Fayetteville Looks To Limit Yard Parking
Planning Commission Also Signs Off On New Downtown Building Standards
Last updated Monday, June 11, 2007 10:02 PM CDT in News
By Dug Begley
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE -- New rules for how many cars can be parked in front of a house got a nod from the Fayetteville Planning Commission on Monday evening.
The commission approved a regulation limiting how much of a residence's front yard could be used for parking. Under the proposal, no more than 40 percent of a front yard can be used for parking.
City planning and development director Tim Conklin said the problem is created when many people living at a house use all the available parking space and start parking on lawns.
The new rules will require new driveways to be paved for at least the first 18 feet from the street, and no more than 40 percent of the property in front of the residence can be paved and dedicated to parking.
Existing driveways will not have to meet the 18-foot rule, Conklin said.
The possible law change will also cover the parking of boats, recreational vehicles and other items, Conklin said. The City Council will have to approve the changes, he added.
One notable exemption to the rule will apply on days where major events create a parking problem in downtown Fayetteville or on the University of Arkansas campus, Conklin said. Residences near Donald W. Reynolds Stadium on the university campus will be immune for eight hours before and after home football and basketball games.
Enforcement of the parking prohibitions will be complaint-driven, Conklin said. The rule changes also do not affect the ability of residents to park where allowed along public streets.
The commission also passed a new set of criteria for building in downtown Fayetteville during its meeting.
City planners intended Monday evening to just discuss a proposal for design standards in the Fayetteville's downtown design overlay district. Little opposition was heard from commissioners, however, who opted to move forward without further discussion.
"I think this is a great piece of work," said Jill Anthes, commission chairwoman.
The design district is a continuation of the city's downtown master plan, approved last October, which guides the city's plans for Fayetteville's downtown area. The standards should "create attractive and usable space," city planner Leif Olson said.
Among the preferences the district identifies are specifics as to what sort of building materials are allowed and how buildings should appear from public streets. Olson said city planners were careful to encourage rather than discourage building materials and design styles.
"You either prohibit and come up with all the things you don't want, or say what you do want and have a much shorter list," Olson said.
Commissioner Audy Lack, chairman of the committee that proposed many of the design district rules, agreed.
"It is less scary than if you forget something," Lack said.
The guidelines would streamline the city's approval process by giving projects that meet the design district criteria approval without a decision by the commission. Projects that do not jibe with the regulations will have to come before the commissioners.
"As long as there is that wiggle room, I'm fine," said Commissioner Christine Myres.
The council must also approve the design standards. Olson said once the rules are a reality, city staff will develop a manual outlining the rules.
Daniel Hintz, executive director of Fayetteville Downtown Partners, said the commission's approval is a good start to what is likely a lengthy process. He said he felt public meetings will be an important part of enacting them.
"It's a continuation of the process we started with the downtown master plan," Hintz said shortly before the commission's approval.
AT A GLANCE
Fayetteville Planning Commission
The commission on Monday:
* Granted use of the former Sang Avenue Senior Center to YouthCAN!, an art program aimed at keeping youngsters focused and productive. The agency can now use the building on Sang Avenue, provided it adheres to numerous conditions.
* Approved The Village at Shiloh, a townhouse project on Shiloh Drive off Wedington Drive. Plans for the project call for 198 townhouses on 18 acres.
Source: Staff Report
Reader Comments (1 comment(s))
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.
Not already registered?
shameful wrote on Jun 12, 2007 8:48 PM: