Planning & Zoning Board - Regular Meeting

Mr. Chairman, uh, we're live if you Okay, I apologize. Uh, I'm going to go ahead and call the meeting to order. This is the Washington County Zoning Board of Adjustment and Planning Board meeting schedule for March 27th, 2025. Uh, Sam, you want to start with the announcements on the public hearing? Absolutely. So like uh um due to technicalities like we need to notify uh the public through the u newspaper and like I just like discovered this. So definitely we're going to resend all the notification for the eagle crest again and we're going to notify uh the public through the u newspaper for the zoning. So if you're here like for those two public hearing they're not going to take uh they're not going to be like heard today. So, we will let you know exactly when. And I'm going to post also a notice on the planning uh planning website when and what time. So, if you're here for those two hearings, they're not going to take uh presence today. Okay. All right. So, those two public hearings will not be heard today. Also wanted to mention that there's only four board members here tonight. Uh so, we do not have a quorum to hear the zoning board of adjustments. So, the Magnolia Acres Variance request and the adjoining Magnolia Acres Subdivision phase one also will not be heard tonight. So, ladies and gentlemen, we have we have session here. Do you want five minutes to leave? Yeah, we we'll adjourn for just a second. Okay, let's adjourn. that reiterated what you just said. The the two public hearings that were scheduled for tonight will not be heard because of the notification requirements weren't met. So that is item F, Eagle Crest rec uh recovery cup will not be heard tonight. And the other

one is the zoning the zoning discussion the zoning discussion which was a public hearing. that needs to go through the newspaperating on that. There's there's Yeah, no worries. The the Magnolia Acres variance and the adjoining Magnolia Acres subdivision will not be heard tonight. Thank you. Okay, I apologize for that. We will proceed with the meeting. Uh we'll start with roll call please Sam. Absolutely. Uh Anthony Mcnot here. Jay Pierce is out of town. Joe Mayard here. Lauren Shackleford here. Robert Dry here. Shantel is she's out of town. Okay. So let's move forward. Obviously there will be no zoning board of adjustments meeting. So I will call the the planning board meeting to order. First item is the approval of the amendments from our previous meeting which was February 13, 2025. Those have been sent around for review. If anybody has any modifications or additions to be made to those minutes, please state. Otherwise, I'll entertain a motion for approval. Motion for approval. Got a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. I. Anybody opposed? Okay, moving on the agenda. Uh as stated, we are uh we have Blackburn RV conditional use permit. We have replat of lots seven and eight county country view estate subdivision. Replat of that magnolia's been tabled. Replat of lot nine black oak edition and replplats of lot C1 and C2 Stevens minor subdivision. Any other changes to the agenda? No sir. Okay. Uh seeing none, I'll entertain a motion for approval. Agenda stated. Motion to approve. Agenda is stated. Second. Got a

motion and a second. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Okay, moving on. Um, the first item that we have on the agenda is the Blackburn RV Resort conditional use permit. Is the applicant here for this? Okay, I need to alert you. It takes four affirmative votes for approval of your conditional use permit. There's only four of us here tonight instead of seven. So, it will take 100% approval by this group for approval. So you have the opportunity if you want to table this until the next meeting for a larger quorum or you can have it heard tonight. It's your choice. Okay. All right. Let's start with staff report please. Absolutely. The Blackburn like RV Resort CUP. This is the vicinity map and this is like the site map and this is like the neighbor notification area like most of the neighbors like being notified. So the applicant is requesting a CUP approval to establish and operate an RV park consisting of seven spaces. The applicant is requesting a cup. Uh the applicant intended to utilize around like less than one acre for this cup project which includes seven uh 3x70 compacted gravel RV pads. 1 900 square foot uh residence that will like also serves as like the staff office. They're going to be one basically 300 foot like shower house and one uh 144 square foot like mechanical building. Uh there also going to be an uh on-site parking for the RV and guests. Common spaces, grassy landscaping area. Landscaping will consist of like shrubs, trees and natural barriers, community septic field, detention pond and support infrastructure such as gravel roads, parking and driveway. The parking will have uh the park will have like one

full-time employee who's going to reside in the house. Uh this is like the residence and office space diagram and we have the shower house diagram as well. Based on this uh the county contracted engineer staff staff's assessment of the existing road uh roadway curvature and the po uh the posted low speed limits. The provided site distance from the proposed driveway is adequate for a project of this size. Sight lines will be need to be wellmaintained and cleared of vegetation along the property frontage. If any sign distance is noted during the construction, the driveway location should be revised. Uh likewise if any future improvements, additions or expansion to the existing development size and expansion of the proposed RV park or additional developments on the property regardless of location and comprehensive preliminary and final large scale development approvals are required if this CUP project is approved and that drainage calculations and site distance calculation need to be provided uh by a licensed engineer. Additionally, since the the current proposed pond is not engineered, any drainage calculations provided for future expansion will need to be account for the currently proposed improvements and the currently proposed pond would not be allowed to count towards any required detention or mitigation unless it's analyzed by an engineer. To date, planning staff has received 37 neighbor complaints in opposition to this CUP project, citing Reduced property value, increase traffic and traffic safety, safety and security of the neighborhood, sanitation and environmental concerns, incompatibility with the surrounding natural wildlife and rural residence

area, inadequate utility services and potential littering, trespassing, transients and full-time campers, illegal activities and unauthorized hunting. uh that is like from the planning staff notes to be considered. However, the project is utilizing about like one acres of land, one acre of land. Since the um the property hasn't been subdivided, this cup will utilize the full 85 acres to be reszoned for commercial use. No plans to submit uh for a C LSD permits by the applicant. The applicant needs to secure the following approvals. Septic permit by the approval by the Department of Health. The proposed septic field and detention pond do not meet the minimum separation distances of at least 50 ft apart. Ozark's electric approval for the extension of electric services to the RV resort and all associated constructions uh cost need to be paid by the applicant. uh Washington water authority approval for a separate water meter which is larger and more expensive than the standard residential unit. In addition, a full engineering plans need to be reviewed and approved before constructions. Uh applicants is working with like our dot uh to meet approval criteria for like the new driveway permit for the RV resort entrance. a minimum of like 20 24 foot to 40 foot like wide driveway hard surface for the first 20 foot like from the edge of the pavement. install like an 18 inch pipe for the side drain and a 10 foot like radi at the roadway and that like a minimum of like 10 foot like would need to be maintained from the edge of the frontage of the beginning of the drive including the radi possible general like

