a detention pond but we aren't really showing any means of getting much water into that
pond.
Gabbard: All of the water is being caught at the north end of the subdivision. I'm sorry Ron, maybe
I should've let you address that.
Petrie:
Gabbard:
No, go ahead please.
Ron and I worked extensively, I went out on the site, walked it, talked with a lot of
representatives down in the area of Emily. We do have a situation out there where the
current infrastructure in place is not capable of handling water. On the detailed plans that
we will submit following the approval of the concept of the way we are attempting to
handle this drainage, there will be a storm conveyance system that will run the full north
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 37
south pretty much down the middle of the subdivision. There has been a considerable
amount of time and effort spent and actually I feel very comfortable with my design of the
detention pond and I feel like it is at this point finalized. As far as the conveyance systems
to get that to it, you know we have certain ordinance requirements in regards to ponding
widths and stuff and I would prefer to get into those details at a later date with staff, more
technical and I know those are feasible items that can be designed. The detention pond
was a very, very critical issue in this whole, well critical path of design because if we
couldn't get it to work then pretty much we didn't have much option downstream. No
matter what, if you look at the second page on my drainage report you will see what drove
my design was not necessarily the post developed and pre developed flows but the
capacity of the 30" corrugated metal pipe that runs down off this site just north of Ms.
Walker's lot and basically that pipe is only capable of carrying about 33cfs. As you can
see in my detention pond outlet design I've tried to get my outlet structures to be about 22
I believe is what I designed. At the maximum, on my hundred year flow I'm releasing
22.13 cfs by computer modeling. As you can see, if I hadn't had the restriction that I had
downstream, the ordinance would have only required me to have detained and released
only 93cfs. I've really had to cut back the release, hence, the size of that pond has been
tremendous. It is very deep, basically, that pond when it is operating at full capacity will
have almost 4acre feet total to make it. I think I show on the hundred year you've got 3
acre feet and by the time you take into account your free board, it is an extremely large
pond. It was deep enough to where we had to go through some benching on the thing due
to your grading ordinance requirements. I know that will work, I know that will meet
whatever demands you have. In regards to the fence at the time Mr. Petrie and I were
reviewing this he said a fence may be required, that would be at the wish of the Planning
Commission and our developer has no trouble doing it and showing it on the plat, but at
the time of submittal we did not know which way that really needed to go and hence,
subsequently a decision has been made and we are very happy to comply with it.
Estes: Mr. Gabbard, I have several questions regarding the detention pond, the plat shows it to
be 2' deep, is that correct?
Gabbard: Pardon?
Estes: The plat that we have shows the pond to be 2' deep is that correct?
Gabbard: 22' deep I believe.
Estes: 22' deep, is there a safety shelf?
Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 38
Gabbard: Yes, that is a 10' bench that I was just referring to.
Estes: Why is there no safety fence on the south side of the pond?
Gabbard: I was assuming that what we would have according to what Ron just mentioned, is that we
would be putting a safety fence on all sides except the side next to the road, is that correct?
Did I misunderstand?
Petrie: That is what the conditions state. There are no requirements for fencing in our drainage
manual. This is above and beyond whatever manual.
Estes:
Right. I have made previous comments on this commission that because of some of the
accidental drownings we've had in this community, I want a safety shelf and I want safety
fences.
Gabbard: Mr. Chairman, whenever this pond tops out at the hundred year storm, it will only be about
a foot and half above a 10' safety shelf that will be basically flat. Ifa child does slide into
the pond when it is operating at full capacity, at least they will be able to stand up and if
they don't walk any further they could get out.
Estes: Right. Now back to the elevation. Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm looking at the plat and
it shows top bank elevation 1223.30?
Gabbard: Yes.
Estes: Then detention pond common area high water elevation, hundred year, 1221.27?
Gabbard: That is correct.
Estes: That is a 2.03 feet difference.
Gabbard: Freeboard.
Estes: Ok, but the depth?
Gabbard: The depth of the pond is basically.. .
Estes: Where do I see the 22 feet?
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 39
Gabbard: Well, the contours that are in the bottom of the pond, the heavy ones, I'm sorry, they are
not annotated, but the bottom of the pond, it is on a 3 to 1 slope and each one of those
index contours is representing 5' difference in elevation. If you start at the bottom of the
pond, you go up basically about 15' before you get up to the top bench. You go 10' then
you hit the bench and then you go and that is when you hit the 10' bench.
Estes: Ok, I was not counting the contour lines. I would like to see noted on the plat those
numbers and I would also like to see the safety fence on the plat.
Gabbard: On the plat and on the detailed plans?
Estes: On the final plat.
Gabbard: Yes Sir.
Estes: As a condition of approval which is condition number one.
Marr:
In your comment, is that fence to be all the way around it, all four sides or the three that
are in the current condition? I have the same concern that you have and have received
multiple letters from various developments about the safety of people getting into these
things and accidental drowning. Does anybody else have any feeling on that or are you
comfortable with just the three sides and using the street as the front. It seems odd to me
that the one side that is not fenced is the side closest to the street where someone would
walk into it.
Estes: Commissioner Marr, I would like to see a safety fence on all four sides.
Bunch: Condition one says every side but south which is next to the existing house where the street
side would be the east side. I think that is confusing people that the discussion has been
difference from what is written on the condition one.
Marr:
Petrie:
I'm trying to understand by reading this map, north, east and west and then hearing the
comment of it not being fenced on the street side has been said in this discussion. 1 guess
maybe which is it first and then secondly why wouldn't we have it around all four?
I think there was some confusion on direction when that was written. It is the street side
that the condition itself was meant to exclude which would be the south side. The north,
west and east
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 40
Estes: I would like to see safety fencing on the perimeter of the detention pond, the circumference
of the detention pond, safety fencing around the detention pond.
Gabbard:
Estes:
Bunch:
Gabbard:
Bunch:
Petrie:
MOTION:
Marr:
Warrick:
Regardless of what the intent is, we have no problem doing all four sides.
Is there any other discussion?
One ofthe questions I was asking and I wasn't trying to get into the details of the drainage
but I was looking more or less for the location of the drainage coming to the detention
pond to see if there were drainage easements since this is a preliminary plat and we're
getting the various utility easements and drainage Pavements and that sort of thing on here.
That is one ofthe reasons I was asking about the location so we could make sure that all
the easements were there and potential buyers would know what piece of property they
were buying and what encumbrances there were on those.
Yes Sir.
I understand it is kind of difficult for us to approve something when the drainage
calculations and methods are to be determined later but at the same time we are
responsible to make sure the easements are on there.
This is something that is routinely done when we have a preliminary plat and a final plat,
is to actually have drainage easements decided on on the construction plans. They
shouldn't be selling any lots until we have a final plat and those easements are shown
correctly. I've given general guidelines on my technical plat review comments about what
those requirements are for pipes and stuff like that.
I would like to move for approval of PPL 01-5.00 with a couple of changes. I would like
condition number one to read that the decorative fence should be installed around the
entire detention pond and I'll leave it up to the city to determine the wording whether that
is circumference or north, south, east and west. I would also like the fence shown on the
preliminary plat and the elevations that you outlined in designating the depth of the
detention pond to be added also so that it clarifies that and then subject to other staff
comments.
I would like to make an observation. It was brought to my attention that there was a
section of this plat that adjoins Curtis Street that sidewalks were not shown but should
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 41
have been included as a condition along the western side of lots 8, 9, 10 and 11.
According to the city's master street plan, sidewalks are required on both sides of all
streets. Therefore, they should be required in that location as well.
Estes: Thank you Dawn. We have a motion by Commissioner Marr to approve PPL 01-5, is
there a second?
Ward: I second with the addition of Dawn's comments.
Estes: We have a second by Commissioner Ward, is there any discussion?
Allen: I wondered in the process of developing your plans Sir if you talked with the neighborhood
association?
Gabbard: I talked with several neighbors, not particularly an association. I have been in conversation
with two different individuals in regard to the flooding that occurs out there on Emily. What
were you referring to?
• Allen: I just wondered their comments.
Gabbard: They are very concerned about their drainage as they should be.
