Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.

You are Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat. Heat. N. Daddy. I'm You know, you know my

Hey. Hey. Hey. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We're going to get started here momentarily. I think we have another board member that will wait. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Little Rock Planning Commission, uh, November 13, 2025. And before we, uh, well, we're calling this meeting to order. But before we take roll call, I just want to say we had Veterans Day this past Tuesday. So, we just definitely wanted to give an honor and respect to all of the veterans out there as well as to the men and women that serve our country at this time. So, at this present time, uh, Jeremy, can we please get a a roll call vote? Oh, I'm

sorry. Torren, can we please get a roll call vote to determine the corn? Good afternoon. This is a the roll call vote for the November 13, 2025 painted commission meeting. Commissioner Brown Bernard present. Hart Hodes [snorts] McDonald. Parson here. Russell Samad Treble. Vickers I mean uh Baxter

Vickers present. One, two, three, four, five, six. We have a quorum. All right. Excellent. Moving right along here. I'm certain that all of the uh board members here have got a chance to review uh the minutes. Uh and if so, if not any questions, I would love to entertain a motion. Chairman motion that we approve the minutes as second. I have a motion to second. May I get a roll call vote, please? Commissioner Brown, Bernard, yes. Hodes McDonald, yes. Person, yes.

Russell Samad, yes. Trimble Bter, yes. Vickers, yes. Minutes are approved. All right, minutes are approved. Moving right along to our consent agenda. And today we will have the reading of the consent agenda by uh Jeremy. Jeremy, if you will.

Okay. The following is a Little Rock Planning Commission consent agenda for November 13th, 2025. Item one, Z10115 is being withdrawn without prejudice at the request of the applicant. Item two, Z8911-B is being deferred to the February 12th, 2026 agenda at the request of the applicant. Item number three, Z 10166 is being withdrawn as the applicant has failed to respond to the issues raised by staff and the item has previously been deferred twice. Item nine, S20006, is being deferred to the December 11th, 2025 agenda at the request of the applicant. Item 15, Z7880-B is being deferred to the January 8th, 2026 agenda at the request of the applicant. And item 18, A3-51 is being withdrawn without prejudice at the request of the applicant.

Mr. Chair, let the record reflect that Commissioner Brown has joined the meeting. Thank you. And the following items are under consent approval.

Excuse me one second. Okay. Item four is being moved to regular agenda. Item six is being moved to regular agenda. Item seven, Z10192 LRO management str2 PCD at 112 West 13th Street. Staff recommends approval of the PDC subject to the compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraph E and the staff analysis of the agenda staff report. Item 8, G-23-9, I'm sorry, 497, East 26th Street Rideway abandonment, a portion of East 26th Street immediately east of Mammont Street. Staff recommends approval of the requested street rightaway abandonment subject to a utility ease being retained as requested by the utility companies noted in paragraph E of the agenda staff report. Item 10, S20007, Castle Valley Phase 2, north side of Castle Valley Road at Cotier Lake Road. Staff recommends approval of the proposed preliminary plat subject to compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraph D and E and the staff analysis of the agenda. Staff report item 11, Z101218, [snorts] reszone from R2 R2 to O2, 1620 Perry Street. Staff recommends approval of the requested O2 reszoning. Item 12, Z10212, Matthews Family Care Facility Special Use permit, one Carlton Drive. Staff

recommends approval of the proposed special use permit subject to the compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraph D and E of the staff analysis of the agenda staff report. Item 13, Z10219, [snorts] NHBC Resource Center conditional use permit, 1860 South Park Street. Staff recommends approval of the proposed conditional use permit subject to the compliance with the conditions and comments outlined in paragraph D and E and the staff analysis of the agenda staff report. Item 14 Z4524-I Camp Bark Arkansas PDC 13004 Canel Road. Staff recommends approval of the requested PDC zoning subject to compliance with the com comments and conditions outlined in paragraph D and F of the staff analysis and the staff analysis of the agenda staff report. Item 16 Z9856- A celebrate Maya project revised PDO 1722 Wolf Street. Staff recommends approval of the requested revised PDO reszoning subject to compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraph D and F and the staff analysis of the agenda and staff report. Item 17 Z 10211 GT auto sales PC 10401 Helm Drive. Staff recommends approval of the requested PDC zoning subject to compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraph DE and F and the staff analysis of the of the agenda and staff report. Item 191022 Sanford STR1 special use permit 1622 Brag Street. Staff recommends approval of the special use permit subject to compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraph E and the staff analysis of the agenda staff

report. Item 20 will be pulled off to regular agenda. And that concludes the consent agenda. Thank you very much Jeremy for the reading of the consent agenda. If we do not have any comments or questions from the board, I would love to entertain a motion. Mr. Mr. Chair, I make a motion that we approve the agenda as read. I have a motion in a second. May I please get a roll call vote? Commissioner Brown, yes. Bernard, yes. Hodes McDonald, Parson, yes. Russell Samad, yes.

Treble Bter, yes. Vickers, yes. The consent agenda has been approved. Thank you, Torrance. So, if your item was on the consent agenda approval, uh with the exception of the ones that came off, that's item number four, item number six, and item number 20, uh you are more than welcome, uh to depart at this time, uh you're more than welcome to stay, but you can depart at this particular time. And we will give just a brief minute uh for departure. And while we're waiting on that here, uh, Jeremy has an announcement. Uh, staff has an announcement we're going to make. Go ahead, Jeremy.

Yes. Um, according to our bylaws, if there are eight or less members, and right now we have seven, the applicant has the option to defer at his expense because you ha you need to have six votes to pass at the commission. So, with seven members, you need to get at least six of those seven for it to pass. So, at this time, if anybody on items five, 4, 6, or 20 would like to defer, please step up to the podium and state that you would like to defer. And um we will it will be at the applicant's expense, but you are allowed to defer. Thank you.

And just to make um just to confirm, they can defer until the next meeting or if they're choosing. Okay. So, we just want to make that for the record. Yes. Go ahead. It'll work now. I believe Carlin is item four. So, we would like to defer that to the next meeting. That's item number four. That's correct. All right. Well, let the record stand. Uh that item number 4 S-20002, the cottages at Carter Lane will uh be deferred until next month's meeting. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you. All right. Do we have any other items uh at present that would like to defer? At this time, you can feel free to approach the podium. If you're the applicant or representative thereof and if not um we can move forward. All right. So, item number four has been deferred and we will have um go into um I guess just chronological order. We'll do have item number five and then we'll have six and item number 20 at this particular time. Item number five. Uh if you will uh the applicant please approach the podium.

Hello. How are you all?

All right. And while you approaching the podium, we will have the reading. So you can stay right there, but we're going to have just a reading by uh Jeremy is going to give the reading and then we will have you speak. Jeremy, item number 5, Z9600- daycare conditional use permit, 6824 Fairfield Drive. The applicant requests a conditional use permit to allow for the expansion of an existing in-home daycare within the 33 acre lot located at 624 Fairfield Drive. The conditional use permit would allow for conversion of the daycare family home to a daycare center expanding from 10 to 16 children. [clears throat] The proposed lot is on the corner of Daily Drive and Fairfield Drive and consists of an existing 910 square foot one square foot one-story brick and siding single family home that is being used as an inhome daycare. The home contains a carport with a onecar wide driveway. To the west is a gravel area where additional parking is allowed [snorts] as per the approved special use permit. There is a sign advertised for the daycare in the front of the property. The home's backyard is completely fenced in. The property is in R2 zoning. The future land land use is residential low RL. Access to the home is provided from a drive located off of Fairfield Drive. Drop off and pickup of children must take place on the driveway. There is a onecar carport being used for additional parking as well as a gravel lot to the west used for parking that allows an additional six parking spaces. Handicap parking will be provided in this overflow space as well. This area must be improved as per the engineering comments in paragraph D. The daycare will have a maximum of 16 children at any given time and three caregivers

caregivers at all times. The oper hours of operation are Monday through Friday 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. There is an existing sign in the front yard area. The existing sign must be removed. It does not conform with residential sign requirements. Any sign must comply with section 36-551 of the code. Signs allowed residential one signs allowed residential one and two family zones. Staff is not supportive of the request conditional use permit to allow the daycare family home to be converted to a daycare center. Staff does not believe that the increase in intensity of the daycare use is appropriate at this location. A small parking lot will need to be constructed on the side of the on site to accommodate handicapped parking and parking for employees. Staff believes that development of a parking lot will disrupt must disrupt the residential character of the property which allows a special use permit which the special use per permit currently maintains. Staff believes it's most appropriate to allow the continued use of the property as a daycare facility home only. Staff recommends a denial of the requested conditional use permit. Thank you. All right. All right. Madam, please state your name for the record.

Angela Jackson.

All right, Miss Jackson. Um, there appears to be no cards in opposition. So, at this particular time, um, the floor can be yours. You kind of heard some of the readings from the staff. Uh, but at this time, uh this is actually your time to speak at this particular time. But, uh, just for every other item out there, I will say we do have uh, uh, cars that are in opposition and we do have cars that are in support. And for that time, opposition will have up to 20 minutes and the support will have up to 20 minutes. So I just want to let everybody knows that. So for an example, if there's 20 people in opposition, essentially everyone has equal one minute. Okay? Or you can divert your time if you all have a leader or somebody who's speaking for the group, you can do that as well. Uh so at this particular [clears throat] time, madam, the floor is yours.

So I'm not understanding what what are you all concerned with? You know, I've been denied it sound like from going to from 10 to 16. We have adequate parking, adequate staff, um adequate play area for the children. I've been operating for going on five years with no infractions. So, I'm just concerned with child concerns if that makes sense.

Yeah. No, and again, the staff recommended denial. So, you've been coming before the board and then we will actually vote on it if it will be approved or denied. Now from the staff um consideration they're looking at uh different um um I guess safety and precaution issues along with the zone zoning format. So at this particular time I want to have staff to step in. So the applicant had a question about she does not understand why the staff recommended absolutely did not support the zoning.