store motor permit uh needs to be like sought by ADQ to prevent any pollution uh harming water quality and meet all the engineering technical comments. related to the detention pond drainage and site distances. So, uh that is the uh Arkansas Department of Health like comments. There's like lots of them. I mean, I'm pretty sure like most of you have read this. Uh they're citing also like um the uh the code the state code that like uh pertains to this project. And this is the drainage engineering conditions and their requirements to move forward with the project and the planning conditions like everything in red uh refers to the engineering health department and the ADQ requirements. Okay. All right. So question just before we get started. Typically, it seems like we have a lot more of the engineering work done before we see the item at this level. Same thing with the health department specifications. Is there am I inaccurate on that or is there Well, we we've done we've done the technical reviews and that's like their feedback. So, like it's it's not going to be it's going to be an issue if he doesn't meet them, but so far there's lots of stuff we have not gotten back. Okay. So, Okay. Thank you. All right. The applicant here, if you would please come state your name and address for the record, tell us a little bit about the project. I'm sorry. Up here. Up here where the microphone is. You may have to That's fine. Yeah. Hit the the button to the right. It's going to turn red. Yes, sir. You're good. Yep. All right. How's that? Good. All right. My name is Brent Wells, and I'm here to represent the Black Burn RV Resort. Okay. Um, as far as the project goes, I'm just looking to utilize less than an acre of ground in

order to put in seven spots in a small residence with um for staff to house in as well as, you know, conduct business out of. Um, the sizing on the spots, we're trying to shrink those down as much as we can in order to reduce the amount of change we do to the landscape. The other reason we kind of picked this spot on the property is because it's kind of in a bowl and it shields it from the rest of the areas. Um, a lot of the neighbors are shielded from it. It's out of the way. Um, it's ladies and gentlemen, it is next to the road so it'll be easy for them to get in and out. Uh, whenever I met with Ardot, we walked up and down the highway. I discussed with him his experience and sight lines and stuff like that. He said it was more than enough for that area. Um he didn't really suggest moving the entrance to the park anywhere. Um so that's another reason why we went ahead and stuck with that plan. This initial plan has been revised some according to a lot of the comments that were made. It's just we haven't had time. I I met with my designated representative for the septic. And so once we were able to get her plan, we were able to really adjust the rest of the plans in order to make sure the detention and it's a detention basin where it doesn't really meet the same 50-ft guidelines as it would if it were like a pond or something like that. And so we're really I'm really considering the runoff that will be changed as far as you know the the slope will be leveled out some. So there'll be some less drainage because it'll be more level than it is now. Um but because of the compacted gravel there will be an increased flow running off the site. And so we've made sure to hold the site away from any property lines at least a couple hundred feet

from where the gravel stops to the next property line. Um and then that will naturally flow through a basin that will then restrict any high flow off. So, have you seen the comments from staff regarding I mean h it seems like there's a lack of engineering that's been done the storm water runoff that sort of thing based on what we typically see. Okay. So I'm I guess whenever I went through the cup and whatnot for less than a oneacre project and it not being a large scale development you don't necessarily have to have engineering involved and so I've had communications with um Luke Fredo I believe with the county engineer like which is like not the way it's supposed to be but uh according to their recommendation because you talked to them they told you exactly what needs to be done before this has been approved. But normally under the con that's like the cup process if the county engineer recommends this to go to a large scale like the applicant even if it's like smaller like lot it has to go it has to go through the LSD so far he did not do this because like you agreed with him to work on something so right so I've been in communication with a lot of the people that have commented on it I've reached out to them directly to make sure if they do have any questions or concerns that I'm fulfilling those questions and concerns. I'm making sure, you know, just like the entrance Jason got out there, the septic, I've got my designated representative out there to design the septic. Um, so I'm checking all these boxes as as they develop, you know, and making sure that I work hand inand with the people that are making the recommendations. What's your initial or what's your intentions for continuing development that's mentioned here? There's set up for additional phases,

additional development. What's the timeline on that? No, I don't have any other additional development for this property. I I do intend on sectioning this section out and so that it is separated from the rest of the 88 acres. I mean, there's no reason for that one property to be a joint to it. And so I am planning on sectioning the property out as far as valuation goes. So I guess that brings back Sam. If we approve his conditional use on 88 acres, he sections it out. Does the remaining property go? Well, it depends on like how much he's going to be sectioning. So if you section like that like to 10 acres, the CB goes with the 10 acres. Wouldn't want to happen first. Well, normally that's what we ask for, but like the applicant did not. It's not required to have a survey, but we don't want the applicant also like to spend tons of money on a project that he doesn't know it's going to pass or not. I got you. Okay. All right. Yeah. There there's a you whenever I first bought this property, you know, I I talked with family about things that we possibly could do to help pay for the property and it was brought to my attention and I was kind of scared in to believing that I had to have engineering. And so then once we started looking at engineering costs, the size of the park got so big that I didn't want to do that to that property. I didn't want that out there. And so after two years of owning the property and and now you know just some other as life goes on, it's time to kind of help bring in some money to help buy this property. And so we're kind of sacrificing one acre in order to save the rest of the property from, you know, drastic changes. You we do want to section a little bit of it out to create some more value in the property. But as far as changing the overall aspect, one acre versus the 88 acres that was there that we were able to, you know, get our hands on and