Estes: We have a motion by Commissioner Marr and a second by Commissioner Ward to
approve PPL 01-5, Commissioner Hoffman, did you have a comment?
•
Hoffman: I have a comment going back to the park land dedication. I assume that all of those
meetings are announced, however, having served on the Subdivision Committee, I think
it would be a good idea ifthe Subdivision Committee regularly made it a habit to discuss
park land dedication before it comes to the Planning Commission. I am going to go ahead
and vote for approval of this project because it is a phase of another, it is a second phase,
it is a smallish development, it doesn't have a large amount of acreage, it is only 11 acres.
Typically we see these little infill or pocket parks or something in subdivisions that have
larger acreage. When you add up the whole thing it would be good planning if when we
start out with a brand new one to really look at putting a park in. I just wanted to say that
as a matter of rhetorical comment basically.
Allen:
Marr:
I share those same concerns.
I agree also. I'm not sure it wouldn't be appropriate at least from the Commission to
Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 42
maybe send a document from us to the Parks Advisory Board and letting them know the
concems of the neighbors and the need for parks in this. I felt better when we originally
found out that there was 19 acres that the city owned that might be developed into a park
until I heard that it was flooding and might not be usable for such a thing. I think they ought
to know that at least from our standpoint when development comes and they are
recommending it at least in this part of town, we need to consider how to get some land
verses dollars. It seems to be one of the few areas that we don't have anything very close
that doesn't go across pretty industrial streets.
Warrick: I will forward your comments to the Parks Board.
Bunch: 1 too would like to forward some comments to the Parks Department. I know that when
they presented us with a budgetary type future plan and we questioned how it would
compare to the 2020 plan and other plans that a group like this uses, this is a prime
example of the rational that we were requesting from the Parks Department on their plan.
It isjust a good example to highlight what it is that we need from them and I believe I don't
know what the status is but that plan has been deferred and is supposed to be presented
back to this body next month I believe.
Warrick: On October 12th staff met with various divisions, the Parks Division, the Sidewalk
Coordinator, Planning Division and several others met to come to an agreement as to how
those plans would be better coordinated and brought back to the Planning Commission for
further action on specifically the Parks Master Plan. That should be coming back to you
within the next two to three meetings.
Hoover: May I make a comment just for the neighbors in this area? I don't know if you have a
neighborhood association formed, if you don't, you need to contact the city to leam how
to do that. I think that is going to help you out in trying to generate a park in your area.
You need to organize.
Walker: Who exactly do I contact?
Hoover: You can contact the Community Affairs Department at the City.
Warrick: The Community Relations Division, Maureen Hoover would be a good contact person for
you.
Estes: We have a motion by Commissioner Marr and a second by Commissioner Ward to
approve PPL 01-5, is there any other discussion? Renee, would you call the roll please?
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 43
ROLL CALL: Upon the completion of calling the roll the motion to approve PPL 01-5 with certain
conditions was approved by a vote of 8-0-0.
Estes: The motion passes by a vote of eight to zero. Thank you.
Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 44
ADM 01-42.00: Administrative Item (City of Fayetteville Planning Area) was submitted by the
Planning Division on behalf of the City of Fayetteville. The request is to amend the Planning Area
Boundary.
Estes:
The next item on our agenda is item number 7, this is an administrative item, it was
submitted by the Planning Division on behalfofthe City of Fayetteville. The request is to
amend the Planning Area Boundary. Dawn, do you have a presentation that you would
like to make on behalf of the Planning Division?
Warrick: I will start off by telling you that in June, 2000 the Planning Division brought to the
Commission an update to the city's Planning Area Boundaries. What that was mainly
meant to do was to incorporate and to accommodate changes to the city limits of
Fayetteville, Farmington and Springdale as we had all done various annexations prior to
that date, they had not been reflected on our Planning Area Boundary. What the revision
in June of2000 did not do was resolve certain conflicts where Fayetteville as well as other
jurisdictions had both claimed certain areas within their planning area boundaries. After
that was adopted, the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission stepped up and
volunteered to work out those areas of overlap between the various jurisdictions with
regard to their planning area boundaries. This evening the Director of the Planning
Commission, Jeff Hawkins and one of their planners, John McClarty, are both here to talk
to you about what they did to resolve those conflicts and what we are presenting to you
this evening is an amended planning area boundary, our GIS division has created a written
legal description that matches it. There are five or six changes, some where we are taking
in additional land and some where we are giving up some properties that were originally
within the City of Fayetteville' s planning area. Basically the differences are highlighted in
your staff report on page 7.1. The current planning area boundary is 57.86 miles long and
contains an area of 55,142 acres which is 86 square miles approximately. Ofthat 86, 45
is within the city limits of Fayetteville and 41 is within the planning area outside the city
limits. That is what we have right now. The proposal this evening is to modify that
planning boundary and the effect would be a 53.5 mile long planning area boundary which
contains 54,342 acres, 84.9 square miles. Ofthat again, 45.8 within the city limits and a
reduction to a total of39.82 square miles within the planning area outside the city limits.
I will ask either Jeff or John to present the documentation on that.
Hawkins: I'm Jeff Hawkins, I'm the Director ofNorthwest Arkansas Regional Planning. John has
worked on this since before I came to work here. I would like to ask John if he could go
over with you the deliberation that he has had with Farmington and Greenland and with
your staff.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 45
McClarty: I will kind of explain the process we went through and then if you have any questions you
can ask me and our Director here is probably more familiar with some of the legal
implications ofthe planning jurisdictions and territorial jurisdictions. If we get into that level
ofdiscussion I might defer to him a little bit. Basically we did have planning area overlaps
between Fayetteville, Farmington and Greenland. At the request of really all three cities
it was a problem for developers and property owners who had a piece of land that was
claimed by both cities as their planning area and they wouldn't know who to go to for a
subdivision or a lot split or sometimes they would go to both or neither, it has been
confusing for evidently several years. What we did was get the planning areas, we
established the areas of overlap and then I went to Tim Conklin and then Jackie Yarbrough
of Farmington and Lonnie Meadows of Greenland and we just kind of hammered out what
made sense. This map you are seeing here is kind ofa reduced version. We took every
area of overlap and blew it up on a bigger map. One of the things that we tried to do was
we divided the areas of overlap up into either section lines or half sections or in some
places it got so minute we were down to quarter, quarter sections. We just had all the
parties look and some of it was pretty self evident ifa quarter section was contiguous to
one city and not the other then we would assign that to the city it was contiguous to and
vice versa. Most of it divvied up pretty easily. What you see here, hopefully,1 gave three
maps to Tim, so I'm hoping that those that were interested really looked at the map
closely. From your vantage point there it is hard to see what we've accomplished. I can
Just show you, these areas right here, a classic example is this right here in Farmington and
Greenland both claimed that area. We just tried to take a section line a quarter section and
divided it right down the middle. There was a lot of cleaning up. Farmington had some
planning areas in their description, some areas that they wanted annexed. This map isjust
kind of the simple version, the red line is what Fayetteville had and the green is what we
are proposing to you. The reason we want to show there is no conflict, this just basically
shows Fayetteville losing ground on the planning area but the Greenland map looks the
same and the Farmington map looks the same because they are all giving up half of the
overlap area. Some of the major differences though is that Greenland had planning area
way over here around Lake Wilson so that wasn't a 50/50 split, they just basically gave
all that up and then Fayetteville is taking in a big chunk here around Lake Wilson because
you have a park over there and it was never in your planning area. We just kind oflooked
at it as what made sense and one ofthe rules of thumb is to try to stick with sections and
quarter sections so when somebody goes down to figure out what planning area they are
in that their legal description will tell them whose planning jurisdiction they are in. The rule
of thumb of what might be a city's annexation within the next 20 to 25 years. There has
kind of been a tendency of the cities, Greenland, their Planning Commission met and
approved this. We talked to them today and they are pulling in some more. It is just kind
ofthe idea that at one time the cities had a tendency to go out as far as you can and take
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 46
as much planning area in as you can and we are seeing the reverse of that now because
you have rural people that might live five miles away from Greenland or West Fork or
Goshen or something and they are wondering why they have to travel in five miles to ask
to get a lot split or something. That is kind of what we've come up with, Greenland has
agreed to this new planning area and the Farmington Planning Commission will be meeting
November 19th to look at these same boundaries. An additional legal aspect of this is that
if you approve this today it really needs subject to, there needs to be an agreement
between all the cities that you are all agreeing to the territorial jurisdiction here. The law
requires basically if two cities are merging into each other that you just go equal distance
and then within that equal distance territorial jurisdiction then you can designate your
planning area. One of the problems with that is that equal distance line would be this kind
of curving, crazy kind of line based on both cities boundaries as they meet each other. It
is really better for all parties to have it be along section lines or quarter section lines so the
equal distance rule is hard apply real specifically but to not have the equal distance rule
apply you need an intergovernmental agreement as to what will be that territorial
jurisdiction. Your approval of this plan will need to be contingent upon the cities, which
would be the City Councils entering into another intergovernmental, intercity agreement that
they are playing with those territorial jurisdictions, that they are not just true equal
distances. If you will notice, the Fayetteville planning area comes down and at one places
touches the city limits of Greenland. Greenland has to agree to that, which they have, but
we need that as a formal agreement. It is kind ofa complex issue but we tried to make a
simple map and present it to you. I hope you looked at this prior to tonight because it took
quite a while to get all the parties to agree and there was quite a bit of work that has gone
into making this map. Any questions? That is the end of my presentation.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Estes:
MOTION:
Ward:
Thank you John. Is there any member of the audience who would like to comment on the
proposed adoption of the revised planning area boundary? Seeing none, I will bring it
back to the commission for comments, questions of Jeff or John or motions?