It's the it's the in increase of the uh the amount of children that are going to be there. Uh so it's it's intensifying a use that's in a residential neighborhood. Uh so as it is now um you know you might not have any infractions or whatever but increasing that increasing the number of kids that increases the traffic that increases you know drop off pickup. Uh so staff feels that the increase in the the the children that you would have there is too intense for the residential neighborhood. Okay. So, let me counteract that by saying this. I've already put a system in place for this. With that being said, I have plenty gravel parking as well as a driveway. The parents drop the children off in the morning, walk them to the door and sign them in. In the evening, I have staff. We walk them out. We are already prepared for the extra six children. So, we have something in place in regards to that. That was a concern for us as well. So what we do is when the parents pull up in the evening and the reason why we do it that way is because in the evening parents tend to want to talk due to the fact that I understand I own a corner lot and it is traffic. What the staff is doing we're walking them out getting them getting them in and out so it won't be a problem with those concerns. So we're putting a lot we already start putting things in place when I file this because I wanted to make sure we were running it like it need to run. So once I get approved, it will be a smooth transition. We've got walkie-talkies. We have a staff that will inform with every child pickup. All of my parents have been aware that we're working on expansion and we have done a lot of things to accommodate that. So with that being said, I don't understand, you know, now that I have something in place why we couldn't go forward with this. So the parking is a a thing that sound like was an issue that we've already been running when I put this when I [clears throat] filed this. We

already been running the system. The parents understand and we don't have any problems. So what is the next concern? Well, I will say this from from staff point of view. What I want to do now, madam, is before we interject staff. Uh staff is definitely here for support and for asking questions, but some of the board members may have questions for you because the board actually votes on this, not staff. So, I want to open at this particular time, I want to open this up to the board and uh see if they have any questions for you. Okay. Uh or any comments. Okay. Okay.

So, at this particular time, it's open if any board member have a question or a comment. Are you willing to pave over your gravel and put a handicap spot parking spot on that in the um on that paved over area? Yeah, it's not a problem. Good question. Question for staff. Commissioner Brown, go ahead.

Um this is a question for staff. Is there a specific city code that limits the number of kids in a facility or is this an intensity judgement? Um, a home daycare can be below 16. Once you get to 16, it has to that's per what we're saying. It's changing from Okay. So, basic so basically the concern is that this would be So, if I'm hearing you correct, if it was 15, this would be a conversation. It would be Well, we haven't considered on 15. It would still be the same thing, but 10 is the max for Okay. So, 10 according according to code 10 is the max for inhome care. and home care. Once you go past that, it becomes dayare.

It becomes dayare. Okay. Gotcha. Okay. Okay. I understand that. Thank you. So, I got a question for staff as well. So, kind of the the parking was kind of the main issue. Um, if I'm kind of understanding this correctly, that's the big issue is the parking. It's it it's it's one of the issues. Yes. So, if the So, if the applicant basically stated that she will get uh this paved for a handicap spot and other parking, that will kind of mitigate some of the um I I guess issues or or some of the concerns uh for this that will basically bring it up to code or follow the code.

Uh Mr. Chair, in my opinion, I think that it makes it It doesn't fit within a residential neighborhood to have a a commercial parking lot like that. Okay. Um by paving what is now gravel, you saying that would take it out of the scope of a residential? No, that mean if she's willing to do that, I mean that's that's one of the that's one of the things that we said, you know, there's no Yeah, there's no there's a requirement. There's no paved parking lot and there's no handicap parking. So, if this you were to approve this, that would be one of the conditions that we we

So, if the applicant is willing to pave it and put a justifiable handicap parking space there, that will that will be considerable. Okay.

But yeah, that's that's that's what I mean, we we we try to move the city progressive and make it moving forward. Obviously, you know, every time it's it's it's not what we like. If if if in a perfect world, we would like everybody to be happy, right? And everybody get approved. But um what we would like to do and make sure everybody's following code, make sure that um you following the right protocols. So um I kind of agree with you, Commissioner, if if you're willing to actually do that. I mean, that that would probably be more considerable and maybe favorable uh you know, amongst the board here uh to consider your application. U any other commissioner have any other questions or comments? So, I have one question. How many peop How many children are in your facility right now?

I got 10. I'm maxed out. I've been over for almost five years. With all the daycare shutting down, I'm getting a lot of calls. So, due to the fact that I know I can accommodate them, I just thought, well, why not? Secondly, um I don't have any complaints in my neighborhood. I've been in that same home I'm going on 54 for just as long as that home has been there. So I had neighbors saying that they would be willing to come which is all retired to speak on my behalf and I told them no because when I did the uh special the first permit I didn't need anyone. So if id have known this I would have had and I even had people that I had to send certified letters call me and say do you need us to come? Do we need to sign something in your behalf? So I have never had a complaint since I've been open in regards to and you know my concern would be the people that stay in the neighborhood. I understand that all you all have you know this thing of well we foreseeing in your future but my biggest thing am I impacting my neighborhood and I am positively because you have a lot of girls that stays around there that needs child care. So I I'm on the other end where I'm looking at it from a different angle if that makes sense.

No, I definitely Thank you, Commissioner McDonald. U I think the staff definitely um submitted their address their concerns which is very important, but if if you're willing to pave that um that area and uh make parking spaces as well as identifiable handicap space, I'd be favorable for it. Um just my personal opinion. Uh, but I'm open to see if any other other commissioners have any other questions or statements. If not, um, I'd like to entertain a motion. Gonna ask one question.

Ma'am, thank you so much for for the service. Having little children myself, you're right. Finding a good daycare that's affordable is very difficult. in terms of the the growth from 10 to 16. So 10 what what's the right now home [snorts] what's the proper term for it? Home daycare, home use, home home daycare. Got it. That's up to 10 or I'm sorry, daycare family home. Daycare family home is what it's called. And daycare family home. I mean that's that's allowed by right. Is that because I did see special use per It's a special use permit for that.

Special use permit. And that was the one back in 2021. And then going up to 16. Does the department of health are there any additional like requirements for the facility itself that has to be changed in terms of like entrances or exits or anything along that sort or square footage per child?

So when I opened they come in and take the measurements DHS. The thing is I can have up to 16 but I had to get approved first for the 10 if that makes sense. So, it's just about me moving forward. I did call DHS to make sure what was the steps I needed to take to get the six and I was told I had to come back through this process in order to get the six. So, when they came out and took the measurements of the home, I could have up to 16. However, I went for 10 in the beginning, if that makes sense. So now that all the daycarees are shutting down and I'm I'm getting a numerous of calls and you know for the biggest part my neighbors are okay with it because I talked to them first then I'm said okay I'm going to move forward with it so far as I'm know I'm I'm aware that I'm once I get approved through you all then I send everything over to DHS

to DHS got it and they'll start just to clarify DHS zoning aside DHS has approved you for up to 16 is that correct I'm hearing correctly Yes. All right. And I think we had Go ahead, Commissioner. We have another question. Is there another question? I just want to ask one thing, Mr. Chair, just in commissioners, just to to clarify procedurally. I know we've had certain issues in the past where we want to approve, an applicant comes before us and we say yes, but is this something that we need to send back to have it put in the plan, the development plan that the parking lot will be paved and then potentially come back for approval next meeting.

This is this is already it's already in our staff report that they have to meet the engineering requirements and that is that they pave the parking lot and do have big catap parking. and that the signage has to be removed because it doesn't meet residential standards. So if we can vote on it now, just get it done. Perfect. Okay. I do have a question. No, with the sign is if she's taken that sign down, is there another smaller sign or anything that she can put up or not? I think you can have is it one or two square feet of signage? It's two for two square feet on the residential side. So Okay. So you just have to basically cut it down.

Yeah. So, here is I think what uh definitely what I'm saying. Obviously, we're going to vote on this, but if we were to accept it, you know, you know, you would have to get that paved obviously with the um handicap uh slot as well as other pavement and take down that sign. Now, you can put up another sign, but it have to be two square feet. Am I saying that correctly, Steph? Two by two, four square feet total. So just get there as if you're making a sign and go to a sign shop 2 by two four square feet total. Okay.

For that. Okay. But um if if you're favorable in those terms, I mean I would be definitely be favorable. But so um if the applicant is favorable at this time, I would love to entertain a motion based on based on these conditions. Mr. Chair, I make make a a motion to and we have to state this in a funny way. I make a motion to approve item number five, file number Z-96000- A, Jackson daycare, with the exceptions and requirements noted in staff's agenda report and with the exception of staff's recommendation for denial. Yes. And a second. Second. Have a motion and a second. May I please get a roll call vote? Commissioner Brown,

yes. Lard, yes. Hodgees McDonald. Yes. Person. Yes. Russell Samad. Yes. Trimble Baxter. Yes. Vickers. Yes. Motion's approved. All right. Thank you very much, madam. And thanks for coming out and uh get those changes done and uh keep it up. We appreciate your service here in the city. Thank you. Thank you. so much. Am I done? You're done. Okay. All right. Thanks.

All right. So, moving right along, ladies and gentlemen. Uh we want to respect each and everyone's time in here. So, we want to try to keep everything rolling um so that we can stay on uh on one accord here. The next item is item number uh six. If the applicant is present, please make your way to the podium. And uh Jeremy, can you please provide the reading while the applicant is making their way up? Item number six, Z10196, Wyatt PDC at 3122 Marshall Street. Um, since the October, this is staff update. Since the October 9th, 2025 planning commission meeting, the applicant has submitted revisions to the proposed PDC zoning to staff as follows. the lot. The lot immediately to the north has been added to the proposed PDC development. A sidewalk leading from the parking lot to the front of the building as well as a landscaping as well as landscaping has been added extending onto the adjacent lot. A portion of the existing building extend extends onto the adjacent lot. The remainder of the adjacent lot will remain undeveloped. If additional future development is proposed on the north portion of the property, a revised PC zoning will be required. For two, [clears throat] a revised site plan has been submitted with the following revisions. [snorts] The alley rightway will be improved to the north property line of the overall overall property. Parking lot has been revised. The handicap parking space has been moved. The parking area contains 27 ft of maneuvering area for the parking spaces. and see the dumpster area has been defined along the south side of the existing building. Access gates and screening have been noted and will be provided as per section 36523 of the code. A sidewalk has been added from the front of the store to the dumpster. The paved entry area and the sidewalks

in front of the building will tie into the existing sidewalk along the Marshall Street frontage. Any new paving in front of the building will require a franchise application. According to the public works comments, the sidewalk along Marshall Street, including ADA access at the intersection, will need to be improved to current standards. Staff continues to support the pro to proposed PDC zoning. Thank you, Jeremy. All right. Applicant, please state your name for the record. Melan. All right. So, um, we do have several cards in opposition and several cards in support. Uh at this time you may speak now or you um I would like to defer

you can defer your time and come back afterwards. Okay, please have a seat. So what we're going to do is we're going to start with the cards in opposition and then I will immediately go to the cards that are in support. The first card here is if I'm saying this correctly is Shirley Christian Christopher sorry. And I just want to remind everybody uh so we do have a host of cards here and you have a total of up to 20 minutes. So I just want to be cautious of Okay. Everybody can get their time in. Okay. The floor is yours. Okay. Well, I want to start and you can and you can move the microphone down as well.

Okay. I want to start off on um 11:5 um approximately 1:30. My nephew woke me up and told me that um I call her a male the owner, but her name is Melissa. uh MW or whatever stuff is. But anyway, um my nephew woke me up at 1:30 and told me that um it was a lot of fire trucks, police, and all that outside. So, I go out, I call my neighbor, go outside, and it was a fire. And so, I'm the one tell the owner of the property every time something go on. But at one time, I'm asleep. My doctor got me on a medication where I sleep at night or whatever. So, I'm sleep. So, I didn't get I called her when I found out about the fire or whatever. And well, I couldn't get the number right cuz something happened. I don't know what, but I couldn't get her number right, but I end up reaching her like at two some kept calling, kept calling, sent her a video, you know, whatever, letting her know her house on fire cuz I let her know anytime somebody come over there doing anything, I kept on the for. So anyway, make a long story short, it um the fire w my house on the side. I'm at 3200 Marshall right across the street. And so um okay, I don't want to miss nothing. I I'mma go back to the fire anyway. I'm going go speed up to that morning. Okay. She call I called her. I sent her a picture, a video and everything. She called me at I forgot what time she called me and me and her spoke or what I had a couple of mis calls from her and we spoke or whatever. And well, first I sent a text saying it suck. You know, she sent me a text about 5 something in the morning said this sucks like that. And so I call her and I was like, "Al, I'm so sorry, you know, that your building burned down, you know, and this and that and all that there." So anyway, I goes off into um the fire. We talk about the fire. I go get her and I'm, you know, I'm just feeling bad. You know, you just pay two

days ago, you just got the floors knocked down, knocked out, you know, and then two days later catch on fire. Feel bad for her. So anyway, um the fire ant wing my house or whatever when I picked her up, um me we we rolled beside my house and between the store or whatever and it was nothing, you know, you could barely tell what it was. And so I was like, um, see what it did to my house, you know, or whatever. And I want, you know, like see what it did to my house or whatever. And she was like, she never looked or whatever. And so I was like, "Um, okay." And so we parked in front of my house, walk back over there to the store, and I'm like, "Um, what a bench was that?" Cuz it was a bench, like a church bench out there in the front. I was like, "What a bench was that?" And I said, "Oh, I see it." And then I said, "So they I thought you had a door, you know, closed up and screwed down or whatever." And she was like, "No, they didn't go in this." So they went a side door. And that raised a red flag to me like, "How would you know what door they went in?" And I was like, it was a side door, which I didn't know it was a side door. I always seen the front door. So anyway, I'mma go I'mma go leave from that there. And so I Okay. So after that right there happened, the fire or whatever, um I called my adjuster, my insurance company, and they sent her just out on the 5th, the same day. So when he came out, he told me to u reach out to um the owner and tell her that her property had damaged my property, the fire damaged my property. And so I was going to call her. So he was like, "No, text her so you can have it on for record." And so I did and never heard nothing from her or whatever. and till today when she tried to speak or whatever and then so um the 7th the I'm speak gone to the seventh the seven come I'm I'm in my room I got cameras or whatever I see a black

Cadillac truck pull up and I see a man taking pictures so I'm like maybe there was insurance you know people whatever so I goes out there and I um run into Torrance and Um, and I asked him, "Was he her insurance adjuster?" And he told me, "Yes, he was," or whatever. And so I was like, "Well, um, I need her information cuz it messed up my house." And he was like, "Well, uh, I can't do that. Um, I I don't know. I mean, he said he he didn't say he didn't know. He said he couldn't do it because he couldn't give out the information or whatever, but he lied to me and told me he was the insurance adjuster." I spoke with his supervisor. His supervisor straightened it up or whatever. And so that explains that's the friend that male always told me she had to work for the city or whatever. But anyway, I just I don't I mean I just feel like uh my insurance company come to pay me my damage was done 28 it was 2,800 and 700 and something and um [snorts] my deductible was 2,000. My insurance company have tried to reach out to her to pay the 2,000 deductible and she did not do it, you know. And it's like she didn't she don't care. And I don't want that in my neighborhood. I was for her at first. I lost two nieces in a fire house fire. The the last thing I need is a fire in our neighborhood. Like I was for the store at first and male know that. But when you get acting like you don't care and all that right there like what you bringing danger to our neighborhood and you won't address me, won't say nothing to me, but you want to speak to me right now. And all you can say is that sucks. And my bedroom is right there. What a fire. Where where is W at? And if y'all want to see the fire report, I got that. If y'all want to see my insurance uh where the damage, I got

that. I got our text messages and everything. If you want to leave that information with the staff, uh we would definitely [snorts] uh review it if you would like to or put it into the records. Um if there's if there's nothing else, uh thank you very much for your um address and you can just hand it over there. You can hand it over there to staff and they can get that. Thank you very much.

Okay. And I'm just pleading with y'all like we don't need this store. And another thing, I need to say this too. Uh when she was telling me about the parking, I thought about it before the fire started. Like if you okay the parking in the back or whatever, she was telling me how they was going to park and the way they going to park. If they come out, they been to hit my privacy fence. And that really kind of raised a red flag like, "Okay, if you don't care nothing about no fire, you'll let them hit my fence and go on and know I'd be in that house working by myself." But I'm done. Miss Christopher, what what's your address again? Uh 3200 Marshall Street.

All right. Any other questions we have? Thank you very much, Miss Christopher. Okay. Who I get it to?

You can just give it uh to Mr. Jordan there. All right. Next car we have is Carla uh excuse me, Clara Taylor. I don't even know what to say after that. Um, as she said, this mysteriously burned down. Um, we are pleading with you all. We have four stores of alike in this neighborhood. We don't have enough residents for additional store three blocks from where she wants to be. another store less than a half a mile across the street, two stores across the street from each other, one a block over from that, one a mile down. I don't know how this works, how you all figure if it's okay to be in this neighborhood, but I'm sure you wouldn't want four convenience stores cuz that's basically what it is in your neighborhood where you have just residential people living. we um we are not in a food desert. Um if we are, it's from these convenience stores selling what they selling. And that's what she's asking. And just as she stated, this place burned down. Uh all the neighbors are in opposition of it being there in the first place. This building has not been used in 40 years. If you would drive by there, you would know that when a building burned down, it does not burn to the ground.

Thank you. The next card we have here um is uh Wesley last name. Okay, thank you. Thank you very much. The next card we have is is it Sandra? Uh Thomas. Yeah, Sandra Thomas. Yes. Okay. Thank you.

Okay. I'm back since the last meeting and since that meeting as they all stated the building burnt. Now my question to you guys is since the building is not standard it's nothing there but debris the documentation that we was you guys was requesting that she do the parking lot and all that. Don't she have to start over? Cuz when she have to start totally over, it's no building there. So far as putting a parking lot and doing this and that to that building, it's not there. It's gone. The fire just demolished it. It's gone.

Well, I would We would have to have staff to speak to that. The applicant has stated that she was going to be building her intent was to build the building back. Yes. in the same footprint. So the site plan is going to be exactly what it is. Yeah. So yeah. So as long as you know so the site plan has been reviewed as long as she build it back this are in those measurements then it will stand uh as read as previous.

Okay. Okay. Now in that fire report that Miss Christopher gave you guys staff Mr. Jordan, it states cuz we all went down there and got a copy of it because this fire is very dangerous. Uh it's just like I had stated the other last month when we were here. We don't need any danger in the neighborhood. It's a quiet neighborhood. And the building has was built in 1944. I've been in my home. It'll be 40 years next year I've been living and I'm cattle corner to where this story is. I've been there for 40 years. That building has been vacant since the 70s. The only thing that has ever went in that building was a dog or a raccoon. Fush is down the street from us. So we got raccoons and things of that nature. Uh no people, no lottery, no anything. And then all of a sudden this building just burst into flame. I'm not saying you did it, but it's not there. And it hadn't burned. It's no lights, no water, no gas, no anything connected to that building. But the building catch on fire and it was a big fire which is in the report. It also states in the report that it is under investigation because of that fire. It's it's this is just dangerous from the time that this started with this store. And I know how you feel. Don't have anything to do with the boy, but we all human. You know, you get them gut feelings. And I just knew from jump something was not right. Um, we did a petition and I have a copy of it to leave with you guys if you need it where we got 39 people that's right there in the area. Marshia Street, Bishop Street, I mean right there. We didn't have to go far to get these signatures where all these people oppose.

And also when we were here the last time I stood here and I asked was letters going to be sent out to the people to remind them when the next meeting was. I didn't get a letter. Several people that was at the meeting did not get the notice for this one. The only reason why I knew that it was a meeting, my house is in my name and my son name. So the letter came in his name but no letter to me. And Miss Mayor know of me just like I know of her. We don't actually know each other but we know of each other. My house is kettle corner. But all of a sudden I don't get a second notice. So things like that make you very suspicious of a person. Uh let's see what else I have on here. That about covers it because Miss Clara stated about all the the convenience stores that we have. We got the two down on Martin Luther King and Family Dollar. uh Dollar General right across on Roosevelt from the county. Uh then the neighborhood store that's three blocks from where she's trying to build a store. Stores bring traffic that we don't need in the neighborhood. It can bring people that's just ling and all kind of things that can happen. We don't have danger up there. We don't need it. Um, that's that's seem Let me look flip over one page. Thought I had two pages. No, I got it all on one page. I got it all. Uh, to the staff, do you guys want a

copy of our petition? Okay, I get them the copies of the petition and uh that's that's it. Thank you. Um, we have one more card. Uh, Ruby uh, Jeff.

Mr. Chair. Yes. Once once Mr. Jordan looks over this petition, can we circulate that so I can take a look? Sure. Thank you.

Good evening, L Rock Planning Commission. I'm Ruby Jeffy's time. I am speaking on behalf of the South End Neighborhood Association Coalition which consists of three neighborhood associations. They are the Whitmore Circle, the South End Neighborhood Group, and the Melbour Club Associations. Um, Virgin Miller is our Ward One director. We strongly oppose this item because it is not conducive to our neighborhood and we have enough marks convenience stores within 3 to four blocks and within one to two mile radius. We feel this location will only bring unwanted crime to our neighborhood and unwanted traffic to the community. Your consideration would be appreciated. Most of us in the neighborhood did not receive a communication in regards to this matter. We do have a neighborhood resource center and we would like for communications from the Little Rock Commission to go to our resource center so that we can send out to our the neighborhood associations and they will be aware as to what's really going on in the neighborhood. We have a lot of unwanted buildings there that we don't know. Excuse [clears throat] me. We don't know, you know, who's building these buildings. We have un morning traffic, uh, halfway houses, and we don't know who's in these houses. We don't know who's moving into our community. And we would like to hear from the Little Rock Planning Commission as to who's coming to our neighborhood and why. Thank you.