and save more or less. Um, you know, it's other questions for the applicant from board. Go for it. Other button. There you go. Yeah. I've got some uh first, is there going to be a full-time employee there 247? Yes, sir. So, every day, Monday through Friday, 247. Okay. Uh, and is there any restrictions on how long a person can stay there? Can they just stay there all year and live there? Um, I do because of the the way the taxes and RVing and everything is there, we will only be renting at a weekly rate. So, if someone want I mean I I reckon if someone wanted to spend the money on a weekly rate, but the pricing structure is going to deter that type of lodging. There will though there might be some people that need like that might come to town for construction. Um and they might need like an extended stay of two three months or something. I'm not you know I don't intend on turning those type of people away. I could see that that could be a concern of the neighbors if having somebody there six 8 months 12 months and you don't know them. They they don't have ties to the community. You know those kind of things. Ladies and gentlemen, I am going to ask that we try to keep this professional. I don't want any side talking back and forth. Everybody's going to have an opportunity to speak their mind, but please let's keep this professionally operated. Thank you. We have also a condition about like the uh the length of the stay and that is like standard we use based on the flood lane and the the systematic um the longer you stay the more it becomes not mobile becomes like stationary. So we have a 90-day maximum a 90day 90day vacate for 14 days. Yep. time to come. Yeah. Okay. Well, that mitigates that to some extent. Mr. Chairman, I think this is a good example possibly of a solution I proposed a few months ago about the CD process uh being too cumbersome and expensive and only to

get turned down that we could have a pre-approval system where we could say the concept is approved or disapproved before they do all the engineering and spending the money. So, this this is kind of an example of how that could work. All right. Uh, unfortunately, we got to operate under the system we got in place now. So, all right. We're going to move forward. We may have more questions for you as we go through this point. I'm going to open it up for public comment. Anybody that would like to speak, I would note, uh, we do have notifications on 37 separate customer complaints. I'm not asking anybody not to speak your mind. Uh, just reminding everybody there's a whole lot of people that probably want to talk. So, individuals are limited to three minutes. um you if what your concern is has already been stated, you don't have to repeat. There's no need to repeat those. Uh but I definitely want to give everybody an opportunity to speak on this. So, if you would like to address this item, please come to the mic, state your name and address for the record and and let me know what's on your mind. You can always line up if you want to. It's not a big deal. My name is William Allen. I live at 100063 West Devil's Den Road. And for his RV park, I'll be able to see it from the end of my driveway. So, it's not going to be hidden all that much, and it's going to be almost directly across the street from another one of my neighbors. Uh, I'm more worried about the safety and security of the area. We have had one incident in the 12 years I have lived there. Just one guy almost walked into our house. In fact, he did. But he was turned around. He was

actually looking for somebody in the in Winslow. He was a drug addict. I don't want to stop anybody from making a living, but there are several things in his proposal. He is one, he is not adjacent to Devil's Den State Park. He's at least a quarter to half a mile away from the north end of the park, which is Fossil Flats. It's written like there's no other RVs parks in the area. Well, Devil's Den has one. So, I'm wondering why he didn't say uh supplementing that. Um he has also said that his short-term use would be a day, maybe two. But these people who are going down there for a day, they're not going to bring an RV with them just for a day. So where are they going to where else are they going to park except down in the park itself? The area has a lot of wildlife. We have seen it. We are losing that wildlife because of so much traffic and what have you going in through that area. No, I like the wildlife. That's why I moved up here. That's all I have. Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. Hi, my name is Christine Thally and I live at 10115 West Devil's Den Road in Winslow. My husband and I moved to our current address in 2007, built a new

home and in 2012 or excuse me, in 2010, we built a home for my in-laws on the adjacent property to ours. We specifically chose this location because we wanted to live in the country. Um, we wanted that country way of life away from city, away from commercial businesses where we can enjoy peace and and quiet of nature and all that country life has to offer. To say that, you know, I'm strongly against this proposed Blackburn RV Resort would be an understatement. I cannot stress to you all how much myself and my neighbors are against having this RV park in our neighborhood community. You know, let me ask you all if if if someone wanted to build an RV park on next to your home or your property, you know, how would you feel? I suspect that none of you would be very happy about it. Make and make no mistake about this. Anything can be made to sound great on paper. And that's exactly what this Blackburn RV Resort Project summary, findings of fact, and letter of explanation does. Mr. Mr. Wells has taken the liberty of greatly embellishing all the that he plans to do. I hope that all of you will be able to see through the sales pitch wording and not buy what he's selling. To call this proposed RV park a resort is extremely misleading. You know, I've read the project project summary page, finding a fact and letter of explanation, and I can tell you that what is being proposed is a far cry from what anyone would deem a resort. Seven gravel RV spaces, a gravel road, and a showerhouse does not a resort make, but calling it a resort sure makes it sound great, doesn't it? as well. The summary and findings of facts states that there will be economic benefits such as supporting local businesses and attract more

tourists. Seriously, seven gravel RV spots is not going to attract more tourists, nor is it going to impact local businesses. The project summary and findings of fact also state that these seven RV spaces will be both for long-term and short-term rental. And my fear and my neighbors, and it's been voiced already, that in the few months down the road, if this plan is approved, these spaces are going to be turned into long-term rentals. In other words, permanent living spaces. And once this happens, personal contents, personal property such as broken down cars or badly constructed, you know, decks and so forth, and just personal accumulation is going to pile up. And then we're going to be looking at a trashed out trailer park that we neighbors and travelers to Devil's Den State Park due to tourism will have the lovely pleasure of looking at. Proposed landscaping, fencing, lighting, etc. will do nothing to hide the outcome of this. Any kind of fence that would need to be built would have to be at least 20 feet tall in order to keep the RVs and camper trailers from being seen. And this is simply due to the way Devil's Den Road is built and the lay of that landscape. And if any of you have driven out there, I think you would know what I'm talking about. None of these things are going to do anything but decrease the value of our property. In closing, I I'm going to need you to wrap it up. I'm sorry. We're Okay. In closing, I'd simply ask that the board please take seriously the concerns of the 37 plus people who are against this RV park being built in our peaceful rural neighborhood community and ask that you do not approve the Blackburn RV Resort. Thank you, Miss T. Thank you. Okay. Good evening. My name is Christian Allen. I live at 100063 West Devil's Den Road. My homestead adjoins Brent Wells property on the east side of my property and on