It sounds Tike the city has done a lot of work on this and it was kind of unfair for citizens
that had property in let's say Farmington and Fayetteville had to come through both cities
and maybe even the county to get approval on one project so I would like to move for
approval of ADM 01-42.00 and that we adopt the new boundaries between all the cities
involved and that would also would make it subject to final agreement between all cities
involved.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 47
Allen: I'II second.
Estes:
We have a motion by Commissioner Ward and a second by Commissioner Allen to adopt
the revised planning area boundaries. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, Renee, would
you call the roll please?
ROLL CALL: Upon the completion of roll call the motion to approve ADM 01-42 was approved by a
vote of 8-0-0.
Estes: The motion passes by a vote of eight to zero. Thank you John, thanks Jeff, we appreciate
all of your hard work.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 48
ANX 01-4.00: Annexation (Foster, pp 398) was submitted by Dave Jorgensen of Jorgensen &
Associates on behalfofMark Foster for property owned by Eugene Nottenkamper and Anthony Turchi
and located north of Wedington on the east side of 51s Street. The request is to annex into the city
approximately 30 99 acres located in the Planning Area.
Estes:
Brackett:
Estes:
Brackett:
Estes:
Brackett:
Estes:
The next item on the agenda is ANX 01-4.00, this is submitted by Dave Jorgensen of
Jorgensen & Associates on behalf of Mark Foster for property that is located north of
Wedington on the east side of 51st Street, the request is to annex into the city
approximately 30.99 acres located in the planning area. Staff recommends approval of the
requested annexation based on the findings which have been included as a part of your
report. Is the applicant present?
Yes.
Do you have a presentation that you would like to make?
I have no presentation, I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Will you tell us who you are?
Chris Brackett, I'm with Jorgensen & Associates here in Fayetteville. I would be happy
to answer any questions you might have.
Commissioners, do you have any questions at this time of the applicant's representative?
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Estes:
MOTION:
Hoffman:
Is there any member of the audience that would like to comment on this requested
annexation? Seeing none I will bring it back to the Commission for discussions, questions
of Chris or motions. Any motions or discussion?
In preface for making a motion for annexation because I think this is appropriately located,
I J ust want to note that on page 8.6 this is going to be a 30 acre development should it be
approved, that we do have on this in our packets a report from Enc Schuldt with the Parks
Department that does say that the impact of the proposed annexation would be ofa level
or type that would require a park or fees in lieu. I would just like to go on record and say
that I would like the Planning Commission to really be involved, take a more active roll in
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 49
our parks dedications and locations. With that being said, I will go ahead and move for
approval of this annexation.
Estes: We have a motion by Commissioner Hoffman to approve ANX 01-4.00, is there a
second?
Shackelford: I'll second.
Estes: A second by Commissioner Shackelford, is there any discussion or comments?
Williams: I have one question. I don't see the notification of the fact that we are running out of sewer
capacity. Have you been provided that form?
Brackett: Yes.
Warrick. The form has been signed and it is in the file for the project.
Estes: Thank you Mr. Williams. We have a motion by Commissioner Hoffman and a second by
Commissioner Shackelford to approve ANX 01-4.00 any discussion? Renee, would you
call the roll please?
ROLL CALL: Upon the completion of roll call the motion to approve ANX 01-4.00 was approved by
a vote of 8-0-0.
Estes: The motion passes by a vote of eight to zero. This is advisory only to the City Council and
will now move forward to the City Council for their determination and consideration.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 50
RZN 01-22.00: Rezoning (Foster, pp 398) was submitted by Dave Jorgensen of Jorgensen &
Associates on behalf of Mark Foster for property owned by Eugene Nottenkamper and Anthony Turchi
and located north of Wedington on the east side of 51" Street. The property is zoned A-1, Agricultural
and contains approximately 30.99 acres. The request is to rezone to R-1. Residential.
Estes:
The next item of business is number nine on your agenda. It is the companion rezoning
request. It is submitted by Dave Jorgensen ofJorgensen & Associates on behal fof Mr.
Mark Foster for the property located north of Wedington on the east side of 51st Street,
the property is now zoned A-1, Agricultural and contains approximately 30.99 acres. The
request is to rezone to R-1, Residential. Staff recommends approval of the requested
rezoning based on the findings which are a part of your packet. Chris are you going to
make a presentation on behalf of the applicant?
Brackett: Just to say that we feel this complies with the 2020 plan for the city and it is also applicable
for the surrounding area. I would feel it is acceptable zoning for this land.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Estes:
MOTION:
Is there any member ofthe audience who would like to comment on this RZN 01-22?
Seeing none I will bring it back to the full Commission for discussion, comments and
motions.
Shackelford: I concur that this is within the context ofthe 2020 plan and it seems to be smart growth
rezoning this residential given the surrounding property. I will go ahead and make a motion
for approval of RZN 01-22.
Estes: We have a motion by Commissioner Shackelford to approve RZN 01-22, is there a
second?
Marr: I'll second.
Estes: We have a second by Commissioner Marr, is there any discussion?
Marr: I do have one comment and I guess it is maybe to the same question that Kit asked but I
guess finding four about whether it undesirably increases the load of public services
including school, water and sewer, I'm Just verifying, I know we have a form signed that
could be an issue. In the last time we went through this Tim talked about we were keeping
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 51
track of the number of things that are approved and the city's ability to handle that. Does
this fall under that window?
Warrick: Our Public Works Department is tracking residential development with regard to sewer
capacity, what we have, what we need for development that is being approved and they
have told us that they will notify the Planning Division and the Planning Commission when
and if we are in a situation that we should not be approving additional residential
developments. Specifically, with regard to sewer capacity. We are working under that
knowledge that they've provided to us. We do have a sewer capacity warning form that
all applicants are requested to sign at the time of application, at the time they bring their
requests to the Planning Division to come before you and it does state that we do not
guarantee capacity at the time of development. That is the way that we are functioning
right now. We have not been told that we should change the way that we are developing
or the way that we are processing developments through the system at this point in time.
Marr: I wanted to get the no guarantee on the record for this finding.
Warrick: There is no guarantee.
Estes: We have a motion by Commissioner Shackelford and a second by Commissioner Marr
to approve RZN 01-22, is there any further discussion? Seeing none, Renee, would you
call the roll please?
ROLL CALL: Upon the completion of roll call the motion to approve RZN 01-22 was approved by a
vote of 8-0-0.
Estes: The motion passes by a vote of eight to zero as advisory only to the City Council and the
rezoning request will now be forwarded to the City Council for their consideration.
