SPRINGDALE -- Springdale could be about a month away from a new overlay district in its southwest area.
Planning Commission members and aldermen met Tuesday for a joint work session about the Ballpark/Southwest Overlay District. It would be the city's second overlay district if approved by the City Council, said Patsy Christie, director of planning and community development. The first is for the Springdale Municipal Airport, she said.
The purpose of the district is to create an aesthetically pleasing area, Christie said. It could also protect property value and ensure quality development in the area, said Mayor Doug Sprouse.
The district would have a north phase and a south phase, with the boundaries of the north phase being Sunset Avenue on the north, Interstate 49 on the east, South Maestri Road on the west and Don Tyson Parkway on the south, according to the Ballpark/Southwest Overlay District document. The south phase would be south of the north phase and reach to the city limit, which is north of Johnson Mill Boulevard.
The type of stone used at Arvest Ballpark would be a unifying element to create an identity for the area, Christie said. The stonework would need to be in all signs, and variances for signs wouldn't be allowed, she said. It would be optional for the stonework to be used on the exterior of buildings.
"It has to be in there somewhere," she said.
The document also sets regulations for many items, like vending areas, satellite dishes, parking garages and roofing materials, Christie said. Facade colors would have to be earth tones.
Sprouse said he's met with the owners of large pieces of property in the area. Much of the land is owned by the Tyson and George families and companies, Christie said.
There will be a public hearing about the district at the Feb. 3 Planning Commission meeting, Sprouse said. Aldermen will then vote on the district during a City Council meeting on Feb. 10 or 24.
Other cities in the area have overlay districts.
Fayetteville has three, said Andrew Garner, city planning director. The Downtown Design Overlay District is focused on the downtown area and architectural requirements. There is also a Hillside/Hilltop Overlay District across the whole city, which has regulations about removing trees and digging in hilly areas, Garner said. The last is the I-540 Design Overlay District, which regulates that signage must be monument signs along Interstate 49, formally Interstate 540.
As is the case in Fayetteville, different overlay districts can be put in place for different purposes, Garner said.
Bentonville has overlay districts only around the Bentonville Municipal Airport and Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, said Beau Thompson, planner for the city. The Federal Aviation Administration requires cities to have overlay districts around airports to regulate runway length and the height of surrounding buildings.
Bentonville also has two districts in the downtown area, Thompson said. He explained that an overlay takes the city's requirements and adds to them, while a district is an entirely different set of requirements.
The districts in downtown Bentonville regulate zoning, Thompson said. One district is around the square and allows for high density commercial zoning. The other district allows for low density residential and mixed commercial uses.
A message left for Derrel Smith, senior planner for Rogers, on his office phone was not returned by 8 p.m. Tuesday.
NW News on 01/21/2015