the south side of Devil's Den Road, which is not part of the resort park that he's talking about. I am fully opposed to having Mr. Wells RV Park in our neighborhood for a number of reasons. The following are the ones that concern me the most. This RV park would not only be an eyesore, but would also open probability of people ruining the peace and tranquility that my neighbors and I appreciate daily. Mr. Wells plans on building his RV park right up next Devil Den Road. My husband and I bought our acreage in 2007, five years before retiring from our career jobs. I am a retired 911 dispatcher, a very stressful job that I did for 25 years very successfully. It proved to me how cruel and disrespectful people were to one another and to others property, especially when drugs and alcohol were involved. You see that a lot at these campgrounds and RV parks. 25 years of this turned me into a hard person. I had always dreamt of having a log home in the mountains to live out my life. In 2012, that dream became a reality. From then until now, we've enjoyed everything from the beautiful scenery, wild flowers, and the abundant wildlife that we've seen on our land. I'm very concerned about the wildlife. These include deer who have felt secure enough to give birth to their fawns year after year in our backyard. It also includes protected birds such as the bald eagle, golden eagle, and dozens of other species that have stopped to rest while migrating. I have pictures of all of that. Ever since Mr. Wells started

preparing to build his park by digging holes, putting up stakes and markers. I have already seen a decline in the wildlife that we enjoy watching daily from our porches. He says it's not going to happen. It already is. My husband and I do not allow hunting on our property, and it would be a nightmare to find out that Mr. Wells temporary tenants are hunters trying to kill our local wildlife. Not because they need to for food, but for sport. In addition to that, there are more and more people every day who cannot afford to buy a house of their own. Instead, they buy a used or new RV to live in. In Mr. Wells proposal submitted to the county regarding the RV park, he states how most deliveries would be for longterm tenants. I read that myself. That is what I am adamantly opposed to. It won't take long for Mr. Wells long-term tenants to destroy the beauty and serenity of our area that we are in and we call home. Maybe Mr. Wells doesn't believe that this will happen or just doesn't care because he's making money off this enterprise, but the proof exists in so many RV and trailer parks that already exist within Washington County. Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to wrap it up, please. Okay. Um, thank you for giving me the opportunity to voice my concerns. Thank you, Miss Allen. Appreciate it. Hello. My name is Rachel Walters and I live at 100060 West Devil's Den Road. There is a field between myself and um Brentwell's property where he intends to build this RV resort. I was going to prepare some statements today, but I felt like I was just going to be paring

everybody else's um grievances. So, I'd like to just speak from the heart if I may. I moved up here a little over 20 years ago to live with my husband who was already here living with his family for 15 years before my arrival. I came from Tampa Bay, Florida, which is a very different place than Winslow as you can imagine. So the my first morning here, I woke up to birds chirping outside my window instead of horns honking and traffic and sirens like the noise pollution you get in the city. I'm really afraid of what might happen with this increased traffic and people that we don't even know where they're coming from. Over 10 years ago, I lost my husband tragically and I was faced with a choice. Do I stay here or do I go back home to Florida where I'm from? And I decided that this was my home now. Winslow is my home. I love it. I go out on in my front yard and I play with my grandchild. My biggest fear is that a stray bullet from some hunter is going to hit me or worse yet, my baby, my grandbaby. This is not anything that any of us want. We have a beautiful community, a beautiful area, and we don't need it sullied by trashy RVs or a resort. There are no real fences around these properties. There might be some barbarry here and there, but in my opinion, and I believe this is true in a lot of situations, that when people come out here to visit in their RVs, they don't look for fences. They don't see the no trespassing signs. I I am not looking forward to having people trespassing on my property, throwing

their litter, listening to loud music and runchiness, and worried about drunk driving in our small little area. if they want to sit in an RV, they can go down to the park or they can go on the other side of the highway in Winslow where there's already an established park. Right now, where he's uh wanting to build this place, we're all going to see it. It's going to be ugly. It's not going to look nice. And if people actually do end up staying there long term, you've seen these houses where they got the junk outside their houses and they got all kinds of car parts and so forth. That's what I expect we're going to have. I've been here over 20 years. I don't want to leave it. But if this happens, if you approve this, then I'll be looking for a different way out. I'll be looking for another place, somewhere where I know that we're not going to have a business right next to door to us because that's the reason why we're here. That's the reason why we live in Winslow. We don't have pizza delivery. We don't even have a grocery store, but that's the way we like it. And I'm hoping and praying that you will deny this. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Walters. Okay. Hi. And my name is Ava Turley. I live at 10005 Fort Devilston Road and I actually share a driveway with Brent Wells. Um, for the last several years, we've had runoff from his driveway going down our driveway, which is a tier of a huge rock shelf. So now I have a little bitty car and I have to finagle over this rock shelf because we have drainage going down where it's not supposed to be going. We've been fighting this battle for a long time and I really think that it's only going to get worse if we have

more runoff coming through there unless they actually do engineer for real and fix the roads for real the right way. I came through on the 18th going into town. I was not really aware of everything going on. I'm not in the little loop with the text messages and stuff. So I stopped and asked Brent because he was out there with a trailer with a little backhoe with other people working on the property already digging holes and putting up markers. And I asked him, you know, what are you doing? And he said, I'm building an RV park. And I said, but why do you have to build it right there, right on the corner, right where all of our driveways merge in, where we all see it. You don't see it because your house is back farther. His only owns hundreds of acres in that area and they did buy this other lot to go with it. So, it all connects. So, I asked him, "Why can't you put it back farther back in the woods where all your neighbors don't have to see it?" He said he doesn't want to see it. That's what he told me. He does not want to see the RV park. So that's why he's putting it as close to the road where everybody around him that has a view of it. I'm lucky I live over the hill. I will have to drive by it back and forth. I have a half mile private driveway that I share with my neighbor. And I really honestly from the other RV parks that are in Winslow and West Fork, I've been told by many people if you're looking for drugs that's where you go. One of my best friends that I helped get through rehab, she said, "If you want drugs, you go to the West Fork, the RV park in West Fork. Several people there have it." I'm afraid that this is going to turn into the same thing. And we did move out 27