Brackett: Thank you.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 52
CUP 01-27.00: Conditional Use (Bass/Shewmaker, pp 483) was submitted by James Key of Key
Architecture on behalf of David Bass and Richard Shewmaker for property located at 603 W. Dickson
Street. The property is zoned C-3, Central Commercial and contains approximately 0.12 acres. The
request is for a dance hall.
Estes:
The next item, the last item on the agenda is a conditional use request submitted by James
Key of Key Architecture on behalf of David Bass and Richard Shewmaker for property
located at 603 W. Dickson Street. The property is zoned C-3, Central Commercial and
contains approximately 0.12 acres The request is for a dance hall. Staff recommends
approval of the conditional use subject to the following conditions. Dawn, do we have
signed conditions of approval?
Warrick: Not at this time.
Estes:
Key:
1. Compliance with City noise ordinance.
2. Occupancy shall not exceed 239 persons or that number set by the Fire Marshall
and Building Inspector, whichever is less.
3. Modification of the egress (door to be replaced to open in direction of egress)
shall be completed and approved by the Fire Marshall prior to this facility opening
as a dance hall.
Is the applicant present?
Yes Mr. Chairman, my name is James Key, I'm here on behalfofthe owners Mr. Bass
and Mr. Shewmaker. I don't have a formal presentation per say other than to reiterate
what is presented here in the report, that we have filed the applicable application, paid the
appropriate fees, we have notified approximately 40 some property owners of record of
some 60 some odd properties within proximity of this property. We have received
confirmation from the U.S. Postal Service of the receipt of those notifications and that
documentation has been provided to the city. The owner is in agreement to all three
conditions of approval and is prepared to sign and submit this acceptance of that. I did not
get a chance to get this copy of the report until late Friday and was out of town. 1 just
haven't had a chance to present it to them for signature. I talked to them this evening and
they are in full agreement to these conditions. We met with the Fire Marshall, the Building
Inspection Department representative toured the facility last week. They were in
agreement, the only condition they knew that we needed to address was item 3 which was
the one door being rehung to swing in the direction of egress and I believe everything else
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 53
is acceptable. As the staff has said here that you know, the granting of this conditional use
request is in keeping with the character of the area and would not adversely affect the
public interest. The general compatibility with adjacent parcels as the summary closing on
this report is that the use of this property as a dance hall is generally compatible with the
adjacent and surrounding areas. This area of downtown Fayetteville is considered the
entertainment district of the city and the majority of the established uses in this area are
night clubs, restaurants, shops and other types of activities which are compatible with the
proposed dance hall. I am asking that you consider the conditional use and grant approval
of it based on the report before you and the findings.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Estes:
Thank you James. Is there any member of the audience who would like to comment on
this requested conditional use? If so, would you come forward and tell us who you are
and provide us with the benefit of your comments?
Underwood: That is a long time to sit, I can appreciate your position. I can appreciate the lateness of
the hour and I will try to keep it brief. My name is Bill Underwood, I own property
adjacent to the Shewmaker property where the service station used to be and the
Underwood building. I believe that a property owner should have the right to do what they
want to with a piece of property as long as it is legal and doesn't infringe on the neighbors.
In fact, l did not oppose the Blue Parrot permit which is the martini bar that is in that
location now. I feel like that the dance hall is a different story. I guess I remember too
well the dark days of Dickson Street that many of you remember in the 70s and the 80s,
when we had muggings and rapes and stabbings and multiple murders on Dickson Street
because we had too many bars and too many dance halls and too many honky tonk
places. The landing strip, Ken's Pizza, Whitewater Tavern and so I've been of the
impression that dance halls as a different animal attract trouble. I asked the police
department to provide me with statistics and I have here the police reports of the ten dance
halls in Fayetteville over the last three years, which is as far back as the police reports go.
They have made a total of 3,420 police calls in that three year period. The most serious
of the calls are fights and disturbances. The worst offender, probably not surprising to you,
is Doc Murdocks. They had a total of 67 of those, which is 8% of their total calls. What
did surprise me is that Dave's on Dickson in the same location that this applicant is
applying for, was the second worst offender with 39 calls. That is 12% of their total police
calls. I'm concerned about the dance hall attracting trouble because it seems to be a place
where mostly singles come. They drink and they dance and somebody cuts in and
somebody gets mad and they fight and that is why the police reports reflect what they do
I'm also concerned about the trash and the litter that go with them. Don Dingledine who
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 54
Estes:
has University Auto which is adjacent to Doc Murdocks, behind Doc Murdocks on
College, says that it takes his staff roughly 35 minutes each morning to clean up the trash
and litter when there has been a dance the night before. That seems to go with it. I am
concemed about the parking, increasing the capacity to 239 people, many of which would
come as singles. I don't know how many cars that generates, but it is bound to impact the
Walton Arts Center a lot which weekends are the heavy time. That is also the heavy time
for the Walton Arts Center. It seems to me like that will impact that as well. I am
concerned about the noise. I think Richard has done a good job, Richard and Dave on
decorating this property with the open french doors on the main floor, but with those doors
open and the noise inside, that is going to be like a big megaphone coming right out onto
the street. I am in the process of I hope, building a two story building on the station
property, I have a tenant that is University related, no lease has been signed but I have the
verbal ok. Also, I have the verbal comments that they are not going to be as interested if
there is a dance hall next door. I am concerned from that standpoint as well. A lot of
people on Dickson Street have spent a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of money to
bring forth the Dickson Street improvement district which has renovated the street. 1 am
proud of what the street offers now. We have the enhancement district which is in the
process of being finished and will be completed next year. David Glasser is the architect
of that plan. I would just hate to see the street go backwards by having a dance hall on
the street and I encourage you to vote against this conditional use. Thank you.
Thank you Mr. Underwood. Is there any other member of the audience who would like
to provide public comment on this requested use? Yes, if you would come forward and
say your name and provide us with the benefit of your comments please.
Rapert: Hello, my name is Jimmy Rapert. I have owned and operated several restaurants and bars
in the downtown Dickson area for over 12 years. You may recall I appeared before you
on April 9th, approximately five months ago. At that time several people chose to speak
at this portion of the meeting, only one person got up to oppose our application fora dance
club permit, it was Mr. Shewmaker. At that time Mr. Shewmaker sited Planning
Commission language, it said "general compatibility with adjacent properties and other
properties in that district" Mr. Shewmaker's quote was "I don t think that it is compatible
at all." Well, I'm a little unsure what his compatibility was between a residence and
commercial, but we are certain that if he felt ours wasn't compatible and if you recall, it
was the Dickson Theater which is on the east end of Dickson there. If he felt ours wasn't
compatible his application is an even stronger case for incompatibility. I would like to cite
a couple of reasons why I say that. Mr. Shewmaker has a long history of complaining
about noise on Dickson Street, many of you here remember the lengthy discussions that
went on about George's and its beer garden and its loud music. He complained to the
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 55
extent that George's altered its space and to enclose and to become more compatible with
his residence there. Most recently he had a tenant, Sound Warehouse, who was in the
space that we are discussing tonight who chose to terminate their lease early because of
a countless number of complaints to the City of Fayetteville and complaints to the tenants
of Sound Warehouse. I had a business relationship with Sound Warehouse, still have, and
have many occasions to be in that space and can testify that at any given time that I was
there the music was never loud enough to where we couldn't have this conversation that
I'm having with you right now. His application is for a dance club which being in that
business, I can assure you it is considerably louder I am asking you to render a decision
that is fair to all parties that have suffered through relationships with this man as
documented by the police logs for four years. To allow him to decide which snapshot in
time the rules apply to him is not fair to the people who play by the rules everyday
regardless of whether it is in their best interest or not. Thank you.
Estes: Thank you Jimmy. Is there any other member of the audience who would like to provide
public comment on this issue? Seeing none, oh, yes Sir, will you come forward please and
tell us your name and provide us with the benefit of your comments?