Thank you. All right. So, we have uh several uh cars that are in support of this item. Uh the first name is Christopher Davis.

Uh good. Well, good evening. How you guys doing? Do I need to raise this up a little bit to work? Um number one, I kind of want to start uh I have a lot of things kind of written down. I want to kind of get through those quick for you guys. Um, number one, uh, my name is Chris Davis and I'm here, uh, to speak in support, um, of this grocery store, uh, being approved. Um, I want to make, uh, something very clear from the start. Uh, this store, uh, the need for this store right now, um, is not just a matter of pref preference or emotion. Um it's more so it's a matter of proven data, public health, and um community responsibility. Uh number one. Okay.

Um so number one, I want to hit on six key points real quick. Um Arkansas is a uh food access is in a food access crisis and that store directly solves that. So we just had someone say that it's not a food desert there, but it is a food desert. Uh, number one, um, Arkansas has the highest food insecurity rate in the entire United States. Um, I don't know if you guys know that, um, nearly one in five households, 18.9% cannot consistently access food in that area. Um, that's not speculation, that's documented. Um, more facts, 50 52% of census tracks in Arkansas qualify as a food desert. We're number one in soybean. We're number two and I think cotton I think

and this a food desert. Uh number one uh we're talking about convenience stores and things like that. This is not a convenience store. Everything here is going to be organic. We're going to have whole food. Um that is going to directly um attack the I think it's 52% of of our our kenas are obese. Uh 13% have diabetes. Uh we're not going to be well she's not going to be uh give offering any liquor, any tobacco. If we look around two miles in that same area, we have four different liquor stores. And I've also looked into a lot of those police records and we're saying that crime rate, we have more crime at those four liquor stores than anything. Um, but we're talking about um a grocery store with full produce um that is also going to be um also uh sending some of those proceeds from the store to nonprofits to help the community and also build um the workforce. So, it doesn't make any sense to say, "Hey, this should be an issue if we have four to five different liquor stores that are around and we're trying to say, hey, this fire is directly uh done by this this lady here. Uh she's built a complete um grocery store in a place that she's not from to try to help our community. And arson is a crime. And I don't think uh we should be able to sit here and kind of um insinuate that we had something to or she had something to do with that. Um the whole point of the grocery store is to raise the community, not lower it, to invest in the community, to have something that's sustainable to actually eat and actually suffice for um our community in general. So we all understand if you don't have food that directly affects what your mentality. So now we're talking about how kids go to school, how parents wake

up and they attack their lives. So now we're talking about attacking recidivism. We're talking about uh at risk youth things like this that we're trying to help also and assist with this grocery store. So all in all, what I want to kind of say is this is not just something that should be about feelings. We should understand that once again, this is going to be a pillar to build in that one situation in that community. So, this is not about saying, "Hey, we're not here to try to hurt anybody." No, we're here number one building a community, building something sustainable, something that is also going to be progressively helping the youth, also helping nonprofits that are in that area to help build up that area that is already in a food desert. So, that's my time for today. That's it. Thank you.

Thank you. Next card is uh Kitty Payton. Hello everyone. I am Kitty Payeyton. I have property on 23rd near Roosevelt. I want this store. We need this store. You know, I was sitting here listening And like Chris said, you know, when something tragic happened like that, it's like a violation. It's like I've been raped or somebody broke into my home. You understand what I'm saying? It's arson. I know for a fact it show my name is Kitty Male did not set her own stove on fire. Okay. And I'll take [clears throat] that to the bank. So, what I'm saying to you guys and everyone in this room, it is a food desert. There is no grocery store where you can buy fresh produce [snorts] in a three two mile radius. If it's a two-m radius, it's a food desert. I'm into healthy eating, fresh produce. I teach kids Rainbow on Your Plate and I teach them agriculture. You understand? So, it's important that we have fresh produce, fresh food, not processed stuff. You don't want to be hanging out at the liquor store or you know your parents in the house drinking playing cards and you modeling some behavior that you see. So, you asking somebody to get you a beer at the store. You understand what I'm saying? We don't That's not what we want. That's not the message that we want to send. We want

community building. We at the planning and development meeting. Don't y'all foresee things that's going to happen five and 10 years from now that help the community in which you live in. Ain't that what y'all do? We here to help you. We need the store and we want the store. So, thank you for everything that you guys do to make your community better. Appreciate you.

Thank you. The next card is Andrew Slack. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am here um in support of Miss Mel and the store. And I'm really here because of the position that she's taken. And just like Miss Kitty and Mr. Chris Davis just said, we're here to build um the community. And just like a couple of the young ladies said, there are abandoned buildings in the community that we don't know who own those stores. So, if she's doing something and going in a positive direction towards fixing those problems, shouldn't we be supporting uh efforts like that and ideas like that? I think that um I seen a couple of the plans that she had, not in full depth to give them here tonight, but it is going to bring employment to the community. And ladies, don't we have family members in the community that need employment that are going outside the um the the range of their own vehicle, don't have vehicles, don't have buses that run on time where they can get decent employment. We need to be building the employment and supporting ideas that bring back into the community instead of denying those things. Couldn't we um possibly table a joint venture? Mr.

I'm sorry. Could please address the board. Oh, okay. Oh, I'm sorry about that. Not I was just opposing the um just addressing the opposition because I don't think that we need any opposition when we're talking about building the community. when you're talking about building a community, you're talking about young people that need u the representation and not the people that are supposed to be leaders and mentors arguing over stopping um something that's going to go forward. So, I just want to give my support to Miss Wyatt in this matter and hope that the board does vote in favor of putting this grocery store back, I guess, reszoning. That's what we're here for today. And thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you. Next card is is it uh Jay Duncan? Uh good evening commissioners and staff. My name is Jason Duncan. I am the principal designer for Renovado Design and Build. I'm a draftsman and a custom home uh designer here in Little Rock. I've been uh designing homes since 2016 all over central Arkansas and a little bit abroad. Uh, and in that time I've worked with Mel on nearly a dozen projects in the central high area, in the Quapa district, even just a block over on Wolf Street. I've also worked with her on some of the programming and ideiation for this proposed grocery store. Uh, and there's a couple things that I'd like to say. In the years I've been working with her, I have no reason to suspect and I and I think it's very poor taste to u imply that she had anything to do with the structure fire that happened at this grocery store. Uh I have seen her take buildings in much worse shape and turn them into affordable housing and beautiful historic homes that would have been far more valuable if she was running around here committing insurance fraud. Uh so with that taken care of, uh I'd just like to agree with everything that Mr. Davis and the others in support have said that uh this is in fact a food desert. That I've spoken at great length with Mel about her plans for the products that she's going to carry in this grocery store and it's not liquor, it's not beer, it's not tobacco, it's not lotto tickets, it's healthy food, it's uh affordable deli food, uh things that u will benefit the community. The last thing I'll say is this. Uh, for the past several years, I've lived either in Hillrest or now in the Paway uh, community. And one of my favorite

things about both of those communities is I can walk to the grocery store. Right now, I've got both Edwards and a Kroger that are less than a 10-minute walk away from me. Now, do I walk? No, I should. But that's one of those things that has drawn me to those two communities in particular is the walkable neighborhood aspect of it. I think any of us who are familiar with Hillrest or the Heights or what Pedway is becoming and that walkability is something that contributes so much to a thriving community to have that mix of residential and uh commercial spaces. It really adds so much value to the community. It gets you out of your house meeting your neighbors. you can feel comfortable sending your kids to the grocery store to get chips after church or after school, whatever it might be, like many of us did when we were kids, and now is much more scary of a thought. So, I'm in full support of this project. Uh I think I can't understand any logic that would see uh this being a detractor to the neighborhood. Thank you.

Thank you. All right, our last card is Lara Vargas. excuse me, Liraus.

Okay, I just wrote a little something something over my phone. Okay, good evening. We know this is a historical building and it holds deep meaning for the neighborhood. Mel didn't walk away. She saw an opportunity and she is rebuilding. She's pouring her heart into this community. We are here tonight because Mel and her store belong here. The problem we hear is based on fear. But let's look at the facts. Mel is not open in just another store. She is creating a fresh hub, a place dedicated to health. The store was not only sell essential food, but fresh produce, quality meat, and local ingredients. She has no chosen not to sell cigarettes or alcohol or lottery tickets. It's about wellness and investing in a healthier future for our neighbors. This neighborhood deserves better access to healthy food. Mills store is an anchor for positive change that we need need. That's it. Thank you.

Thank you. All right. Uh at this particular time, I want to bring Miss Wyatt back up to the podium, please. All right. So, we've heard both sides in opposition and and support. Uh so, at this particular time, Miss White, the floor is yours.

That's a lot. [sighs] Um usually I don't need to read from anything. I think I come out up here and [laughter] I'm pretty fluid, but um as you guys know, my store burnt down on November 5th and it has been overwhelming to say the least. And so, um sorry if I haven't got back to you, but I've been dealing with a whole bunch of things. So, people in the community texting, calling, I just haven't been able to get back. I'm dealing with insurance stuff. I'm dealing with people's opinions about stuff and it's a lot, you know, and so, um, we've done a lot of interior work on the building, as much as we could possibly do before, um, we actually pulled the building permit and all of that stuff, you know, to get ready. So, the Saturday that we stopped was everything was fine. we knew we was coming to the planning commission meeting on today and then all the good stuff starts to happen on Friday, you know, but that's not the case now. So, I just kind of I just typed up some stuff that I just wanted to share and then um yeah, so good afternoon chairperson and members of the commission. I'm here this evening to speak about our proposed project at 3122 Marshall Street which we're calling the neighborhood grocery market. The store is actually going to be called Lula and Bert. The store is named after my grandmother who was a black farmer and my brother who passed away of liver cancer at the age of 24. [snorts] So that's the significance of the space. Um, I want to thank the commission and the South End community um for your engagement engagement and thoughtful feedback during the October 9th meeting. I'm I deeply appreciate the concerns expressed about the traffic lording and overall neighborhood safety as well as design comments that