years ago away from all the grocery stores, away from all the pizza places to be away from the businesses. And I feel like you own the property. You do have a right to certain extent, but you have neighbors that are concerned. And I know several of these are elderly females that live alone like myself. I'm all day by myself all day. What if somebody just randomly comes down the road? I'm the one that has to run them off. So, is that going to increase when people are like, "Well, let's just go for a walk. There's a little road. Let's just go check it out. I have no trespassing signs. People still trespass. Okay. Thank you, ma'am. I appreciate it very much. Hi. Hello. My name is Cesley Duncan and I do want to just point out that this uh development proposal does seem out of sync with the long-term direction that Washington County wants to take because I know from the discussions we've been having about the Freedom and Property Preservation Act of Washington County that full-time living in an RV is something that the county is looking to u rule out. And so this does seem out of step with the direction that Washington County wants to go in general. That's all. Thank you. I would point out to the group one of the require or one of the requirements for this would be a maximum 90day stay for any applicant or any tenant. Thank you for the word. So just that is something that the staff would address through this. That's true. If you would please state your name and address for my name is Fred Turnbull. One3 Devil's Den. Yes sir. One corner of my seven acres will be right across the street from where he's putting this in. I don't know where to start. My wife wrote you one of the letters. Uh she doesn't have long to live. She doesn't

want to see this there. She came here said that's the house I want to die in. And she's going to. But then when I looked at the map, I saw this one acre versus 85 acres. The entire 85 acres to be zoning changed. Pardon my language. That one acre is the Trojan horse. He wants that land to just develop the hell out of it. You give him the nose under the tent, he'll do it. And I don't doubt that it's going to be a hunter's camp when he starts it. One comment up there on the screen was the lower speed limit. What a lower speed limit. speed limit is 55 on that road. They're going to change it to 20. There's also the idea of long trailers, RVs. They can't get into Devil's Den. If they get beyond this proposed park, they can't turn around. There's no place to turn on that road. So, they get to call the tow truck to tow their RV out of there and block the road. This makes no sense to me, and I hope it makes no sense to you. Thank you, Mr. Turble. My name is Tony Thally. I live at 10115 West Devil's Den Road as my wife that spoke earlier. And I can par, you know, some of the same things that other people have already said tonight, but I won't do that. My main concern is property values. I have yet to see a trailer park move into an area and increase the homeowners property values there. So, maybe this will be a first. But that's what I'm concerned about. I have about half of my net worth invested there on Devil's Den Road. So, this is a serious threat for me. You know, I'm getting up in years as all of us are planning. We're going to sell our homes one of

these days because we're going to need long-term care and that's our bank account. So, I'm extremely concerned about property values. Um, someone said earlier this park has been represented as a resort. If you look at the size of it and what has been included in the plan, the application, there's nothing resortful about this. It's some gravel parking spaces for some RVs. And if you look at the details on the dimensions of the RV slots themselves, they're not big enough to accommodate most RV rigs today. I think the longest one there is 50 feet long. A U double cab pickup is over 20t long. Now you put a RV behind that, a 38T RV, it already won't fit. The smaller ones are 30t long. I think I didn't bring all that with me, but um some of my concerns are these are going to be people that we don't know. uh security law enforcement, I'll put it that way, was not addressed in the application. I'd like to see that addressed with a 247 trained licensed security person and not the 75year-old park manager. That's not the same thing. Uh if I understand it right, the septic design and runoff design are still not approved and um have not gotten engineering approval. Well, I don't think this deserves exception. It should uh meet the same standards that everybody else that files for a permit should meet. Uh let's see here. I'm going to parrot somebody else's comment here about the location of this. There 85 acres there and we're

going to put this park right out on the corner. the most visible spot of the 85 acres. And Brent lives next door to this 85 acres just over the hill. He could just as easily have put this park next to his house where it could be better managed, but he chose to put it out there on the roadway where everybody will see it. I don't think that's a good plan. Um, I think there should be signs posted. No fork-wheeling or off-roading vehicles outside of the RV park because we don't want to have to deal with that as residents either. That's all I got. Thank you, Mr. Ty. Appreciate it, sir. My name is Edna Kelly and I live at 10116 West Devilston Road and I've lived there for 38 years. Uh like when I first got there, you couldn't even get a regular phone service. I mean, they had party lines some places, but you couldn't even have a phone U there wasn't any water and but we knew we do have water and we do have a phone now and I just don't think this RV park is a good thing because the water supply is not enough. I've been without water two or three times in the last year. You know, I mean, Washington County Water Authority does supply the water, but it's not sufficient. And if we have even

more, you know, it's just not good. And um and I also am about the safety of the roadways and the amount of people and the safety of the speed limit and you know I it's just not a good thing to have all that extra when nobody can supply the need. Thank you, Miss Kelly. My name is Bob Diggy and um I actually live on 170 out of West Fork. Um but I do own some land out on 74, probably about a half mile from the um proposed RV park. And um you know um the thought that occurs to me is that Arkansas has been called the natural state and for a good reason because you know when I I grew up in uh that area Winslow went to high school of Winslow married a woman from West Fork. And so I really had just kind of that whole area has really has really played an influence in shaping kind of my values and who I am. But anyway, so when I was growing up, that whole area was just nothing but just woods and fields going into Devil's Den. And when they built 49 to take the traffic off 71, in some ways that's a good thing. So, when you get up to the top of the off-ramp of 49,

