Agenda Highlights 9/27/22
The Fort Smith Board of Directors study session meeting scheduled for 9-27-22 will begin with a review of the amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance concerning mini-storage buildings. The changes are based on changes proposed during the 6-28-22 Board of Directors meeting. The amendment will allow for mini-storage facilities to only be permitted in Industrial Light, Industrial Moderate, and Industrial Heavy zoning districts (currently they have been also allowed in Commercial Heavy districts). Approval by both the Planning Commission and the Board of Directors will be needed for all mini-storages. There will also be added stronger design requirements for mini-storages including requiring 51% high quality materials to be used, roof and wall articulations, a decorative 8 ft high screening wall, and limiting vehicle storage to only the rear of the site. Wording will be added for separate listings for indoor climatized facilities and for outdoor non-climatized facilities.
The Board will review the proposed change to the Unified Development Ordinance that would strengthen wording concerning time limits on beginning development for projects that received zoning changes. These changes were previously discussed at the 6-28-22 Board meeting. For conventional rezoning the requirement would be that unless construction is started or a building permit is issued for a development within 24 months the development plan will be considered abandoned (triggering a reversion to the previous zoning). For properties with a change to a planned zoning district (PZD), construction will need to begin or a building permit will need to be issued within the time stated in the project booklet and if that does not occur in time a new project booklet will need to be submitted and go back through the approval process before development can begin. The Board of Directors will also be given the authority to impose a time limit in addition to any set by the Planning Commission.
The Board will hear a presentation from Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Daniel Mann about the current land availability at Chaffee and the FCRA’s future plans through 2024. The FCRA Board of Trustees will also be present to participate in the discussion.
The Board will discuss the recent denial by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals of the City’s appeal concerning the consent decree and what actions the City should take as a result of the denial. The appeal being denied means that the City will be required to repair or replace all sewer pipes rated 4 or 5 on the National Association of Sewer Service Company scale. If the City had won the appeal, Fort Smith stood to save $140 million.