Commissioner Jeremiah um brought up regarding the site, specifically parking space number six and eight and the trash enclosure. Since that meeting, we've revised the site plan to address each of those items, improving vehicle and pedestrian circulation, relocating and screening the dumpster, and refining the parking layout to enhance visibility and safety. The building has always been a place of service and connection. Historically, it operated as a neighborhood grocery store. That store was built in 1922. It was not built in 1954, 1955. A building was built in 1922 by the Palmer's. Um, and it's always operated as a store, but in the later years, it became a church and some other things. But the key here is both uses shared a common purpose, bringing people together and meeting everyday needs. The neighborhood grocery store uh market restores the legacy. We're not introducing something new or unfamiliar. We're reactivating a space that has always nourished, cared for, and connected the neighborhood. It is also important to note that the Palaski County Assessor's um office officially recognizes the property as D um D-2, which is a retail store. So, I'm paying taxes on that lot as a retail store as it sits. It's just um over the years as um people's um um [clears throat] uh cups and stuff like that expired, it went to a R3 zoning. But on the and that's on the city side. On the county side, I'm paying taxes as a retail store. Uh which confirms that our proposed use is consistent with its longstanding retail classification and neighborhood intent. We're honoring the site's historic function while elevating

its design, safety, and community impact. Although the store has um been burnt down, I'm going to do an exact replica of that store to pay homage for everybody that came before me. So, um even though it's down to the ground and ashes right now, it will be back looking just like the store, but just better um once we finish it. Our project directly supports the south end neighborhood plan. I I did hear Miss Jeff Jeffrey speak. I'm actually a part of a a new member of the south end neighborhood um council and I've been to several meetings and I do understand the needs of what is in the south end community. Um, I studied the South End neighborhood plan very intentionally and that plan identifies this corridor as a food desert and calls for stronger neighborhood retail, local job creation, reinvestment in vacant properties, beautifification, and walkable friendly uh familyfriendly development. The neighborhood grocery store is built around those same goals. It will offer fresh foods, locally sourced goods, and daily essentials. And importantly, it will not sell alcohol, tobacco, or lottery project um products. The neighborhood grocery market aligns with the south end neighborhood plan by one strengthening the neighborhood retail base. Um revitalizing a long vacant property uh three creating jobs, four enhancing safety and community pride. Five, honoring community heritage. Six reinvesting in the community. And seven improving walkability. In terms of community impact, the project will provide convenient access to healthy groceries, create local jobs and training opportunities,

improving safety through lighting, landscaping, and comprehensive camera system, and support local farmers and suppliers. By transforming a lone vacant building into a vibrant, productive neighborhood anchor, we are advancing both revitalization and resilience. Every design decision from the material to the landscaping was made to respect the residential character of Marshall Street and build pride not pressure. I also want to directly acknowledge and respond to the concerns um raised by the neighbors at the last meetings on traffic. This is a small neighborhood scale market primarily serving neighborhood residents. Most customers will arrive on foot or from within a few blocks. On safety, we are implementing enhanced lighting, full cam coverage, and open slight um sight lines to deter lordering and misuse.

Um I apologize, Miss Mill. We have we have one more minute on the um on the applicant side. Thank you. Okay.

Um on use, this is not another liquor store or high volume retailer. It is a familyoriented grocery and community gathering space and on appearance the building will be fully restored, landscape and maintained um to complement. So I I'll just go to the end and say I respectfully ask for your support as we move forward with this plan. Together we can bring new life to a building that has long served the neighborhood and ensure it continues to do so for years ahead. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you, Miss Wyatt. And um I will say um sorry about your loss. I know that's probably devastating um with everything that's going on.

Thank you. Um um it seemed like you met all the requirements from the staff. Yes. And I got approval from that. So at this particular time, uh I'm going to open the floor up to any of the commissioners if they have any questions or comments. Uh I'm sorry. Uh before we do that, Sean, go ahead.

Yeah. Chairman Vickers, just not not that any commissioner would do this, but the fact that the property caught on fire, please do not ask any questions regarding that. I know the applicant and uh the the opposition spoke a great deal about it, but we can't consider the fire and it would be inappropriate to and not that y'all would, but as your staff of attorney, I feel like I have a responsibility to just remind everyone that is irrelevant. You can't consider it. And please don't ask any questions regarding the fire. It is under investigation.

Uh noted. Thank you very much for that. All right. This is particular time. The floor is open for any of the uh commissioners to ask any particular questions to the applicant. Question of clarity for staff acknowledging the recommendation for approval. Uh just for clarity, is there any consideration for uh saturation of like stores? Um if the plan is meeting all requirements, is is just curious is there any consideration of the amount or volume of store like stores in the area?

No, there's not. We we uh we feel the market will will bear that out if there's too many of one thing in a certain place. Uh but to just to um to add to your question, uh Commissioner Bernard, this is as some have stated, this isn't is isn't a food desert. This this is a food desert and uh our staff did a um an extensive study that was uh that was asked of us and that was that was our determination.

I've got a secondary question. Um, also is there a requirement uh if in in the event uh this is approved um that they will not be able to pivot from not uh selling any alcohol or lottery tickets. This is a this is a plan development and the way they state the way that their development is going to be is the way that it has to be. Thank you. Id one question and this is for the those in opposition. Um, I just wanted to know what do you want there if if this is not going to be something that you want. I mean, what would you want? Cuz if it's nothing there now,

so would you like to have one representative come up for one minute? Um, sure. I guess I can have We'll have one represent Could you please step aside, Miss White? We'll have one representative for one minute to come up to the podium and answer Commissioner McDonald's uh question. Okay. And you can adjust the microphone as well. There you go again. Okay. Uh I would prefer another resident

because it's residential. And yes, it's a food desert, but it's a food desert in a whole bunch of places. But nobody in that area has no problem getting down on Main Street to harvest food or to Kroger or going east, I mean west and go to the other stores that's right there, the ones in on Asher or Colonel Glenn, that's less than 5 miles. from Main Street, Martin Luther King to Main Street is probably maybe two miles and then you got a Kroger on down the road. Uh far as walking to the stores and everything, that's all well and fine if that's what people want to do. But nobody up in that area is without a vehicle. Uh we [snorts] take care of each other. We'll ride to the store with each other. We'll pick up food for each other because I just don't want to go out today or I got my grandson. You going by the store, pick up this, pick up that. Um, it's a close-knit area. I prefer family, and that's just me.

No, no disrespect to none of you guys. Um, a residential home. Just keep it residential. Uh, we don't have problems getting food. Uh, we got K Halls, which I'm pretty sure everybody heard of. They've been on the news for all them good grains and all that stuff. They less than a mile down the street. Um, and then as I said, we got the two grocery stores, Kroger and Food Giant, and then another Food Giant going out, Colonel Glenn. But nobody is uh walking to the store right up in that area. That's a very small area. And yes, it is some abandoned uh buildings and things up in there. And I don't have a problem with people coming in and fixing them, but make them residential.

Thank you. Thank you for that comment. Uh did that kind of question? That answer my question. Um I just wanted to kind of get an idea because you know you're here for opposition. So I just wanted to see Yeah, thank you for that. Okay. And so we Miss White, you can come back up. And I will say this, you know, growing up and I was I I grew up in a smaller community and we did have mom and pop shops like this. Well, you can actually walk down the street, you can, you know, you can get a bag of chips, soda pop, and support the community and you're creating jobs and giving back, you know, talking about giving back to the direct, you know, nonprofit communities in the area.

You know, a lot of that kind of means something. I and I can have a feel of what the community is saying. They're saying, "Hey, look, we don't know if we we want this business coming here. They may bring extra traffic. They may bring uh people that want to come and harm you, but at the same time, you can have a resident killer move beside you." And you know, so we can we can hypothetically go on and on all night about, you know, what's what. But I try to look and and a lot of time this board, you know, we're not up here and we can't do certain things. Just like our city attorney um stated, we can't make decisions based upon, you know, certain hypotheticals or or certain things. What we do here is making sure they're legally within the code. they're following uh the the protocols and they following the processes that are deemed within uh the codes of the city. Right? So, what we want to do is we wish we can please everyone. I promise you that. But we try to make sure are they doing everything legal? Are they doing it within the code and they're following the the exact processes. So, we have to we're looking at it from a different maybe slightly different point of view than what the community doing. Obviously, we wouldn't put anything devastating in the community. I don't think anybody up here would if it's something that we deem it that looks and it fits the community and is it's it's fitting that that space and we have to take into account for that. Um you know so you know with that being said you know it gets tough if on everything she's she's meeting every all the requirements she's been this this is not her first time up here. she actually had to make some adjustments and I'm sure that incur a lot of costs and expenses that's neither here or there but you've met the requirements that the staff recommended and to bring before us the board.

Um so you know with that being said I mean it I don't see anything that's wrong with your with the application from that standpoint. But at this particular time I want to see if any other commissioners have any other questions or or comments. If not, I would love to entertain a uh motion. Mr. Chair, I'm going to just make one one quick comment. So, Miss Christopher, Miss Thomas, Miss Jeff, and then who was the other who spoke in opposition? What was your name, ma'am?

Miss Taylor. Got it. And then Mr. Davis, Mr. Duncan, and sir, what was your name again? Mr. Slack. Got it.

Well, you've obviously been before a planning commission probably for about as long as I've been on it. Um, so [laughter] a familiar face know of each other, right? Um, I guess I just was it Miss Jeff was you had the you presented the the the notice, right, from the neighborhood with the I mean there's there are a lot of names that have signed and and said no. So, well, that's that's that was Miss K, but Thomas um I could have presented the same thing with people that were for the project,

right? you know, and I know that people wrote in in support of the project as well to um Monty and also Torrance, but I didn't do that. Everyone that I talk to that's um that comes by the store, I'm working in the store, too. So, that's probably why I come dressed like this most days when I'm coming before the commission. and everybody that I speak to that stop by the store um multitude of races um come and speak and they're for the store, you know, and so do I have a piece of paper stating like, hey, I'm in um support of No, I didn't I didn't do that.