it's probably about five miles from the off-ramp to the entrance to Devil's Den Park. And so, it was really scenic. You know, you're driving down 49 to get to that exit and there's just semitr after semitr, you know, three of them on your tail trying to pass you and you're going 80 trying to keep ahead of them and and the traffic is just intense. But once you make that Winslow exit, then suddenly you're you just, you know, all the pressure of all the traffic and all the being in town just kind of fades away and it's just a just kind of your home. you're in the country and just to interpose right in the middle of that because if I'm I'm halfway my property is halfway from the offramp to Devil's Den, this piece of property is just half a mile back up towards 49 to superimpose just an RV park and that little fivemile stretch before you get to Devil's Den that seems kind of superfluous. And not only that, What kind of legacy are we leaving our kids? I mean, you know, if if a kid if if you're want to take your family and get out of Fedville or wherever just to enjoy a little outside um communion with nature, then if you're off if all you're seeing is just one piece of commercial property after another, kind of defeats the purpose of this whole Arkansas natural state concept. So, I'm opposed to it. Um, I think there's better places to put an RV park perhaps. And um, so anyway, that's my thoughts on it. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it.

My name is Kendra Ryster. I live at 1098 Westston Road. I am here representing me, my husband, my two kids, my dad and his wife, and my aunt, uncle Wendle, and Evelyn. They are old. They couldn't come. They're real sick. So, it's too close to my house. It's too close to my kids. It's going to be a bunch of strangers. He reszoneed 80 some acres with the condition he's only going to use one. I I can't I can't like put it next to your house so that your kids can see it and play with the strangers. Don't put it out in the open where my kids can see them from the end of our driveway. Can't handle it. It's too close. There are better places for that and uh where it punishes the rest of us because you didn't want to look at it, ain't it, bud? It's not personal. Thank you, Miss Rice. My name is Blair Watcha and I live at 10462 West Devil's Den Road, which is about two miles west of this proposed site. Now, for me, I I retired about a year and a half ago. I spent 40 years as a self-employed contractor doing most of my work as a private contractor for Colorado State Parks almost a thousand miles away from here. I got to learning a lot from working closely with that park system. particularly in rural areas, what it takes to get along with the community. And looking at this proposal and seeing it right along the highway and after looking spending last night looking at topographic maps and aerial photography, seeing this is basically rolling hills. It's actually very open. Uh most of it is cleared land that that and then driving by it this afternoon on the way here I could see where if this was moved back 300 feet

you probably couldn't even see it from the road. So knowing where this park is proposed as as a neighbor that's going to drive by this thing several times a day sometimes it feels like a slap in the face that that it it's being proposed right where it is. Couple more concerns is that and in Colorado and I don't know how it is. I don't want to speak for how it is here, but generally I think a shift that I'm seeing nationwide is for dark sky areas. There are a lot of people with telescopes and really love astronomy and stuff. And I don't think that this proposal has any sort of lighting um with it. And I think that they're they're really I I know that everything costs money in engineering, but there needs to be some sort of lighting put into it to where it's not being observed by other people and and directly affecting the dark skies that that neighbors might want to see and anyone around might want to see. Light I mean so that takes care of light pollution. So far as noise pollution, um that that really is a problem anywhere that people gather and particularly when alcohol or even possibly drugs are involved. And you can regulate or you can post regulations, but once people have had a few drinks, they don't really care what the regulations are. They're going to break them. Um, with state parks, whether it's Colorado or here, there are law enforce there's law enforcement right directly on site to take care of sort that sort of thing that isn't necessarily taken care of by a manager, even if they're there 24/7. Um, and then one other concern would be trash. I think that this year, in the five years that I've been here, this year has been windier than ever. And there are times when even the best of intention people have a wind gust

come up, trash is blown away. That particularly where this is proposed um could be out in the highway, it could be in neighbors yards and that sort of thing. So I think that from what I saw, what what Mr. Atta um showed and read on all the regulations and stuff, I don't I don't think that there's nearly enough to um to go on to to be able to approve this. So I ask that you disapprove it. Thank you sir. Appreciate it. Hi I'm Nikki Locka. I live in Prairie Grove and I actually came here for a different topic but he mentioned dark skies and I just want you all to know as a planning division if you're not aware there is an international dark sky association and they if you go to their website they do have compliant lighting recommendations to be an international dark sky compliant um facility. And so I would encourage you for any type of developments out rural areas to try to see if you can implement those. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Hello, my name is Gregory Marshall. I live at 1064 West Devil's Den Road. I have no problems with this man. His family has owned that property for for many, many years. My problem is that what he wants to do out there is just it just doesn't fit in above and beyond the riff wrap that you get with trailer parks and and RV parks. It's this is just not something that these folks want. We don't want that out there. We don't need it. And it appears that he's the only one that's going to benefit from it. My property's in trust for my son. I'm concerned about what's going to happen to him in time as time comes on when

that's not a seven uh plot place, but maybe a hundred plots. We expect you people to protect our way of life out there. And this is very emotional for me and I'm sure it is for all these folks too. But I am cons extremely concerned about 14. You got seven people, seven seven places there. There's going to be two or three of those people having guns now. So you got 14 people with guns that we don't know on one acre of property. There's no hunting on that one acre of property. Where are they going to hunt? They going to go to her place, my place, where are they going to come? Sir, if you would please address the board and not the crowd. just I'm concerned about riffraff with weapons with alcohol and on that curve the curve that that he's proposing right there. That's a very dangerous place to drive. If you if you're out there on the weekends and you see that the traffic from Devil's Den, it's it's it's 10 times worse than it was just a few years ago. You put another group in here, there's going to be more traffic, more riff wrap. Please help us. Thank you. Appreciate it. Sure. I can't move it. Mom, do you think you can stand? I'm I I'm Donna Town. I live in Devil's Down [Music] Road. I'm against this RV, what they're calling a

resort. I am, as you can see, a veteran. I grew up in the military. My father was stationed in Florida. I know what RBS camps can do. My father was stationed in Florida when it was a beautiful state when before the RVs moved in and destroyed it. Please don't let this happen to Arkansas. Florida used to be a beautiful con state. Arkansas where I'm living with my daughter now. It's beautiful. I sit by the window and I watch the deer come up to my window. Please don't let it be destroyed like these RV camps have destroyed other states that were beautiful. I've lived in other states where military bases were before the RVs took them over. Don't destroy the beauty that Arkansas has. Please, I'm begging you. remember what Arkansas looks like. Thank you, ma'am. Appreciate it. Is there anybody else that would like to address the board on this matter? Okay, seeing none, I'll close it to public comment.