• Bandy: My name is Benton Bandy, I've been a thirteen year resident of Fayetteville. Once again,
I'm very interested in the Dickson Street area. I'm part owner of a business there,
Dickson Theater, which my partner has spoken of and I am excited about what is going
on on Dickson Street. I am here essentially to speak against Mr. Shewmaker's application
for a few reasons. I think that Mr. Shewmaker has been taking advantage of using
Planning Commission, City Council meetings and getting rules changed for himself for long
enough. Watching City Council meetings where he has gotten things approved that I was
amazed at because I was a tenant in his space when it happened. Things like that. I would
like to say that he has been bullying the other land lords around his building and his tenants
for quite a while. In fact, I would like to actually read a little article that I pulled out of
Arkansas Business Journal and it seems somewhat funny but after you have lived through
it as a tenant of his and probably as a neighboring landlord of his, you might understand.
It is titled "My Club Good, Your Club Bad" On April 9th Richard Shewmaker went
before the Fayetteville Planning Commission to complain about a private club going in at
227 W. Dickson Street, four blocks up the street from his residence. "It is going to have
a tremendous negative affect upon the residential customers of Dickson Street"
Shewmaker said. According to minutes from the Planning Commission meeting.
Shewmaker asked the Commission to vote against the proposal for a private club, second
run movie house at the location but the Commissioners approved the proposal, thank you,
by a vote of six to three and renovation there is under way. Now Shewmaker has decided
• to lease the space at 603 W. Dickson Street, directly under his second floor residence to
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
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Estes:
Dave Bass who plans to open a private club there called "The Blue Parrot" by late August.
Shewmaker was a vocal opponent of George's Majestic Lounge next door and
complained regularly that music played at Sound Warehouse which previously occupied
the603 W. Dickson Street location was too loud. George's constructed a concrete brick
wall and installed a canopy over the beer garden to try to keep the noise down and not
disturb Shewmaker. The Sound Warehouse owners have moved that business to Block
Ave. The warehouse Shewmaker owns to the south of Dickson Street building is also
leased to Bass who has a bar, nightclub there called Dave's on Dickson. We are not sure
if Shewmaker is against private clubs on Dickson Street or just against competition in
general since two of his properties in the area will house bars or maybe he is just against
that private club since it is being opened by two of his former tenants at the Dave's on
Dickson location. As a former tenant I can tell you that he has used bullying tactics long
enough. I think that if you vote to approve this he is just going to keep doing it and he uses
these to his economic advantage even though we should be looking at the whole of
Fayetteville. I appreciate your time.
Thank you. Is there any other member of the audience who would like to provide public
comment on this issue? If there is, would you come forward and state your name and
provide us with the benefit of your comment?
Davidson. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I would like to say my name is Sharon Davidson, I live
in Fayetteville. I would like to say some of what I would have liked to have said last year
at the sound ordinance meeting when Mayor Hanna refused to allow me to speak in
response to Mr. Shewmaker. Ok, I will try not to get personal but I do believe character
is an issue here and I do believe we have issues oftrusting this man with anything he says
he is going to do. The pavement aspect, ok, I don't know the condition ofthat building.
I would like to know the date that he complained about the pavement because until he
decided it was a problem I think he was really happy getting that paved. Now, lets get to
the point of why he ended up in that place in the first place. It was a good investment
wasn't it? Now, when he chose to try and close down the oldest beer garden in Arkansas
for personal motives meaning he opened the club, he couldn't manage the club, he couldn't
get any business in his club, he was losing money, what is the way to get the money? Shut
down George's they have all gotta go over to his club, no problem. Well, he ended up
getting a little bit of what he wanted under false pretenses, could not sleep. Now, when
that there.. .
Estes: Ms. Davidson, we have a conditional use request before us, if you would please limit your
comments to the conditional use request.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
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Davidson: Ok, my comments on that there.. .
Estes: No, let me speak, just a moment please.
Davidson: Yes.
Estes: We have specific findings of fact that we must make to grant this conditional use request,
if you have comments that you feel would be beneficial or helpful to us in resolving those
issues then let us have your comments.
Davidson: Yeah, I do, I'm sorry it takes me a little while.
Estes: Ms. Davidson, No personal attacks.
Davidson: I'm not saying anything.. .
Estes: No personal comments.
Davidson: I'm not saying anything about his personal life. It is an issue as to whether we can trust the
man. This is civility that the mayor wanted to bring up. This is people like Mr. Israel who
comes in, these are people, can we trust them to do the right thing? The right thing is I
would like to knowthat he is not going to sue us if his building falls apart shaking under
bass vibrations. Ha, ha. This is not that funny you know. He had a problem with his
building shaking, falling apart, we paid him, is that fixed? We do have noise issues, we do
have the bass, dancers in there shaking around. 1 am very serious about this because I
think the man has done us all dirty and I also want to make sure. Of course personally, I
think that is where a club should be. We have a club behind it. He has got a guy managing
the club behind it, it is doing well because he is letting someone else manage that. I can't
come up here and say it is not appropriate place to put the club. I can come up here and
say that from his past behavior, question and actions it may not be a safe place to include
that many people in. I would like to verify it is and that the money that we paid for
whatever in that whole process of the complaint of the building safety and damage done.
If we have to revisit that issue because we are going to have a whole lot of people in under
the floor of that very building we are worried about crumbling. Now that is a real issue.
Thank you Sir.
Estes:
Thank you Ms. Davidson. Is there any other member of the audience who would like to
provide public comment on this conditional use? You are the applicant Mr. Shewmaker
and you have a representative so 1 am going to allow him to speak in your behalf.
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Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
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Shewmaker: I just wanted to comment about some of the statements that were made.
Estes: Seeing no other public comment I will bring it back to the applicant, Mr. Key if you have
any rebuttal.
Key:
Not necessarily rebuttal. I just want to say that we have presented the signed statement
of the acceptance of the three conditions that have been requested of the applicant. As is
stated in the application and as represented in the report, ft is our intention to comply with
the noise ordinance. I think some of the concerns that have been expressed here tonight
perhaps are unfounded. I do feel as well that a lot of the comments here were not based
on the merits of this particular application and should be considered as such and ignored.
We have done everything we need to do to comply with these in terms of the safety of the
building. I have had it inspected by a structural engineer for use, for consideration of
actually renovating the subbasement level. There is no problem with the quality of the
building in terms of safety for 239 occupants. The Fire Marshall, the Building Inspection
Department has inspected it. We have adequate exits, exit lights, emergency lights, all of
the necessary facilities.
Estes: Thank you James. I will bring the matter back to the Commission for discussions, motions
or comments.
Hoffman: I have a couple of questions for the applicant. I am going to just talk about this dance hall
in terms of dance halls a, b, c, d, e and falong Dickson Street. We have quite a few dance
halls and I believe that some of the questions that we've asked previous dance hall
applicants have to do with hours of operation, sound mitigation procedures, parking and
impact to adjacent property owners. I haven't really heard any of those questions
addressed.
Key:
They have all been addressed in the application Ms. Hoffman. Our hours of operation are
from 5:00 until 2:00 a.m. on I believe Tuesday through Friday, until 1:00 a.m. on Saturday
evenings, actually, Sunday mornings.
Hoffman: Let me stop you Just a second. Can I ask staff at this time is that consistent with our other
dance halls, d, e and f. Do we have similar hours of operation?
Warrick: Yes.
Hoffman: We keep track of those and we make everybody play by the same rules?
Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 59
Warrick: Most of the hours of operation for dance clubs, especially those that have alcohol, are
governed by the A.B.C. as far as the hours of operation that they are permitted to be
open. Yes, the rules are standard. They are in keeping with the other dance halls that the
Planning Commission has approved.
Hoffman:
Key:
That brings me to the second question. The sound mitigation.
In terms of sound mitigation, and the concern for the adjacent residential tenant, in the
process of renovating this space for the current use which is an assembly occupancy
private club, The Blue Parrot, there was additional sound proofing installed at the ceiling
level, the ceiling floor level between this occupied space and the residential space above
it. In addition to a fire rated ceiling enclosure. We've added a considerable amount of
additional sound dampening, sound attenuation materials as well as fire rated ceiling
materials in addition to what was currently there with the intent ofproviding a true isolation
between the residential occupant and the assembly occupant. Other sound mitigation,
obviously, we do have open doors we've installed as Mr. Underwood commented. It is
a great addition to the street. It is not our intent to have a loud ruckus honky tonk. We
are not intending live music. We have not had any space allocated for live music. It was
simply our intent to allow a slightly higher concentration of gathering during special events.