Um but I could do it. You know what I mean? Um because people are in support of that. One other question. In terms of hours, when is the store going to be open? Um 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. So, there'll be coffee or tea or

Uhhuh. So, we'll have a full So, we'll have a cold section with a grab and go. We'll have cold refrigeration. We'll have a full deli um deli, a coffee, juice bar. Um um local items made by local vendors. That's here. Um our supplier will be Benny Keith. Um, we'll get some of our produce from Khal. We'll get some of our produce from Carpenter um um uh produce as well. So, everything Miss Kitty has a farm in Writesville. We're getting some of our produce from there. We're getting our honey from Vimus. So, we're really about being as local as we could be, you know. Um and as Chris said, we'll um we'll carry a lot of organic stuff for our community. Um, and it's not just about the store. I'm building housing in the area. When I'm building housing development, people want to walk. They don't want to be in their car. The communities are changing. And I'm not trying to come in here and piss people off. I'm just trying to like, as we're doing developments and we're growing and we're getting um, younger crowds and stuff like that. It's to support what we're doing the community. It's I was just reading an article two days ago about businesses fed up with Little Rock and moving over to North Little Rock. We don't want that. I'm like, I'm invested here. My grandfather was born here. My grandmother was born in Hot Springs. So, even though people look at like, hey, she doesn't have tie. I do have as many ties as anybody else in this community. You know what I mean? And so, I wasn't born here, but that doesn't make me different. I'm here now, you know? And so, it's we do have a lot of support. um for our projects. I haven't had one bad project in a city um in the time that I have been here. And um thank you so much. And um we're very very

communitydriven, you know what I mean? And so um my company is a BC Corp certified company. I don't know how much more I can [laughter] pro prove to people like we're here. We're about people, planet, profit. we're doing the right thing, you know, and so, um, I know there's going to be opposition, like you said, we can't please everybody, but, um, for those that want to come and support and be a part of what we're doing, then I'm grateful for it. I'm on the South End neighborhood council. Um, I'm on uh um uh Central High Neighborhood Council. I go to the food commission meetings, you know, I come to the planning commission meetings, I go to the board meetings, I go to the public safety meetings, you know, to just see, you know, what our community actually need because I'm vested there, you know, and so that's a laugh.

Mr. Chair, Commissioner Brown, go ahead. Just one quick question to staff just to ver clarify because we what commission can vote on and consider is a fairly narrow set of criteria. This will our recommendation will go to the board and the final determination will happen at the board. Is that correct? This is not go straight through. That is correct. Okay. So, just for you and for the opposition, please be aware that our vote is a recommendation to the board based upon some fairly narrow criteria. And I got to be honest with you,

amongst those criteria, I I hear your concerns and I and I I empathize with you. And if I lived across the street, I might be asking questions. I don't know any any of y'all at all, so I can't say who's what, but I would say if I was in your spot right here, I have some questions. But from a what we consider commission, I don't know of any way that I mean, you've met the criteria and I and if it's a food desert, that's a really important thing. Yes. Um, but just be aware that our vote tonight means a recommendation to the board. So, if there are other things to consider, that's a conversation for them. And I mean that both to you and to the the people those because they take a broader view than we can. Yeah. So, just be aware of that, please.

Yep. Absolutely. Are there any other questions? If not, I would love to entertain a motion. Mr. Chair, I make a motion in item number six, file number Z-10196 to approve staff's recommendation and the requested PDC zoning subject to compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraphs D and F and the staff analysis of the agenda staff report. Second. I have a motion and a second. and make it a roll call vote, please. Commissioner Brown, yes. Bernard, yes. Hodes McDonald, yes. Person, yes. Russell Samad,

yes. Trimble Bter, yes. Vickers, yes. Motion's approved. Thank you.

Thank you. Uh, Miss Wyatt, thank you for coming in. Moving right along, we have our uh final and last item on the agenda. And we'll give it just a moment uh to clear out. All right. So we have the last item is item number 20 and that's Z-102117 Pierce STR2-PDC. All right. Now, while you're making your way up here, uh, Jeremy, can you please provide the reading?

Item 20, Z10217, Pierce STR2 PDC at 4909 Kavanaaugh Boulevard. The applicant is requesting to reszone a 0.16 acre property located on 4909 Kavanaaugh Boulevard from R2 to PDC to allow use of the property as a short-term rental to STR2 with a maximum stay of 29 days. The owner will not reside in the residence. The entire home will be rented out as one unit. The residence currently vacant and is not being used as a short-term rental. The property is occ is occupied by a 15,054 square foot one-story single family home. The property is located in the Heights Landscape Overlay District. There are single family residences north and south along the west side of Kavanaaugh and commercial properties across Kavanaaugh to the east. There is access to the property from the rear alley as well as the driveway from Kavanaaugh. A twocar parking p pad sits off the alley providing additional parking. Existing R2, the existing zoning is R2. The future land use shows residential low inensity RL for the proposed area. There have been no department or planning to there have been no department of planning and development enforcement cases nor any police reports on the property. Currently, the City of Little Rock Department of Planning and Development has 130 short-term rentals listed within the database for approved short-term rentals in the city of Little Rock. The city's new short-term rental ordinance allows a maximum of 500 short-term rentals within the corporate boundary of the city of Little Rock. Staff is supported of the request of resoning to allow short-term rental, too, as the desired use. Staff feels the rental will continue to create a

diversity of housing options for this neighborhood. Staff feels that the reszoning of this property will have no adverse impact on the surrounding properties and in the general area. Staff recommends approval of the PDC subject to compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraph E and the staff analysis of the agenda staff report. Thank you. Thank you, Jeremy. Applicant, please state your name for the record. Uh Steven Michael Pierce. All right. All right. Uh Mr. Pierce, so you do have a host of cars in opposition. You can speak now or you can defer your time and come back afterwards. Your choice. I'll defer my time and allow them to go first.

All right. Please have a seat here. And um just to let everyone know in opposition, you have a total of 20 minutes. If you would like to someone to speak on your behalf, you're more than welcome uh to. If you have a main speaker, uh you can do that as well. Uh so I will go with the first card here is Sher Henderson. My name is Sheri Henderson. I would like for the board to see pictures that that have been taken of the property at 4909 Kavanaaugh and 4911 Kavanaaugh and the shared driveway between these two properties as well as a petition signed by 80 of our neighbors in opposition of an Airbnb being at 4909 Kavanaaugh and for this piece the property to be reszoned as commercial property.

Thank you.

As I said, my name is Sheri Henderson. Uh my husband and I have lived in this neighborhood for 45 years. We lived at We currently live at 5116 Canrol Road. We've lived there for 42 years. Previous to that, we lived on our street at 5114 R Street for third year for three years. So, a total of 45 years we have lived in this neighborhood. The house at 4909 Kavanaaugh is just around the corner from our house at 5116 Canrol. In fact, if you stand on the back of our front porch, you can see the back of the house at 4909 Kavanaaugh. Our houses are close to each other and both of these houses as well as many of these houses in this area are in the McGee edition. The McGee edition is a deed restriction for single family homes. Mr. Piers is requesting that this property at 4909 Kavanaaugh be reszoned as commercial property. If the property at 499 Cavanaaugh is changed to commercial property, what is to prevent other businesses from coming in tearing down existing homes and building businesses in this residential area? But if you change it to commercial, then how are you going to prevent that? People choose to live in our neighborhood because of the stability of our neighborhood, because of the closeness relationship that our neighbors have with each other. Once a year, every since 1979, our neighbors have had a block party to celebrate together as neighborhoods around Halloween. This year, we celebrated our 46th anniversary as a neighborhood celebration in our block party. We have a neighborhood text link where neighbors can reach out to each other

and informed about what is going on in the neighborhood year round. Allowing the property at 4909 Kavanaaugh to be reszoned as commercial property will open a Pandora's box that will allow other businesses to come into our neighborhood. As I said, my husband and I have lived in this neighborhood for 45 years, and we want to live there the rest of our lives as this property to be as zoned for single families only. And I request I'm respectful, excuse me, I'm respectfully asking you to deny the reszoning of the property at 4909 Kavanaaugh and to change it to commercial property. We would like for this place to just stay as a single family residence. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Henderson. Next car is Vincent Henderson. The second I'm Vince Henderson. Uh you've already met my wife. Um, I just have a uh about three points to make. This neighborhood is a solid neighborhood. It's existed for over a hundred years. Um, she mentioned the R Street Block Party for over 40 years now, close on to 50. Um, there's been no change in the character or personality of this neighborhood in this entire time. Some of the homes there are what you call forever homes. My wife and I have lived there for over 40 years. We plan on living there till we die. Some homes are starter homes. The uh couple that lived next to us unfortunately about a year or so ago moved. They moved to Blair Street corner Blair and O about two blocks away. Okay. they had a child, they wanted to move off Canrol and move down there. Some of the homes are transitional homes. Uh there's a couple that moved in from Texas. Uh they're going to be there until I think uh one of them graduates from law school and then probably will be moving out going back. Others like like our next door neighbors transitioning will move on. Then there are the uh rental homes on the other side of our house. We have a family there that's been renting for what five, six years

now, I think. Long-term rental. It's a solid neighborhood where we have a great mix of people of neighbors from all economic, social, racial, political backgrounds. Uh, it's a it's a great neighborhood. There's simply no real justification to start putting in a short-term rental in this neighborhood. Now, I know it's been mentioned and I think probably one of the things that influenced the decision by the staff was the fact that on the west side of Kavanaaugh and north side of Kavanaaugh as it turns is commercial. There's a couple things I have to say about that though. The reason why that's commercial is because of something that happened a few years ago. Actually, close on to about 70 or so years ago. Something called the Little Rock Street car. There's a triangular piece of property where Kavanaaugh quits going north and turns immediately to the west. Just across the street from that is Smith's Country Club Drugstore. It was not named after Little Rock Country Club several blocks away. It was named because right across the street is Country Club station. That's what that triangle was, was a station for the street cars. Whenever you have a street car station like that, the studies have been done. You're going to have development of commercial property there. That's why those are there. They're still working. They're still vibrant. Uh Cher's Finer Foods was there for years before they retired. You got Butter Biscuit there. Got a got a pizza

restaurant there. Kind of missed the hardware store that was there some years ago before they were there. But there's been no effort or attempt to change the character of our neighborhood across the street. And that is because of the deed restriction that the property can only be used for residents purposes. That's why it has remained residential as opposed to commercial across the street. It's been great. Got a real good symbiotic relationship with those businesses. Finally, I need to talk about the shared drive. The situation there is about 5 [snorts] ft of that driveway that the applicant says can be used for parking actually the property belongs to the house next door. Now I don't know how an ordinance is going to be able to change the character of that 5 ft of property from a residential driveway to a commercial driveway because that's what you're talking about at that point. We're talking about commercial parking. I don't think you have the authority to force the property owner next door to go in on this request, this application to change the character from residential to commercial. there's an easement, but it goes both ways, which is yet another problem that the person next door has right to use easement on on the other part of the property. So, all this to say is that there is no real good reason to change our neighborhood by allowing a

short-term rental right there in the middle of the block. What will eventually happen is that at some point someone will side just like they did the Wendy's over on Markham where they looked down off to the east and saw commercial development blocks away. They looked to the west saw commercial development that way and they said court said what the heck and made a commercial for Wendy's there as well. Once you break that barrier, then it makes incredibly difficult to impossible to stop any further commercial development. Thank you. Thank you.