applicant. Go ahead. I'm Brent Wells. I do live right there at one Z40 West Eston Road. I've more or less lived there my whole life, aside from um I left for a while with my mother. Um but I moved back because I love that place. I bought that property because I love that place and I knew the the owners, you know, they had to sell it. They had no choice. Um, and they chose to sell it to me because they trusted me to take care of it. And that's what I'm going to do. There's words of decreasing property values and I love a good challenge. This place is going to be beautiful. It's going to be, you know, I have a degree from Indiana University in outdoor recreation resource management. I used to work for the National Center on Accessibility, partnered with the National Park Service, making sure parks are accessible for people with disabilities. I know what it takes to make an RV resort versus an RV park. And yes, it is called an RV resort because it is dark sky out there. You don't want a lot of space. You don't want to change a whole lot of things. People want to see it the way it was a hundred years ago. And that's what I I intend to show them. Okay. Um so, as far as the resort, it it's named that because it's comfortable. It's homey. It's a place that you want to go spend some time and get away from the city, away from the lights, but it's still, you know, we're a mile and a half from the interstate, so it's safe for the people that are using the RV parks and driving. It's a safe distance from the interstate. It's an easy commute to Fateville if they need to come here for town for graduations or games or or whatever.

Um, man, this place has been my home my whole life. My daughter, she's a minor. My middle name is Men. My daughter was named after me. My fourth great-grandfather's buried at the bottom of that mountain in the family cemetery next to the church that he built. So, there's no one that wants to take care of that place more than me when it comes. I'm gonna open it up board for questions for you. So, have a question. Stay with us. Yeah. Um, so what what led you to the position where it's at now? If you if there was a driveway problem before and with the runoff that's been discussed with that engineers being involved to see what that's going to happen and with your experience with parks that you've indicated, what led you to believe that spot on your property was the best spot for this endeavor? um because as far as like other entrances along the way, um the the sightelines and and the transitions just don't work as well as they do in this area. Um that's one thing I I walked it with the R dot representative and I was like, "Hey, you know, as far as a backup plan, do you see any other places?" He said, "Honestly, because of the warning signs for 20 miles an hour that this is really the best place, you can see a long ways that way." And then we walked the other way and he's like, "Man, this is Yeah, this is really the best spot." So that's why that lower corner, I mean, the entrance was kind of an after the fact thought regardless of regardless of where the entrance is of the property. Is that specific spot because of your future desire to split land? So then it was just easier to split that acre off rather than pushing it back off of the road more for more you know, privacy or what was your you I'd have to push it almost probably 700 feet before you'd get crested over that

hill. And so you'd have a major impact just on the driveway alone going back through there. It's just it's just not where I envisioned it being, you know, as far as it being easy access in and out and creating as little disturbance as possible. As far as the drainage with the driveway, um, you know, that that driveway was essentially our driveway that my my father had built back in the 70s. And so all the new driveways against it or off of it and utilizing around it has all been in addition to. And so as far as like drainage problems that have been there, I've actually I've worked countless countless hours and and asks for help. You know, I'm one person that uses a driveway that a lot of people use and um you know, I'm doing my best for as far as that driveway, but that that driveway is completely you know, it's 200 feet away from where the park will even be. All right, other questions? Go ahead. Um Mr. Mr. Wales, you're not going to find somebody that's more adamant about somebody's right to use their property as they see fit and uh an advocate for people wanting to better themselves and create business. There's nobody stronger on that than me. I don't believe your development plans are ripe yet, if that makes sense. your neighbors rightly are concerned about the security and the the environment, the type. There's there's your Margaritavville type RV park and then there's the neighborhood construction guys that just raise hell

all night kind of park and they don't know what that's going to be. So, I I agree with with Mr. McNut's questioning of why is it right there on the road in their face. You could possibly reconfigure and and you've got some work to do with your neighbors to get this approved. I believe in my view I'm all for you having the use of your property as you see fit, but there are concerns and some some are legitimate mostly in the security and and the like in-your-face, you know, nature of it. You know, the other things can be mitigated with your private property rights. So, I I would encourage you to redo this. Talk to your neighbors some and try to come up with something that would be more acceptable to some at least. Yes, sir. Yeah. And I think I would probably echo a little of that, too. Typically, we don't see staff reports where county engineers are asking for large scale development. Um, you know, typically we have, my opinion, it's it's storm water runoff. It's retention and not detention. I think there's some additional work that needs to be done from an engineering standpoint as well to compared to what we typically see in these applications. So, other questions for the applicant. Can I comment on that real quick? Sure. Sam, do you have the most recent comments from engineering where they said that they didn't recommend Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I mean there's there's a ton of there's yeah there's a lot of recommended requirements for us to even consider this um you know the question about the septic system the location and in proximity to that what I'm calling a retention pond u there's there's quite a

bit that is still in my opinion open on the application based on the findings of staff Okay. Um, I'll bring it back to the board for action. I'm I'm not in approval. No, you're good. I can say if I've got to be the one guy. I'm not in approval. Are you making a motion? Yes. Yeah. I'm making a motion uh to to deny to deny. And I'll I'll second the motion at this time. Deny. Okay. We have a motion on the floor to deny the request as presented tonight. Uh all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Okay. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. Okay. Let's again let's keep this please ladies and gentlemen, please just make sure make sure like you have like your name like written like on the signin sheet. All of you please. And there is an appeal process to the to just so the applicants aware there is appeal process to the corn court. you can get with staff and and they can get you out. I'll do that. Yeah, please. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it. All right, let's move on. The next item on the agenda tonight is in the Tonytown planning area replats of lots seven and eight, Country View subdivision phase one. Start with the staff report, please. I forgot we still have something to go. Huh? Yeah, forgot. Ladies and gentlemen, please. Thank you. Okay. Replat lot seven and eight country view subdivision phase one. Uh this this subdivision is like located in uh Tonytown planning area as we mentioned. This is the uh vicinity map. This is the

