Agenda Highlights 6/27/23
The Fort Smith Board of Directors study session meeting scheduled for 6-27-23 will begin with an update from 64.6 on their activities downtown. This will be the first Board meeting update presentation since 64.6 entered a service contract with the City.
The Board will discuss Planned Zoning Districts including the possibility of requiring properties that apply for a PZD zoning change to submit a development plan.
The Board will discuss the height restrictions for buildings. Currently in conventional zoning districts, the maximum building height allowed is 35-45 feet. In the Central Business Improvement District where the code is form based, maximum heights range from 35-100 feet. There is also currently a provision that allows for an additional vertical foot above what would otherwise be the maximum allowable height to be added for each extra horizontal foot of set back beyond the required set back. For example, if a property is zoned so that buildings are required to be set back 10 feet and are allowed to be 35 feet tall, if the developer would build the building set 20 feet back he could also build the building 45 feet tall.
At the meeting held 4-4-23 there was some discussion regarding changes to the Unified Development Ordinance concerning chickens. But at that meeting the issue was not voted on as scheduled but instead was tabled so that it could go to a study session for more discussion and presentation of alternative options.
Currently the regulations require a half acre to keep chickens, allow an unlimited number of them, and allow roosters.
The proposed changes originally recommended by the Planning Commission would limit fowl to only ducks and chickens and would only allow female chickens, no roosters. It would allow 4 fowl on lots of 5000 square feet and a maximum of 10 fowl total on any size yard. Chickens would be required to be kept inside a fenced rear yard. Coops and roosts would not be allowed to be located closer than 25 feet to adjacent residential buildings. The proposed changes from the Planning Commission are intended to allow for chickens to be kept on smaller lots and to address concerns about noise from roosters and unpleasant smells created by large numbers of chickens.
Other options to be discussed in addition to the original Planning Commission recommendations will be
Prohibiting roosters only
Prohibiting fowl entirely
Changing the property size threshold
Instituting a maximum number of fowl allowed
Limiting fowl to the back yard inside a privacy fence
Leaving existing rules unchanged