Partly this was prompted by the fact that the club has been well received. We anticipate
a lot of pedestrian traffic and users from the University and we've seen that that has been
the case. During the Tennessee game the owners had a visit from the Fire Marshall with
a concern that there were perhaps too many occupants in the space. It wasn't overly
crowded, there wasn't live music, there weren't fights going on. We felt that it would be
wise to consider looking at how we could increase the occupancy legally. One means of
doing that was to limit seating by removing some of the tables and chairs and allowing for
a higher concentration of gathering at what is considered a concentrated use by the building
code and Arkansas State Fire Prevention Code, Building Construction Volume Il. Which
allows for concentration of seven square foot per person as opposed to fifteen square foot
for people when you have seating and tables. Quite simply that is all we've done, we've
looked at removing some ofthe seating facilities to allow a slightly higher concentration of
use with the intent, we will have piped music, we've got a sound stereo system in there.
This is not intended to be anything comparable to the Dickson Theater, to Dave's on
Dickson, to George's Majestic Beer Garden or anything of that nature. This is not a live
music venue, it is a club facility in which we want to provide dancing capabilities of our
users, our customers.
Hoffman: Do I understand correctly that the doors are going to be open?
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Planning Commission
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Key:
During fair weather and as long as we are in compliance with the noise ordinance, it is our
intent that the doors be opened when they can be. In the event that there was a huge
gathering or we intended to have music at an elevated level perhaps that would necessitate
closing the doors, I think obviously, that would be done to prohibit any interference from
the noise ordinance violation.
Hoffman: The reason 1 asked that is because you have, I think renovations, I want to really promote
mixed use development on Dickson Street, not just dance halls and bars and there is a
renovation going on for some condos across the street and 1 know that everybody's
argument is well they choose to live there so they need to put up with the noise, but you
know, noise is noise.
Key:
We really anticipate that those residential users will be customers of this facility due to
convenience and location. It is our intention to be a good neighbor. I think a mixed use
is something that is desirable from all standpoints.
Hoffman: With regard to the adjoining property owners, the hours of operation are not going to be
during regular business hours for a business oriented office type use?
Key: No, it is solely operating after typical business hours.
Hoffman: Ok, thanks. That answers my questions. I appreciate it.
Estes: Commissioner Allen?
Allen: Yes, I have had several people call with concems about this. One big concem is parking.
How much parking is there right there with the building?
Key:
This property, I can't remember the exact square footage, contrary to the statement that
was made here earlier. This is not the same property that houses Dave's on Dickson. This
is a small piece of property that is approximately 46x96 I believe. It is basically the size
of the building. There is no onsite parking. This is a C-3, Central Business zoned
property, it goes from property line to property line. We rely on public parking for our
facility. There is lots of public parking available to us within the area.
Warrick: I can add a little bit of information with regard to parking and how it relates to the city's
UDO. In 1995 the City Council approved an amendment to the City's parking lot
regulations with regard to the C-3 and C-4 zoning districts. The area along Dickson Street
including this site is zoned C-3, Central Commercial. What that amendment did was
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eliminate the requirement for any additional parking for existing square footage when there
is a change of use of the structure. This particular proposal is to change the use from a
night club to a dance hall. No additional square footage is being proposed. Therefore,
there is no additional parking requirement.
Estes: Thank you Dawn.
Allen: So where do they go? I guess they go on over to George's?
Key: No, they park in the public lot that is at the Walton's Art Center, they park at the public
parking spaces available from the Dickson Improvement District. They park at the public
lot at some of the properties adjacent to this that aren't occupied at night that allow that
type of use any given night of the week for the entertainment district. They ride the trolley,
they walk from campus, they walk from the adjacent residential.
Allen: Does Mr. Shewmaker continue to live on the property above the property, is that correct?
Key: Currently, Mr. and Mrs. Shewmaker both do live on the property. They live in the
residence that is located on the second floor above this facility.
Allen: I was wanting to know whether or not there was a difference in feeling, concern about
noise now from the occupant.
Key: I don't want to put words into Mr. Shewmaker's mouth, he was wanting to come and.
speak tonight. I was a little tardy getting to the meeting and I had offered to speak on
behalf of the applicants. I know that he was going to get up and speak and I will gladly
represent him at this occasion. Dust want to caution that I hope I'm not putting words in
his mouth. It is my understanding that between this date and earlier this year that a decision
was made after trying to rent this property for a retail mercantile use without much success
due to the proximity of direct parking by the front door which most mercantile retail
shoppers want, the decision was made on the property owner's part that perhaps the type
of business that was occupying this property was the best use. Based on that he accepted
an offer from a business owner to come in and join him in putting in a business that would
allow this facility to be occupied and utilize and generate income rather than being a vacant
property along this portion of the downtown strip.
Allen:
• Key:
So that offset his concern about noise?
Well, I think everyone always has concern about noise as well. As I said earlier, we have
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Planning Commission
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taken all precautions to try and limit the overflow of noise from this use to the adjacent
residential tenant. Obviously, as aparticipant in this business, as a landlord of the property
he does have some control over this particular use and this particular tenant. Hopefully,
I know there was a comment made in an article in one of the papers by Mr. Conklin in
response to one of the comments of one of the Commissioners was that hopefully this
applicant would not be filing a complaint against himself and I can guarantee you that will
not happen.
Marr: I have a question for Mr. Shewmaker.
Key: Can Mr. Shewmaker approach the panel?
Marr: Absolutely, I think he will need to. My question was that I was one ofthe Commissioners
that actually voted against the last request and I did that based on your comments, they
were certainly a part of the factors that I considered. The impact of the area, the issues
of parking, trash, noise, several other things that came up in our discussion last time. I
would like to hear from you because I heard the argument last time that swayed my vote
to vote against it. What is different because it is you this time. Help me understand what
the issues are.
Shewmaker: If you will let me say just a few things prior to that I can maybe help answer that question
but I will directly answer that question. Often times when you don't respond to criticism
there is an assumption that you accept what is being said. Often times when you want to
address criticism you lose your temper. I am going to address the criticism and I am going
to try not to lose my temper. There have been personal comments made about me here
tonight. The only way I know to answer those is to very calmly answer those in a personal
way because there are some personal problems between some of the folks you've heard
speak and myself. Some of them I know, some of them I don't know. We purchased this
building in 1990. What was going on in 1990 was something that Mr. Underwood eluded
to and had been down there a long time. I can tell you that I saw elementary school
children carrying cases of beer across Dickson Street, not on one occasion, a lot, it
happened all the time. That is a violation of the law. I am going to first ask, I would gather
that everyone up here believes that we are supposed to abide by the law in order to have
a civilized society, that is one of the best things and things that we really have to do so I am
just going to assume that everyone feels that way. We purchased the building prior to a
contract to award the construction ofthe Walton Arts Center or the art center parking lot.
There was a hole and people fell in the hole. There was one man that died not too long
after that. It was a horrible place. I was confident that since it was next to the campus,
first of all, I couldn't believe that it was that way. I didn't go to the University of Arkansas
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Estes:
so I never did see the transition of good to bad or bad to good or whatever happened but
I felt like there was a promise there. I have always been involved in economic
development my entire life from public side even to private bond issue perspective. I've
helped people build hospitals, airports, projects of this nature over numerous counties in
western Arkansas. I saw the possibility there and the hope to do something and I want to
tell you I've lived to see a lot of it accomplished and I'm real happy, I'm real proud of
what everyone has done pulling together. That doesn't mean that you don't have some
problems. I had some problems when certain laws were not abided by. Those were noise
ordinance laws.
Mr. Shewmaker, if I may for just a moment, your presentation has been made by your
representative, you were called to the podium to answer a specific question of
Commissioner Marr. If I may restate that question as I understand it, it is this. That is, we
each well remember the comments and presentation that you made before this Commission
in the past, we are having trouble, I'm personally having a great deal ofdifficulty reconciling
your past remarks with your present petition to us this evening. Could you answer
Commissioner Marr's question, what is different?