All right. Um, so next card and we do have um I think just under 10 minutes left and we have five cards. So the next one is Nancy McDonald. Okay, our next card is Brett Wood. Good evening. Um, in addition to everything Vincent just said about the nature of the commercial resoning, uh, I do share the driveway with the subject property. Um, I will speak on the nature of short-term rentals. Um, it's been my experience, not personally, but the [snorts] nature of these short-term rentals is that they are, um, frequented by large groups. Um I have to respectfully disagree with the staff analysis that um a small 1500 square f feet house um housing you know 6 to eight guys or girls for parties etc. U the nature of these gatherings in these types of properties tend to be loud rockus uh people who haven't seen each other very often maybe once every few years. Um our houses are right on top of each other. Um the shared driveway would be an issue with multiple cars. There is the parking pad uh that was mentioned that has uh access from the back alley. Uh that's not a problem. The renters who lived there before utilize that parking pad. That's fine. Uh to have the entire driveway lined with vehicles while a group of 10 uh bachelors in the house uh you know having a keg party for a bachelor party. um just is not my idea of a pleasant neighborhood. So again, I

have to respectfully disagree with the staff analysis about degradation of quality of life to the surrounding residences. Um and then there's all the the uh commercial reasonzoning implications as well. So, um, and as you guys see, uh, we do have a petition with 80 signatures that are in opposition of this property. Um, so that's a little bit of a barometer of the neighborhood's opinion of this permit. So, that's all I have. Thank you'all for your consideration. Thank you.

Next card is Susan Cford. All right. All right. Thank you. Uh, next card is uh Julie Fizzer. Oh, I want her to have my Oh, okay. She wanted me to have her place, but I would also like for Julie Fizer to have an opportunity to speak, please. All right. Thank

you. Um, I'm Julie Fiser. I've lived on the street for 14 years. Um, I know all these guys. They've helped me raise my kids. I've got a 17-year-old and a 13-year-old girl right now. I know the pierces well. They're lovely. Um, um, I do respectfully ask you to deny this request. Um, I think that it would be in direct conflict of a residential area. Um, our kids have grown up there. They play there. Um, I want to remind you guys that we are in a school zone. Um, so state and local laws already exist to protect this area. The kids play in the streets. They walk. Families depend on that safety there. Um, and you say, Julie, why are you worried about the safety? Like, are is a house like this going to bring in predators? Um, maybe not. But as families, we do rely on knowing each other to give ourselves the safety to send our kids out there to play. And if we don't know who's living next door and who's there all the time, um it it'll chip away at that for sure. Um because we develop relationships. I've relied on all of these people to keep eyes on my kids to let them go out and play and be kids. Um, it's hard to do as a parent in Little Rock. Um, we want our kids off the screens. We want them out riding the bikes. Um, and having eyes like these people on them, um, gives me that safety to give them that independence. Um, I also bring a perspective of safety. Um, I was a forensic scientist for the Arkansas State Crime Lab. I worked about 800 cases. Um, many, many kids cases. I'm intimately aware of what happens to kids in our city. Um,

you know, it's best that we keep our kids safe. That's our obligation as a citizen of Little Rock. When I'm out on our streets, I'm watching the kids. I'm making sure that there's not anybody that's talking to them or doing anything inappropriate. And I feel like that's my job. I keep an eye on everybody's kids in the neighborhood. Um, and I trust these guys to do the same for my kids. Um, when you bring in these people that are rotating through, we don't know who's supposed to be there, and we can't do that as a community for each other. Um, and so in this this is a this community is working. We are supporting each other. Um and it is I mean it's the reason why we've stayed there you know um the kids play they love each other and this is my kids family and that's because we do are functioning well together and this will erode at that fabric when we don't know who our neighbors are or who's supposed to be there um it's going to chip away at that safety so thank you

thank you Mrs. McDonald that you would like to speak.

There was some logic as you might guess toward the order there, but [laughter] uh Nancy McDonald, I live at 5121 R Street. Uh, one of the things that Julie did not mention is that Julie bought a home on our street, remodeled it, did a great job, sold that, bought another piece of property on our street that needed to be redone, redid it. This gentleman bought it. She bought another piece of property on our street [clears throat] and redoing it. So, you see my point? the the neighbors are invested in in this little enclave in in Little Rock. Um it is a strong it it as the the mayor has said many many times you [snorts and clears throat] know strong neighborhoods make strong cities and this is one of those neighborhoods and in I know we've been in front of you guys a lot and and I thank you for your support but we really would like your support on this one because it's right in the middle of of this little enclave of of residential neighborhood. The gentleman who will be next door has a 13-year-old daughter. Back to Julie's point of [snorts] safety. So, I would ask that you deny this application. I do know the gentleman who uh he lived in this this property for 10 years. He rented it out. I had a what a 30 minute maybe conversation um with him. He rented it out to um to another family there. They lived there for four years. they become became part of our uh neighborhood and so they were acclimated into that. introducing the short-term rental though uh goes against even the long we've got several long-term rentals on the in the property or in the enclave and so we're not objecting to the long-term rental but the short-term rental is a whole

different set of people coming in etc etc and it deteriorates uh the neighborhood and I would ask that you vote no on this thank you our last card we have here is Haley if I'm saying this last name correctly. Um, Fagger or she had to get back to her. Okay.

Okay. Thank you. All right. Well, just for the record, she did fill out a card. Okay. Thank you. All right. So, at this particular time, I want to bring Mr. Pierce back up to the podium, please. All right. So, now that you kind of heard the opposition here, uh, the floor is yours. Uh, you heard some concerns. Uh, feel free to address those and any others, uh, so choose to.

Yeah. Go ahead. Thank you. Thank you for the floor. Uh first I just want to say thank you to the to the staff. Uh they were great. This is our only rental property. This was the home that my wife and I bought back in 2010. We lived in for 10 years. Um so going through this whole process obviously had lots of questions. So I appreciate Mr. Torren and Miss Amelia working with me and helping guide me through this process. Um I also want to say thank you to these guys as well because they do work hard for our community. Miss McDonald was kind enough to reach out to me and let me know that they would be opposing this at this event. Um, and the our political climate these days, it's not always that way. Um, and these are my neighbors still as I do still live um, back on Kingwood in the neighborhood. Um, and do love and respect these guys and their opinions. Um, I do have differing opinions with some of these items obviously or otherwise I wouldn't be here today. Um, my goal with this property is to maintain the character of the neighborhood, not degrade it. Um, I don't want to see these homes torn down um, and put up the two-story buildings. um that has been done on our street and next door and back all the way through Kmag, seeing everything taken down, putting up buildings that are larger than what the lot really can hold. Um as far as parking goes, there is a two-car parking pad in the back um that is easily accessible from the alley. There is exits onto Canel. There's exits on our street. The alley actually goes all the way back and has additional exits onto Canel and our street. Uh there's exits through the share driveway which I do own eight feet of which is more than adequate to come in and out but obviously we would make it very clear to our tenants um through an Airbnb process. It is limited to a maximum occupancy which we would strictly enforce. Um obviously there would be a ban on any u type of events that we would closely monitor as my wife and I are by there frequently um and we not want to disrupt the current flow um or the neighborhood as well. Uh, we didn't come by this lightly. Obviously, we love this neighborhood. We don't want to see it go commercial. Absolutely not. I wish

the STR2 was not a commercial code. I wish it was still a residential code because we have no desire to turn this into a commercial property. Unfortunately, in the climate we live in now with property taxes that have doubled over the last 10 years and insurance that's tripled over the last 10 years and interest rates that are twice as high and when my mortgage resets in a year, um, my mortgage is going to double, it's no longer really affordable for me to maintain this property that my wife and I someday would like to move back into and continue to keep the character and not have the large hundred-year-old trees cut down and not see the house demolished. Um, so this is a way for me to hopefully be able to maintain it long enough until we can get the mortgage paid off, get the expenses back down, um, and then we could go back into a long-term type rental arrangement. My wife and I are very particular in who we've allowed to rent it in the past. Um, we were very fortunate early on. Um, mainly because I was taking a lot lower rate and taking a loss every month, unfortunately. Um, but I wanted to make sure I had somebody that fit for the neighborhood. Um, I've had it tried to lease it longterm for since April. Um, at what a break even point would be for me is about $2,500 a month. Um, and unfortunately since April, I've get probably five phone calls a day and as soon as I tell them, they basically go click, right? So, um, and every property on that corner between me and Canel was a long-term rental. Um, I lived there for 10 years. I was running people off of my my yard multiple times. Um because even in long-term rentals, especially in that area close to Canrol and Kavanagh, you know, it's very hightraic area, um it is usually leased by younger um people um who are not always as respectful. Um and I definitely will do my best to monitor and make sure that that doesn't happen in this facility and we'll have explicit bans on any type of events occurring in this area or in this home. Um, but you know, there's where

we're at, unfortunately, with the current climate, it's not economically feasible for you to be able to rent long-term with the current rates um, at this location. And I do feel like it would add value to our neighborhood. It would allow people like Mr. Wood to have a basically a a guest house right next door that he could use for his family as they come in. the closest hotels are way down either on uh South University or all the way back downtown. Um and unfortunately that's that's a pretty good drive and not always in a safe area for for our friends and family when they come in to visit. So having a safe place and hopefully with the price point that we would put this Airbnb at, we wouldn't have a lot of roof raft coming through um and young folks um that would cause issues. Um, I know there are currently some Airbnbs already in the neighborhood, but it looks like when I pulled up the AirDNA website that there's less than 10 that are north of Canel. So, the less than 10 single family homes that are fully rented out on Airbnb or VBO um in the Heights, KAC, and Kingwood area. Um, so this is not something that appears to be very prolific in the area. Um, and this would give opportunity I feel like to to help families and not hopefully hurt families. Um, you know, here in Miss Fizer, again, obviously I know the the understanding of short-term rentals um have a bad name and I feel like it's for good reason because you can't trust everybody who comes through, but if we can closely monitor um who's there um you know, we unfortunately in that area we already have to closely monitor our kids when they're outside. Um as Mr. Wood has become aware of we have to run people off our front porch quite often who are out there lording and begging for money on the corner. Um there's a bus stop in the front yard. So it's already in an area that you do have to kind of monitor a little bit more closely with it being a hightraic area

um anyway. So I feel like it's not going to be an issue especially um because we already do such a good job of looking after each other and looking after our families. Um, but I'll leave you with that. Um, and again just say thank you to you guys for respecting the neighborhood and and trying to keep it um keep the character and keep the um family vibe going. And I'll leave you guys for questions. All right. Thank you very much for that. Uh, this particular time I want to open the floor up to any of the commissioners that have any questions or comments. I have a comment.

