Planning - Regular Meeting

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the city of Jonesboro Metropolitan Area Planning Commission meeting for Tuesday, July 14th, 2026. I'll open up for a roll call. You ready? We check in on the roll call. Okay, got a quorum. First item we'll discuss is the minutes from the June 23rd meeting. Are there any changes to be made? Or I'll entertain a motion for approval.

And does Oprah make a motion to approve the minutes as presented?

Mr. Chair? Yes, sir. Are these the amended minutes that we? That's what I was about to ask. Last month?

That was for the meeting before.

It could have been at the last meeting. No, it was the last meeting. We never got it approved, I don't think.

So anybody want to second these? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? The minutes will carry. The first item we have tonight is a preliminary subdivision. This is Southern Oaks Phase 2 preliminary plat. So I have a proponent for this item.

Carol Caldwell. So I guess it's on the screen what I'm wanting to do. I'm wanting to rezone the lot one to commercial. Right now, it's on residential, but it joins commercial to the left. I'm building a grocery store right next to it. Across the street, it's commercial. And this might be the only thing I ever did in 50 years that I didn't have opposition.

So this part's just for the plat approval, though, for what you're about to ask for the rezoning, correct? Yes. This is just for the plat, for what you're about to ask rezoning for in a few minutes?

That is correct.

Okay. City planner, you have comments on this?

Yes, sir. We reviewed it. It meets all the requirements of the subdivision code, so we would recommend approval.

Okay. Commissioners have questions or comments about the plat?

I'll entertain a motion. I'll make a motion to approve the request for a preliminary plat. I hear a second.

I have a motion and a second. You ready for a vote? If you would, cast your ballot. Cast your vote. Your plight was approved. So now we move on to the rezoning of the same property.

So I got it backwards. I should have started with the cul-de-sac. That's all right. That's residential.

So this is for a rezoning request for the property from R1 to C3 limited use overlay at 1400 Southern Ridge, is that correct? Correct. Any other comments to add to that?

None.

City planner, you have staff comments?

Yes, sir. It does meet all six criteria for rezoning, so we would recommend approval with the following stipulations that the proposed site shall satisfy all requirements of the city engineer, all requirements of the current stormwater drainage design manual and floodplain regulations regarding any new construction. A final site plan subject to all ordinance requirements shall be submitted, reviewed, and approved by the planning department prior to any redevelopment of the property. Any change of view shall be subject to planning department approval in the future, and the

With this being a rezoning request, is there anyone here to give public comments about this rezoning request? Okay. If you would, please come state your name for the record. Tell us what's on your mind.

Hello, my name is Juanita. How are y'all? So this is my first time here. That's all right. I actually live in Southern Oaks, as well as my neighbor here. And this was all very new to us. We got this letter in the mail. And I quickly AI'd this to see how it could affect me. So my main thing is... What exactly is planned? Because it's still like it doesn't give any clear answers on what they're wanting to build. And I don't want something that's going to impact my house specifically being the first house in that subdivision with lighting or the type of facility that they're planning if it gets very noisy. So that's just my main concern. I'm okay. I know that a city grows and I'm all for that. I'm from a big city. But yeah, I just wanted more clarification on that. And I don't know if you have any other things. So yeah.

So this is a limited use overlay. There are a few restrictions. Does someone have the list of what is approved? Or Carol, do you have that list of what you're asking? I just sent it. It was email. It's not in the packet.

We got it.

So would you like to read those? State your name for the record, sir.

Garrett Dunham. The exhibit A that was with the application letter.

So this will be what it's limited to. This will be things that they are required. Right.

So we're requesting the permanent use to be animal care, assisted living, bank, church, daycare. government service library medical medical service nursing home office parking recreation pharmacy restaurant general not fast food and retail or general service so those are the items that would be permitted to not so those are that's what you're going to permit that would be yes so that was on the list for okay so what are you what are you limiting that

Everything but those?

I guess everything else that's not more than less.

So those are the only things that it could be. Sure. So that means it could.

Sure, you can have those.

Here. Okay, we found it.

There we go. Yeah.

So it basically seems like anything, right?

Well, there are a lot of things that. There's a couple of things that are not on there. And I will just say just the south of that street is a C3 LUO. It matches what's on the south side of that street.

OK.

So there's Southern Ridge Boulevard, west south right here, C3 LUO. It's the same permanent uses from here to here.