Shewmaker: So you are interested in the things that trouble you about my past remarks being Jimmy
Rapert's application for the Dickson Street Theater and today?
Estes: Yes.
Shewmaker: That is the only time I've ever had any.. .
Estes: You have spoken in opposition of the very application that you now present to us this
evening, what is different? Why is your conditional use different simply stated?
Shewmaker: I spoke in opposition to a particular project. It was the location ofthat project which was
bordered behind it with a whole bunch ofhouses, not one, like my own, a whole bunch of
houses. The comment was made that I was the only person that spoke in opposition to
that. That is not at all correct. About 20 people were here, they selected one person to
speak for them if you will remember that old lady, I don't know her name. That person
spoke for those people. I did know for a fact, and I will tell you today that housing is the
most important increment to make Dickson Street work. There was an offer to buy that
property for housing, I knew that, I was hoping that that would happen because that is
what we need there. The difference between mine and Mr. Rapert's is yeah, it is my
building. I have never complained about noise, and this is what has been sold, that I am
a noise Nazi, I complain about noise. I have never complained about any noise that met
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Planning Commission
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the legal limits down there and I have only complained about noise at one place as I recall
and that was at George's some time ago. Since Ben took it over in the last year or so, we
have not had any problems at all over there and I think he would tell you that. I believe
there was a comment made in the paper about Thunder Valley, about one of the problems
out there is that you have management changes all the time. That does create a problem,
learning how to control your mechanical basis and things of that nature. The biggest
project ever built on Dickson Street was across the street from this particular project, to
my knowledge there has not been any problems with it. There was a lot of voicing from
people in that building about that particular project. If you ask me whether I'm interested
in Mr. Rapert having one place down there catering to 18 and up or whether Johnny Tyson
might want to invest more money in the Dickson Street area, I'll take the latter any day.
I don't know ifthat completely addressed the question because I tried to stay in light of it.
It is a little bit personal but that is what you have heard in opposition to me. I objected to
that because of the relationship to the housing area. This particular project has a
relationship to mine, that is only one, that is the one that I live in upstairs This particular
project does not have live music in it. Ladies and gentlemen, that is where the problem
comes in, live music. It is not that it isjust someone speaking like that, it is these things that
have tremendous amplification and each player in the band has his controls and there is a
second master control back at the end of the building. It is very difficult to control that
stuff. If you have got a little stereo system like they have in that project now that has got
four speakers in it it is not intended to make a lot of noise. It was an establishment
intended to attract people that did not want noise. I don't know if I've answered your
question. I am very, very interested in Dickson Street, the Brew Pub, you can tell me
when to quit, to shut up, those of you that have not lived here forever do not patronize that
area. The Brew Pub, Nicks Fine Dining, Cable Car Pizza, I pumped both of those
projects Quinos was a little place where Does is now. He spent all of his money there,
a young man from Fort Smith with $50,000. He came to get his occupancy permit and he
was told by the city "you owe us $26,000 before you can open the door", he didn't have
$26,000. The reason that he was told that was there was a rule that said that if you don't
have the parking and the whole street was vacant because no one wanted to go down
there then, but if you don't have the parking you have to pay us $26,000. A lot of people
felt that that was unjustified so the effort to come up with a blanket parking variance was
my effort and I think that has instilled a lot of continued development which we'll have
more and more and more. Some people want me to be quiet and I would like to shut up
too but I can talk about it all night long. There was a meeting in this room where a council
person even showed up and opposed the three sister project, the Planning Director at that
time was in strong opposition of the three sisters project. They asked me to come and to
try to work with them and I did. Some people may refer to that as bullying or getting your
way, I dare to say that I don't come down here to try to get my way or try to bully, that
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Planning Commission
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Estes:
Shackelford:
Estes:
Shackelford
is the most idiotic thing in the world to say about me. Any tactic that I've ever used,
wouldn't it work if I tried to bully you? How do you do that? That is just a few of the
projects that I have spent the last 10 years working on. I will spend the next 10 years
working on more projects like that because these types of complaints will not force me to
quit. I don't know if I've helped in any way. If you have another question about that I
would be more than glad to answer it and I promise you I won't take as long this time.
Thank you Mr. Shewmaker.
I just want to make a comment and share my thoughts a little bit. As Planning
Commissioners we are challenged to make our decisions on the finding of facts. I don't
believe that our votes as Planning Commissioners can be or should be punitive or based
on comments or situations that have happened in the past. I think that we are challenged
to look at this issue, look at this proposal as it is presented as a single instance. I think that
we are really challenged to look at the impact on the adjacent property owners. In
specific, the finding that we have to make is the request will not adversely affect the public
interest and 1 think that is where we need to concentrate our efforts at this point. I would
like to hear comments from other Planning Commissioners based on those findings for this
specific request. For whether or not we think that this will have an adverse affect on the
adjacent property owners.
I can respond to that in part. I agree with some of the comments that have been made that
dance halls are different. The reason that I say that is because we have the historic data
to support that proposition that dance halls are different. I believe that this will adversely
affect the public interest. An additional finding of fact that we must make is general
compatibility with adjacent properties and other property in the district. That is not
disjunctive, that isjunctive. We must make a finding that is compatible with adjacent
property and by that I mean the property next to it. I do not believe that this is compatible
with adjacent property, by adjacent property I'm referring to Mr. Underwood's property
and I'm referring to the retail space across the street. It is for those reasons that I
personally can not make the findings of fact necessary to prove this conditional use.
I appreciate that and that is what I need to hear. I am basically undecided on this at this
point and I want to hear some other comments, some direct comments on the merit of this
case and the findings of fact on this case so that we can make our decision and move
forward.
• Hoffman: I have a couple of questions, I guess rhetorical questions, in my mind as well. I am trying
to keep the personal aspect of the discussion that has been made here tonight out of it. I
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Planning Commission
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have asked myself the question would I approve a dance hall underneath a residence and
my answer to myself is no. That doesn't matter who owns the residence, it is just that it's
a fact that there is a residence above it and that there will be more residences close by on
this end of the street. I think that asa Planning Commission it is not our business to be
punitive or to enter into any kind of personal debate on which landlord and which tenant
did what on Dickson Street but we have to look at the Dickson Street area as a whole and
do our best to come up with a reasonable application of our conditional uses and our
property uses. I do want to encourage mixed use development on Dickson Street. l think
it is what makes it vital I think that the mix of retail, residential, nightclub life and so on
make it what it is. I have seen, I guess I can compare it to Austin's 6th Street in a small
way. It is not nearly as large as 6th Street but 6th Street did go through some changes.
They have a 6th Street overlay district and they have very strict rules about what can be
put in there and how the sidewalks and planning are and so on and so forth. They have
a lot of bars and they cater to the UT crowd and there are problems with underage
drinking and with overcrowding with parking and things like that so they are trying to
maintain the historic character ofthe district without letting it go to be such a total bar
scene. I am kind of leaning towards, and I agree with you, I don't know. You just have
to take everything in, I try not to make up my mind until I come to the Planing Commission
and hear all sides ofthe story but you have to take each individual case on its own merit
and think what would I do if someone came and asked me to approve a dance hall
primarily, a dance hall underneath a residence and my answer would be that would be a
kind of far fetched idea.
Hoover: I had a question for Commissioner Hoffman. Are you saying then that if we had the same
site that there was nothing above this dance hall, there was no residence above it, would
you still think that?
Hoffman: I would be willing to relook at it. I would say that that would be a different circumstance.
Hoover: What I'm trying to find are the differences between this one and the last one that got
approved and that is the only difference I can see is that this residence is directly above it.
Rather than having any distance between it like we did the last one.
Hoffman: Well the last one had the streets and the parking problems and we did come up I think with
some, there were some changes that were made, they were not approved on the first go
around if I remember correctly. They did mitigate some oftheir issues and did change their
program up somewhat I believe.
• Hoover: It seems to me on the issue of a dance hall, I don't have a problem with a dance hall
Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
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because I'm not totally convinced that this means that there are going to be all these bad
things that necessarily happen in a dance hall. The thing that is different about being a
dance hall as opposed to being a bar is the occupant load and this adds something like an
additional 110 people.
