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Minutes for the Land Use Committee meeting on August 7, 2014
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Members present: Bill Hall (Chair), Dr. Jim Sanders, Mark Enos, Pamela Alexander, Councilman Todd Burton, Shawnie Carrier and Terry Bare
Members absent: Darren May, James Dunivan, Carroll Caldwell, Eric Scarbrough, Jerry Halsey, Jr., Kevan Inboden, Nadine Straitt and Wixson Huffstetler
Dr. Sanders motioned, seconded by Mr. Bare, to approve the minutes for the July 17, 2014, meeting. All voted aye.
Mr. Enos explained he was trying to get a discussion started concerning strategies in terms of the Land Use Plan. Some of them are being discussed and considered. A lot of the decisions have an impact on the Jonesboro taxpayers, so he would like some of the things that could be negatively impacted by their decisions (such as schools, fire stations, etc.) be thought of during the process so they aren’t negatively affected. If they see an area lacking in infrastructure, then they should be careful about what developments are allowed since they will impact the infrastructure. He added if the city isn’t prepared or able to adjust to the changes, then a lot of what they’re doing could be a moot point.
JETS Director Steve Ewart agreed with Mr. Enos. He explained they are trying to put in a fifth route with JETS so they can serve northeast Jonesboro. Grant funding is based on population and population density. Jonesboro is gets less funding due to the smaller population density than most cities with the acreage of Jonesboro. He noted they have a real challenge with the development of the land in Jonesboro. It costs about $200,000 per line for JETS. They have been trying to save money in order to fund the fifth route to accommodate the new NEA Hospital. But, when services, such as DHS and the Veterans Office, get moved JETS is not included, yet those are the areas where service is requested. He further discussed the challenges with planning routes around key areas and services in the city.
Mr. Enos added they also have to take into account the tax revenue that will be brought in with new developments. He noted some of the extra money would help fund some services, like JETS. They should encourage denser development to help positively affect the budget. Councilman Burton agreed, adding he also thinks companies should take into consideration how transportation will reach their new location when they move within the city. Further discussion was held concerning development. City Planner Otis Spriggs stated some of those issues were discussed during the development of the city’s Vision 2030 Plan, which was originally supposed to be taken out to the public and used as a coordinating tool. He agreed that things need to be coordinated better and can be done either at the Chamber of Commerce level or by adding a new process at the Council level. He also suggested Mr. Ewart be included when developments take place within the city.
Mr. Enos this discussed a points-based system that also includes an energy efficient standard. He explained a points-based system may be good for developers if it helps them at the MAPC approval level. City Engineer Craig Light asked how many permit applications are denied every year. It was stated not very many are denied. Mr. Enos stated the city’s budget is being spread too thin, so something needs to be done to encourage companies to invest in the community to help with improvements. Chairman Hall agreed, adding the staff needs tools to help enforce those kinds of situations.
Discussion was then held regarding the map and if there are areas that need to be looked at. Mr. Light referred to the North Jonesboro Redevelopment District. It is basically from Aggie Road to the downtown corridor. He questioned whether that should be moderate intensity or high intensity. He noted with moderate intensity there are some height restrictions. Councilman Burton stated the restrictions limit moderate intensity to two-story buildings. Mr. Light explained they may want something higher in that area. Mr. Enos expressed concern over changing it to high intensity due to the amount of commercial development that may be in that area. That would limit the businesses open after 5 p.m. and could make the area less safe for commuters. Chairman Hall noted high intensity isn’t just commercial development; rather, it also includes mixed use. Mr. Spriggs agreed, adding multi-family is also included. Chairman Hall stated high intensity also promotes walkability. Councilman Burton asked if they could extend the downtown sector to that area. Chairman Hall stated that would work as well. Assistant MPO Director Travis Brooks noted that in previous versions of the map the Redevelopment District had its own growth sector with its own characteristics. He recommended either going back to the approach or extending the downtown area.
Mr. Bare stated he thinks they need to have a classification for redevelopment. He further noted that if they classify the downtown area as C-1, then there would be no parking restrictions. But, that area does need parking restrictions. Mr. Spriggs stated he likes the idea of calling it a higher density and giving it a special district name similar to the downtown development in a previous map. Mr. Light then questioned what the boundaries would be. He questioned whether it should include Bridge Street. Mr. Bare suggested naming the classifications Phase I, Phase II, etc., so each area would have their own sets of requirements. Further discussion was held concerning what the district would be named. Mr. Enos noted that as the neighborhood districts get stronger, they may want to incorporate requirements within their own districts.
Mr. Light explained he looked at the Bridge Street/Matthews Avenue area that is marked as high intensity around the future St. Bernard’s campus. He questioned whether that should stay high intensity. He further explained he doesn’t see a development like a Home Depot going in that area. Discussion was held concerning that area. Mr. Bare suggested another category such as high intensity, small development. Mr. Spriggs explained it would be high intensity with a special district overlay that would help control the character of the area. Mr. Brooks noted in a previous version of the map that area was a medical district.
The committee then worked to label areas that would be considered a special district:
Mr. Spriggs explained they will take those areas back, categorize them and fine tune the language. Then, they will send it out to the committee members for review.