site map of this like the two lots and this is the neighbor notification area. Um so the applicant is requesting a subdivision replat to adjust property line between lot seven and eight within like the country view subdivision phase one which is located in the city of 20110 planning area. Town planning staff had no comments and they are working he's working with the applicant towards the approval of the property lot line adjustment. So currently lot 7 is 4.86 86 acre and lot 8 is like 4.9 acres. After the proposed um property lot 9 adjustment, the new lot will be 7A would be 5.65 and the new lot 8A would be 4.11. To date, planning staff have received like one neighbor comments complaints about like the project certain increased road traffic and surrounding incompatibility. So standard like planning uh conditions. So okay, is the applicant an applicant's representative here? If you would please come to the mic, give us your name and address for the record. Sorry. M Rhonda, is your mic on? Is little red. Can you Oh, the red one. button on the bottom for the Wait a minute. There you go. Okay, now we can hear you. If you would please state your name again for me, please. I will. My name is Rhonda Scott. I live at lot 8, Contribut Estates, 18692 Harmon Road. Um, we're requesting that the back parcel of lot seven. I don't know that acreage and I apologize for that. To be placed onto the acreage for lot eight. I have three horses and that would give me a third pasture and a second barn. Okay. are the future plans for that property

to leave it as it is and just build a really nice barn with stables in it in the existing pole barn that's there. Okay, I appreciate it. Any questions of board from the applicant? Thank you, ma'am. Appreciate it. Anybody in the public like to make comment on this item? Seeing none, I'll bring it I'll close public comment and bring it back to the board for action. Mr. Chairman, I move that we approve the brief plat of lots seven and eight county views subdivision as requested. There's a motion. Is there a second? Second. Motion in a second. All those in favor say I. I. I. Any opposed? Thank you. Appreciate it. Okay. Uh the next item is the Magnolia Acre subdivision that was tabled because of the condition of the cup. So we'll move on to item D. It's in the county replat of lot 9, Black Oak subdivision. Staff report please. Absolutely. Replat lot 9, Black Oak addition subdivision. This is the vicinity map of the subdivision. This is the lot nine that's being split and this is the neighbor notification map. So the applicant is requesting a subdivision to split lot nine within Black Oak audition subdivision to two lots. Currently nine uh lot 9 is like five acres. After the split, the new split A will be 2.4 4 and lot B would be 2.6 acres. To date, planning staff has not received any complaint or anything about this project and the applicant is here and the planning conditions are standard. Okay. The applicant applicants representative here. If you would please state your name for the record. I'm Daryl Doyle. I'm the surveyor on this and represented. Only question I had um I assume there's no HOA POA on this subdivision. So you're basically creating two residential lots out of

one both over two acres. Correct. Yes. Okay. Any questions of the applicant from board members? Okay. Anybody in the public like to address this item? Seeing none, I'll close public comment and bring it back to the board for action. Motion to approve. Second. Got a motion and a second for approval as presented. Subject to staff comments. Any other questions or comments? If not, all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Okay, moving on. That takes us to item E. It's also in the county. Replat of lots C1 and C2 of Steven's minor subdivision. Yes, sir. Replat lot C1 and C2 Steven Minor subdivision. This is the vicinity map and this is like the two lots that being split. And this uh it's an adjustment basically. And this is like the neighbor notification map. So the applicant is requesting a replay to adjust property line between lot C1 and lot C2 within Steven Miner subdivision. Currently lot C1 is 1 acre and lot C2 is 2.46. After the property lot adjustment, lot one would be 1.5. So, it's going to increase and improve on it and lot C2 will be 1.9. Today, there was like no concern or any complaints from the neighbors and they are like doing this to also like meet the Arkansas Health Department requirements to move away from to to include that septic within the lot. So, it was like mis mismanaged when they like made the septic. So, they're trying just to fix this to meet their conditions. Okay. Uh u the applicant was unable to be here because like he was double booked in West Fork. Um uh and that's the planning condition with their their standard the same as like the previous ones. Okay. So this is actually to fix what should have

been done. Yes. Previously. Okay. And you're actually creating two lots that are in two. Yes. I'm good hearing this without the applicant if you guys are. Y we're buying the Okay. or anything. I don't think so. I'll open it up to public comment if there's any. I mean, you're welcome to public comment if you want to make a comment regarding if you would. No, I'm sorry. I've got to for the record for TV. We got to get your name and address. Were you questioning just now? Nothing. We're good. Okay. All right. All right. Is there anybody in the public that would like to make comment on this item? Okay. Seeing none, I'll close it for public comment and bring it back to the board for action. Motion to approve as written. Second. Got a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? All right, Sam, what did I miss? Uh, nothing much. Uh, so the public hearings will be postponed. They're going to be like, the members will be notified. Um, hopefully like within like um a week or two uh we're going to meet again. So, we're going to have um special meeting for it. Most likely it's going to be about 6 PM. So, we can give like people like some time and that notification will go out. It's going to go out like soon hopefully. Like most likely we discussed this and most likely it's going to be on the 10th of April. Okay. So, we're not sure, but we're going to confirm with you guys. Okay. So, let me know. Question. Sam, will that uh the latest and greatest ordinance be online? Yes. It's already It's already there and it's not going to change between now and then. No. Okay. No. Absolutely. Thank you. Go home. All right. I appreciate it. I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn. Motion to journ. Second. All those in favor say I. Any opposed? We'rejourned. Thank you.