Hoffman: It doubles it.
Hoover: It doubles it, now that is an issue I could see looking at that is very tangible as opposed to
can we always say a dance hall brings trouble. I don't know that that is necessari ly true.
Marr:
Key:
I agree with you Sharon. I think one of the things I struggle with is just my own, if I had
to separate philosophical belief and the ordinance. I am not a footloose kind of guy, I
don't think we ought to be telling people when they can dance and when they can't dance.
I do think we have a responsibility to compatibility and zoning and impact of that activity.
I want to make something clear because I actually was one of the three that voted against
it last time. I struggled with it because I pretty much live what I would consider in the
downtown area, over near Wilson Park and had gotten a lot of feedback on the particular
request and really considered what was said at the meeting that night, the number of
people, the impact expected, I think we have heard from some business owners here
tonight that are in adjacent properties. We've talked about the concern of the impact on
their business and that is certainly an impact on public interest that I struggle with. I think
occupancy is another. I think we struggle with parking already on this end of Dickson
Street. I certainly understand there might be some walking traffic from the University but
I think that creates issues. I'm a big proponent that 1 think we need to get out of the mind
set that every time requests a bar or a dance club that it needs to go on Dickson Street.
I think that Dickson Street is one entertainment area of Fayetteville, I don't think it is the
only nor do I think that everything should be shoved into that. 1 think that misuse is
extremely important. I already look at that space as considered as an entertainment space,
I don't know that the increased occupancy is good for the surrounding businesses and that
is why I don't support it, very similar to why I didn't support the last one. Not so much
the retail issue but at that time the residential issues and some of the feedback that we got.
I don't think that just because we dance it needs to be on Dickson. 1 think it goes back
to impact.
IfI might, I would like to ask a question ofChairman Estes particularly before you continue
with a motion or a vote on this issue. I would like you to elaborate Mr. Estes if you don't
mind on what is the difference between this and the last application. You commented in
reference to the business adjacent to this, particularly, Mr. Underwood's property which
is at this point is an abandoned gas station. The adjacent retail across the street, I see this
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Planning Commission
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Estes:
as not much different, in fact, with the proximity of the other entertainment venues this is
much more conducive and I've worked closely with the staff and the city and they are of
the opinion that this is compatible with the adjacent neighborhood. Obviously, there is a
difference in opinion between the staff and the Commission. We had a retail restaurant,
particularly, the Ozark Mountain Smokehouse adjacent to the former applicant that was
approved. We had a large misused retail facility directly across the street who did have
some owners who were opposed. What is different in that case than this to make this
more undesirable than that was desirable in terms of a conditional use for a dance hall?
The adjacent property to the west is Mr. Underwood's property. We have approved
development. He has told us that he is following through with that approval and has even
gone so far as to tell us that he has a commitment from a tenant. Across the street is Mr.
Tux. I don't know how in the world a dance hall undemeath a residence adjacent to
upscale commercial retail is compatible with adjacent property.
Key: When the use times are not contiguous and overlapping, I don't see how the argument
could be made that they are not.
Estes:
Key:
Estes:
It is general compatibility with adjacent properties.
Right and the staff has ruled that they felt that it was compatible.
Well I disagree with that.
Hoffman: Is the objective just to get more people in during games? If you have four little speakers
in this place you can't really hear the speakers over all these people.
Key: The intent is to allow for a higher concentration of gathering.
Hoffman: Ok, well you don't have to dance to be able to do that, all you have to do is take away the
tables and have adequate exiting and the building inspection department.. .
Key: By building code at that point we're allowing for a concentrated use and the building code
definition of a concentrated use is dancing.
Hoffman: No it isn't. It is no fixed seating or no table seating. You have people standing around,
it is one person per 7 sq. ft. They don't have to be moving, they can be standing there
talking.
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Key: We were advised by the city that we needed to pursue a dance hall permit due to the fact
that we wanted to allow congregation of a dance level.
Hoffman: Well, that was what my question was. Is the object dancing or is the object to get more
people in? I thought I heard you say when I asked the question that it was just to get more
people in.
Key: Yes, and that is what we stated in our application. The intent is to get more people in.
Hoffman. It doesn't require dancing. According to the Building Inspection Department, what they
have done and they have reviewed this to their satisfaction they have said that you need to
swing the egress doors out to have 269 people. To me, if the Building Inspection
Department is satisfied with that then you could indeed have a concentration of that many
people and many bars do.
Key: As long as we don't allow them to dance we don't need a conditional use?
Hoffman: That is correct.
Key: The city is in the business of footloose enforcement.
Hoffman. What was the name of the place?
Marr:
I think that is a question for the City Council. We are here as an administrative body and
that is what we look at. I would encourage you because I don't disagree with you on that
point but I would encourage you that this is not the place to address that.
Key: I understand and I'm not here to be adversarial by any means, we are just trying to do
what is right.
Hoffman: I'm not trying to be either, I'm trying to say that there provisions, I think, that meet
whatever your needs are that may not be something that we have to talk about here even.
Estes: Is there any other discussion?
Hoover: I had a thought. 1 just was thinking of this in a new way. When I think of it as residential
above I keep thinking of Richard living above, but if I separate that out and think what if
it was four apartments above a dance hall and they were independent people who had
nothing to do with the people that were running the dance hall below then I would certainly
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have concerns about how that mix used compatibility would be even though I'm very much
for mixed use but there has to be some kind of control on it, some type of restraint. When
I think of it that way with independent people up there then I do have a problem because
there is no buffer zone between the dance hall and residential as there was in that other
dance hall before.
Hoffman: There is not now.
Hoover: Yes, and there is not any buffer now in this situation.
Marr: My question is do we have somebody that has a motion to recommend approval or are
we waiting for some other motion or are we waiting for no motion?
Key: If I could direct a question to Mr. Williams?
Estes: Commissioner Ward has the floor.
• Ward: In order to get this thing on down the road, when I came here I was with the idea that I
would probably approve a dance hall even though I am a Southern Baptist deacon
because I think that it is a recreation area and I've always been for anything that would
bring people to Dickson Street and keep improvement. I did find it very disturbing that
probably the most vocal opponent to the Dickson Street area as far as the dance hall at
George's the new Dickson Street Theater dance hall, he was very, very vocal against those
types of things as far as noise ordinances and on and on and on. I had a lot of ideas and
I'm kind of worried about it.
•
Key: I understand. I think Mr. Shewmaker addressed the situation and the particulars of the
differences.
Ward: From what I can tell from the other members at this I don't think we are going to approve
a dance hall, it is a night club already. I am going to move that deny CUP 01-27 for a
conditional use for a dance hall.
Key:
I'd like to just say that we will withdraw the application. We have no desire to have you
vote on denying it, we'll just withdraw it. We will work with the city to establish our
occupant load as we would like to see it based on our exiting capacities.
Shewmaker: Is it my understanding that we can get a heavier load of people Kit?
Planning Commission
October 22, 2001
Page 71
Williams: The interpretation must come from the City Planner, he is in charge of interpreting the
Unified Development Ordinance and he is not here right now.
Key: As I said we would like to pull the application.
MOTION:
Ward: Then I'll make a motion that it be tabled.
Estes: The application for CUP 01-27 is pulled at the applicant's request. Dawn, is there any
further business to come before the Commission, any announcements?
Warrick: The only thing I would announce is that there is a question and answer session in room 326
that is going on right now with regard to the impact fee study. You all are welcome to join
that if you have any questions of the consultant, otherwise, I have nothing further.
Estes:
Bunch:
Any other business?
Dawn, do you have the particulars on the trails seminar that is this week at Mount
Sequoyah?
Warrick: Yes, there is a greenways and trails seminar that is going on this week. I believe there is
a reception Thursday evening at the town center and then conference sessions all day
Friday at Mount Sequoyah Assembly. If you want further details you can contact Renee
in our office.
Estes: Any other business? Any other announcements? We'll stand adjourned until the next
regularly called meeting.
Meeting adjourned. 8:40 p.m.