OK.

So are these the same limitations that were on the lot that's going to have the grocery store, or do you know?

That's not, well, the grocery store is a part of Southern Hills planning and development. This is not a part of the planning and development.

So you're saying the other ones that sit outside the development?

Second.

You're saying the other lots that sit outside the development that are C3 are also these limitations?

Correct. Okay. Yes, there are C3 LUO lots east of Southern Hills private planning and development. These match those permanent uses on the same street. Sure.

And legally, we're not allowed to ask exactly what they're building. We're not on a rezoning.

That's okay, no.

A lot of people are confused by that, but legally we can't say, so is it going to be a Burger King or a McDonald's? But they've limited fast food. That's a bad example. I'm going to scare that it's going to be a Burger King or a McDonald's. That was a bad example. But we're not allowed to like require people to tell us exactly what they want to build there. No, I get that.

I think my main thing was just being the lighting and us being literally like the second house in that subdivision. I think Daryl can speak to that. We would like to make comments.

We'd like to address that.

As far as lighting, we look at that during the development phase and normally we limit the lighting to where it doesn't bleed off onto other properties. That'll be looked at as when they decide what they're gonna put there, they'll submit a site plan and we'll review that and part of that site plan will be a photometric page that'll show the lighting and what we're looking at is the boundaries of that property, especially against the residential boundaries of the property, not having a high lighting number at that residential, it should be at zero is what we're looking at. So that keeps it from going over to the neighboring properties.

okay and then my final thing would just be sorry the the speed um or traffic going through there i imagine there would be signs put up so that doesn't affect our jackson drive street or how would that work there's already a subdivision plan out there that the street side uh street speed limits have been approved

And so those are already there. If the signs aren't up, they will be coming up in the future.

Yeah, because I know there's a lot of kids, there's a lot of young families moving into those neighborhoods. So it doesn't concern me as much, but I just think about those families and how you don't want something ugly to happen, thinking on these little kids.

Certainly. Yeah. Jeff, did you have something you wanted to comment?

I was just going to say, is there also a requirement that there's screening between commercial and residential properties? Normally, if it's commercial against residential, there will be some type of screening, too, that will be looked at during the site plan review process.

OK. All right.

Thank you. I got one question for you. Were you just concerned that it was too much light that you were concerned with, or not enough light?

No, too much sliding.

Okay.

Yeah, I don't want something where, because I don't know if you guys are familiar with that neighborhood, but those houses, they have windows, three sides, like three small windows, and you don't have anything that you can cover those up with. Sure. So that would really negatively impact how I'm able to, you know, rest. Sure. And then I'm not sure it will be just me, but my other neighbors as well. So that was my main thinking, too.

Thank you. Carol, do you have any comments to address any of that?

This is on a three-lane street, not a, so it's set up for commercial traffic. It's an arterial street. And then I own these 17 lots, residential, so I'm certainly not gonna build something that's gonna hurt her. It'd hurt me 17 times more. Sure. So I am very, you can look at what's out there so far and see that I'm not, this is a first-class development. So I wouldn't, I want to sell lots more houses to the D.R. Horton people. Chair?

Any other public comments? If you would, sir, yes, come up, state your name for the record.

Good afternoon.

My name is Henry Pueyo. I'm also a neighborhood there. Yes, sir. My concern is related to the fencing and the height of the potential construction because we, I mean, the privacy of this residential now how it will be and if we're gonna be notified of the, while they are constructing their how we be affected, I mean, our daily... Sure.

You're talking about the trucks coming and going during construction?

Exactly. And the next question is related to the price of the house. Really, what I've read is in some documents, the houses that are next to those type of construction can be affected, but overall, I mean, should be benefit because it's growing now, but the one that are next to, let's say if it's a big parking lot that is gonna be there or something that create noisy or something could affect the prices of the houses or how we can be quiet. So this is my main concern.

Very good. Thank you for your comments. That kind of goes back to what you said about your lots that you're putting right against it yourself. I would think.

There's a 30-foot buffer all the way around it, and we're adding detention that we may not have to, but we want to, to help more downstream than what's approved. So that big square at the rectangle is more detention. So to me, this is all improvements, is what this is. Any other questions?

You have any other questions?