Commissioner McDonald. Um, I know this house and I think that the walkability factor is perfect for Airbnb. I mean, you have the pizzeria across the street, you have the butter biscuit. I honestly don't see anything wrong with this home being an Airbnb. Like he said, there aren't many Airbnbs in the area, and those that we have approved actually have been on this side. So, I'm going to be in support of this. Thank you, Commissioner McDonald. Uh, Commissioner. Well, yeah. First and second, Commissioner Bar, you second.

Thank you. Thank you, Chairman. Um, I was trying to look in to the documentation. What is the maximum occupancy for this for your Airbnb for this property? I haven't gotten that far, but it wouldn't be more than six, I believe. Six is what I'm assuming. Um, it's a two-bedroom, two bath. Um, so I'm assuming two per two per room would be the at most with the with the pullout couch and option, I guess. Gotcha. and and just through the Airbnb it's generally up like you charge extra per person as well it sounds like. So if it's normally two people then if they add an extra person then it would be an extra charge. Um and it's and it's the the property itself has room for how many cars for for this particular property?

So on the parking pad that's in the rear will easily fit two fullsize vehicles. My wife and I both have large SUVs. Um, and I had a big truck when I lived there and we had no problem both parking on the parking pass that is wholly owned or parking pad that's wholly owned by us. And And you will Okay. You I think you already said you're going to have on there uh you you would have on there like no events. Airbnb has a strict ban on that across the board already. Um there is no events. Um if if they are caught having an event, then you can immediately um remove them from the the premises or whatever and and negative comment. however that works through the Airbnb. I am new to this process um but have several friends that have been helping me along the way that kind of been explained in how it works. Mr. Brown,

so two things. One, staff, this isn't actually a commercial property reszoning. It's a conditional use to where say if he sells it later, it goes back to R2. Is that is that correct? Or does it carry? No, Commissioner Brown, that is not true. It it a planned development stays a plan development. Okay. So if he sells it later on, it stays Airbnb. it. Yes. For what it's for for what it it Yes, it can transfer is what? Okay. Um Okay. What's the one where it doesn't change with the with the owner? Conditional use. Conditional use. Okay. Never mind. My bad. Um is conditional use an option because I thought it had to be STR2, right? No, this completely different. Okay. Okay. Okay. Um option for them.

No. No. The the per ordinance. Good. Yeah. Per ordinance, uh, short-term rentals are plan developments, right? But but it can never become like a grocery store. No. No. It would it would have to be this or they would have to come back residential or

and and as as Mr. Gosden said, I don't know if you heard, you know, anyone that were to come and maybe if you were to sell the property later on, you could revoke the plan development, it would re revert back to R2. Okay. I guess the other thing is the one thing I'm having trouble getting past here is the shared driveway with another person. Um because again, you know, location wise looks good. Uh it's consistent with the ones we've approved in the past, but I don't think we approved one with a shared driveway. Is there any openness to saying not using that for the guest or something? I don't know if that gets crossed the line from my attorneys or what, but that that's that's probably my biggest hold up on this.

Yeah, if they have an easement agreement, that's a private contract between the property owners. Both property owners are here. The city doesn't have a copy of this easement. We just like I heard that there may be a bill of assurance or some covenants and restrictions. We don't enforce those. We could consider them, but we don't have them to look at. Okay? So, that is not for consideration. Now, the parking situation you can consider, but the private contract on the easement, we don't have it. And and that's a private contract. If he exceeds the use of it is up to that private owner to take that person to court and and seek damages or cancel the easement. Okay. All right.

All right. Any other questions? I do have one particular question for Did you have one, Commissioner Bark? I had a question. So, at this property, do you have like some type of surveillance uh like I have Viv set up right now, a security system. Um, we are going to add a camera on the front and a camera on the back once once we get approved. Um, we weren't going to make any other additions or improvements until we knew we were going to be able to move forward with with the Airbnb. Okay. But there is a plan to set up a the Vivant camera on the front and back that we would have access to. And and if approved or if not uh either or, have you kind of spoke with the neighborhood association, maybe president or even some of the neighbors? Do they have your personal number if something happens at this unforeseen that they can reach out?

We're pretty well known in the neighborhood. I know, you know, Miss Fiser and several of them there in the area know us. Uh we own Increased High Gymnastics. Um I'm partner at Landmark CPAs. Um most everybody should know how how to get a hold of us. If not, I'm happy to pass out cards. Um, and I don't know if it's be appropriate to put some sort of sign up front or something with my number on it or on the door or something. Um, to make sure that I am available for any neighbors that have any concerns. I'd be happy to do whatever you guys see fit. Any other questions from any other commissioners? Yeah, I'm going to ask one question. Yeah, go ahead. Save the worst for last, right? Mr. Pierce, right? Mr. Um,

is that something that you'd be willing to do is if you do end up selling this property, you don't move, you and your wife don't move back into it, you know, 10, 15, 20 years down the road, would you be willing to revoke the PDC? Is that something you would agree to? Sure. I mean, I don't see how that would affect the property adversely. So, I don't have an issue with that if that's something that needs to be written into um the permit or whatever. Okay.

And I do apologize. I didn't make it to the neighborhood association the other day when um the issue was brought up. Um so I wasn't there to defend myself. Uh it was kind of funny. I was telling one of my co-workers about it at work today and he was like, "Yeah, I signed the position." I was like, "Come on, man." And he was like, "Well, I didn't know it was yours." And you know, they said commercial and I don't want commercial. So I think a lot of people hear that commercial and and are very adversely against it. Um and that's the biggest reason um I think most people don't want the STR2 permit to go through. um is because of that. Mr. Chair, yes. I I do have a question for Mr. Overton. Yes.

Um since this is a planned development, if he were to um if the property were to change hands and he were to agree to this uh as a condition, um if the part if the property were to ever change hands, could it automatically be reverted back? Could the plan development be automatically revoked due to that land sale?

Well, that's a great question because you don't record these documents at the real estate records office and uh but it's a condition of this application and so if some since it is a condition and we would have a copy of this application uh and it's part of this record, it would be a condition. But we do not record this stuff in the real estate records office. So it would be incumbent upon the property owner to revoke it because we would not and plus how would we know that it changed hands unless the property owner came and notified us of it unless we see a operating Airbnb. You go out and have the code officer look at it and then you find the property has transferred and then you could possibly site them and then revoke revoke it then.

Right. Thank you. It's going to be a challenge. All right. Are there any other questions or comments from any other commissioners? Uh and if not at that point I would love to entertain a motion. Mr. Chair, I'll make a motion in item number 20, file Z-10217 to approve staff's recommendation of the PDC subject to compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraph E and the staff analysis of the agenda staff report. Second. I have a motion and a second. May I get a roll call vote, please? Yes, sir. Commissioner Brown,

no. Bernard, yes. Hodes McDonald, yes. Parson, yes. Russell Samad, no. Trimble Bter, yes. Vickers. Yes. One, two, three, four. Motion fails. Thank you'all.

And motion fails. We only have um was that total of seven votes. Yeah. So we have six uh votes uh because we have missing commissioners here. U so the the motion fails uh on that. But there is the option to appeal to the board. Correct. Yes. there is an option to appeal before the board. This got five votes and was technically a majority but still didn't get six. Does it not automatically go to the the board of directors? Correct. And we're because we follow the model of Could you turn your your microphone back on? Sean, can you turn your microphone back on? Okay. This will go to the board,

but I guess my question is does it automatically go because it was a majority but not six, right? The applicant would have to appeal it to the board. Okay. Thank you. All right. Um,

chair, may I make one comment? You know, neighbors and Mr. Pierce, I mean, this is just it's a tough one for all of us. I have one older brother. He went to Catholic as well. You know, he's a PhD from Notre Dame. He's coming in with his family because he wants to visit us because he lives in South Bend, Indiana. And so he and his six children, good Catholic family, are looking for a nice place to stay, ideally in the Heights or Hillrest. So I mean, I think there is a use and there's a time and a place for short-term rentals. And I see I mean, we see these applicants for what, the two and a half years we've been on a lot. And I I do that,

but I also hear y'all's concerns as well, right? And so just once again, it's I voted yes for it. It didn't pass, but it's just we're we're very aware of these things and continue to talk to the city directors about this, but you know, yeah, I appreciate all of you

and we do appreciate everybody that coming out. We know it takes a lot of your time and energy and and uh to come out here and we do appreciate it. Again, we can't we can't please everybody. There's a support and opposition here. Mrs. McDonald, you want to say something? Please come to the podium so we can have it for the record. Thanks. Just a quick question if you wanted to get an amendment to the ordinance. I know how the ordinance developed in the first place. And one of the passions obviously and Mr. Russell's not here today, but he said I'm going to just keep passing these until, you know, until we get 500. There are about 1,400 right now in Little Rock operating uh Airbnb or uh VBO. So they're operating illegally and so I think you've approved like 130 maybe. So is there a way that we can work with the city board to maybe get this ordinance changed uh to be um not what it is. I know how it developed in the first place. Is there a way that we can do that?

Absolutely. You can reach out to your board of director, the city attorney's office, [snorts] and and recommend amendments. Working with Brad and his group, the the the the planning department, we amend resolutions and ordinance. Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. All right. Um at this particular time, um do we have any other um public addresses? Oh, could you please come to the microphone? Are you talking about this subject? Because we already voted on this subject. Yeah, I know. But I think I dropped the ball and didn't say when I was up there. Could you please come to the microphone? So, we want to give you a minute to go ahead and say what you need to say. Say your name for the record again.

Um, so I think I dropped the ball. Say your name for the record.

Julie Fiser. Um, so my opposition is coming from that law enforcement perspective and those school zones are protected by Arkansas code and I don't think I said that when I got up here. Um, and registered sex offenders are not allowed to live within those zones and this would effectively create a loophole. Um, and so that was what I was trying to say to you when I came up here and was that was the perspective that I was speaking from. Um it is a school zone. We're within that house is within.3 miles of a school. Um and so we the board really needs to consider that when you're thinking about these short-term rentals um because it is a hazard um to kids and you need to think about the safety of the kids in Little Rock. Okay. Thank you.

Thank you. All right. With that being said, if we don't have any other uh new business, I'm sorry. Go ahead, Commissioner Brown. Backyard at the back here cuz like there's like 12 spots taken up and that's why I'm they are they are doing some work on the on the building on the historic Christian and I are both late because we pulled up and there's like half SS gone. So yeah, I just wanted that one actually on the record because I know I've said it nicely before but yeah it's you know they do it's progressing. Yeah, we so it's it will be it will be uh completed soon. Commissioner soon like real soon or soon like city planning soon? Um what you mean efficiently? Yeah. [laughter]

So, comm Commissioner Brown, what what I'm going to do since we don't have any other public addresses, I want to say this meeting is adjourned. Thank you. [laughter]