Keller rezone request denied

Planning Commission members unanimously denied a request to rezone two acres at 290 Hallack Lane from residential to commercial during the regular meeting Tuesday, May 2. Commission members Michael Wilhelm and Samantha Flint were absent.

The request had initially been presented by Kaitlyn Keller at the April 4 meeting and was tabled as there was disagreement on the current zone of adjacent property. Real estate agent Mitzi Taylor represented Taylor at the May meeting.

Taylor, with NWA Taylor Real Estate, said the "frontage property owned by Brently Bone, four acres, is already commercial."

City planning director Jessica Grady said she found the ordinance that rezoned the adjacent property to commercial.

Planning Commission member Greg Pickens (who was absent at the initial discussion in April) said the map shows the property as agricultural.

Grady said a representative in the county assessor's office explained that the property is still taxed as agricultural because of its current use.

"There are several commercial properties when you turn down Hallack," Taylor said, referring to the Blackhawk Laundry and Betsy's Gym. "The seller has no plans, just wants to make it available."

Grady acknowledged that the Keller property "falls outside the comprehensive plan, but butts against commercial."

"I don't know how far down I'd like to make commercial down a residential road," Pickens said.

Planning Commission member Chris Johnson concurred.

"I don't mind the highway frontage being commercial," Johnson said.

"It's a dead end street and there are a lot of long-time Pea Ridge residents down there. If it was already in our land use ...," Pickens said. "This is a big change that could create a tidal wave of after affects."

Real estate agent Deborah Bowen, representing land owner Jerry Collins, presented the request to rezone two lots on North Arkansas Highway 94 to commercial.

"It has commercial lots on either side of it," she said.

A property owner, Cosmos Trotter, spoke during the public hearing saying he had "concerns about it being right next to my house" because of light and noise pollution.

During new business, Collins said the property was commercial when it was deeded to him by Franklin Miller and is now residential.

"It does fall within the comprehensive plan to be commercial," Grady said.

The plan was unanimously approved.

The large scale development plan for KKD Daycare was tabled as there was no representative present to speak.

In other business, planners:

Approved a lot split for Matthew & Deni Jenson; and

Approved a lot split at 590 S. Curtis Ave., for David Fredrickson.