I think an explanation of the buffer for them would be better of what they can expect. So do y'all understand what Carol is saying, that there's gonna be a 30-foot buffer between the development and the back of the residential property around it? And so I don't know what that buffer's gonna consist of, but y'all might speak to that, Carol.

All around here shows up, doesn't show on that. But anyway, there's a 30-foot buffer all the way around that has to go in, plus screening. Yes. I think y'all live back over here a block away, I think.

So the traffic.

OK. And then the traffic won't be going down Jackson. when something's built there. And I don't have any plans right now of what's gonna be built there. If I did, I'd tell you. If I did, I'd give you a side plan. So this is just, you know, future and supply and demand. And I'm just making it better.

Thank you. I would like to... Do you want to come to the mic? To have a continued communication like that. I mean, we appreciate that you have TAKING CONSIDERATION JUST TO KEEP A POSTED ON WHAT'S COMING WHAT THE PROJECT WHAT TO I MEAN TO FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATION THE EXPECTATION THAT EVERYTHING IMPROVED BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE AND BE NOTIFIED LIKE THIS NOTIFICATION OR WHAT IS THERE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WHAT IS COMING THERE NO BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE THE BUSINESS THERE WE'RE GOING TO BE THE DEVELOPMENT SURE DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT OKAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS

Commissioners have any questions at this point of the developer or city staff? Anyone?

I'd like a motion to approve the request for rezoning.

A motion to approve. Do I hear a second?

Little second. All right. You ready?

Everyone cast your vote. So you've received a favorable recommendation from the Planning Commission. You need to get on the City Council's agenda before Thursday at 10 o'clock. So the next item we have on the agenda, this is a site plan at Citadel minor phase one. I have the proponent for this item.

I'm Carlos Wood. I'm the engineer for the developer. This is a R3 zoning piece of property that used to be Woolham Drive or Woolham Street, and it has several trailer on it, trailer parks. And we are removing those trailer parks totally out and we wanna build some apartments on this property. Right now we wanna do phase one, we wanna do six buildings on the north side of the private drive.

City planner, do you have the staff comments for this site plan?

We don't have staff comments on the site plan. The reason it's here is because of the number of units. OK. So we wanted to bring it before you. We will review this as usual and make sure that it does meet all city codes. But because of the number of units, our ordinance requires MAPC to review it before we go any further.

OK.

Commissioners, have any questions of the applicant or city staff? See the location up.

Mr. Zoper, I'll make a motion.

Hold on just a second. I think, Monroe, did you want to see the location of it? We're good.

Oh, OK. You good? I just thought he was going to hammer it up there. OK. Mr. Zoper, proceed. Just make a motion to approve the number of units, I guess, is what we're approving.

Yeah, just the plat, in general, or the?

property, correct?

It's just a site plan.

Just a site plan? Yes. Make a motion to approve the site plan as presented to us.

I hear a second.

Little second.

Have a motion and a second. If you would please cast your vote. Okay, so your site plan has been approved. Thank you. We have any staff comments?

Yes, sir, we have one. Thursday, I think I sent out an email probably last week of a housing study meeting that's gonna be Thursday from noon to 1.30. It's gonna be over Zoom, and I included a link. If you didn't get that link and want to attend, let me know, and I'll get it to you. This is from the DPZ. The people that are doing our comprehensive plan, and it's some... a lot of the information that they've come up with up to this point. A lot of it's gonna be about housing, demographics, that kind of information, so I thought maybe some of y'all might find it interesting. Tomorrow, they're gonna have another meeting at noon, and it's gonna be for the, it's gonna be for the, oh gosh, I just, what are we on, Kevin?

comprehensive plan.

Yeah, what's the committee name? It just went right out my head.

Put me on the spot.

I don't remember.

All I know is we have two meetings. We have one Wednesday and Thursday. Is that one Zoom as well?

It'll be Zoom as well, but it's basically the steering committee that has been put together by the mayor's office, and that will be by Zoom tomorrow from noon to 1.30 also. So, If you're on that, you also got a link.

Is that meeting Thursday, this Thursday? Yes, sir, this Thursday, the 16th.

I have to look at my emails.

Jamie, I'll get you one this evening. I've got it. When I hit MAPC, it gives me your sitting one. And unless I remember to put your personal one in, I've got it, and I'll get it to you.

Anything else? Commissioners have any questions or comments? We're adjourned.