Rezoning part of Rogers downtown plan

Downtown Rogers
Downtown Rogers

ROGERS -- Business owner Kathryn Greenlee shuffled through a pile of mail Thursday as she searched for a thick envelope sent by the city.

More than 500 property owners in or near downtown Rogers received a similar certified mail envelope last week. The notices inform property owners the city proposes to rezone the entire downtown region. A public hearing will be held at 3:30 p.m. July 7 at City Hall, 301 W. Chestnut.

Important Dates

Multiple public meeting are scheduled regarding the rezoning of downtown and the master downtown plan. All the meetings will be held at Rogers City Hall, 301 W. Chestnut St.

• June 30: 6 and 8 p.m. The public is invited to hear about the downtown plan

• July 7: 3:30 p.m. Rogers Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on the plan

• July 14: 6:30 p.m. Rogers City Council will conduct a public forum on the plan

• July 21: 3:30 p.m. Rogers Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on zoning changes

• July 28: 6:30 p.m. Rogers City Council will conduct public forum on zoning changes

Source: Staff Report

Derrel Smith, Rogers senior planner, said the rezoning is part of the downtown revitalization plan. He said it will bring conformity to scattered and confusing zoning regulations in place for the downtown area.

"Our downtown has always done well, but it can do better," Smith said. "I think this is one of the things that will help us do that."

A map of downtown shows at least eight different zoning regulations being used. The zones often don't have a clear boundary of where one type of zoning starts and one ends.

"You can just look at that and see all the little zones in there," Smith said. "There is a chunk of C-1 and then all of a sudden it gets cut in two by another zone."

The proposed rezoning plan would use four types of zoning regulations, Smith said. A new map clearly defines the proposed zoning areas of downtown, he said.

"I think it will make it easier for people to understand how to develop downtown," Smith said.

The four zones proposed include: "core mixed use," "commercial mixed use," "industrial arts" and "neighborhood transition." All of the zones work to create a community environment where living, working and entertainment are easily accessible, Smith said.

"We are going back to the way things were designed when we actually built downtown Rogers," Smith said. "Starting in the 1950s, city design became more spread out. It was designed for people to drive. It has shifted and now we are trying to design it so that you don't have to drive."

Current development regulations in downtown don't always align with the new plan, Smith said. Zoning laws often require residential, commercial and industrial buildings to have large set-backs from roads or other buildings.

"The new zones allow you to get closer to the road," Smith said. "The stores will be right up on the street and parking will be to the side or behind so that you are not just seeing cars, you are seeing the stores. Hopefully this will encourage people to walk from place to place."

Scott Polikov, Gateway Planning president, said zoning can transform areas. Gateway Planning of Texas was contracted by the city to develop the revitalization plan.

An area known as the "water tower district," bounded by Arkansas, Walton, Third and Locust streets, is one example of where zoning can do this, Polikov said. The proposed plan calls for rezoning a portion of the district "industrial arts."

"A lot of innovators want to live in the cool, funky places," Polikov said. "The industrial arts zoning makes it possible for different uses to coexist in a meaningful way."

The proposed zoning allows for residential, industrial and commercial to mix together, Polikov said. This could be a multifamily complex next to a warehouse, he said.

"Maybe there is a metal working business in that warehouse or a cool studio or glass blower," Polikov said. "Those type of businesses can grow in this area."

Zoning regulations for the district currently have limitations on residential options. It also requires the large set-backs.

Polikov said the proposed zoning regulations will not change what already exists in downtown. New developments will have to follow the regulations, he said.

Greenlee said she's excited about a new plan for downtown. She also said she will need to view the plan before she can say how it could affect her antique business, Cottage at the Barn.

The proposed zoning changes are included in a draft of the downtown plan released by Gateway last week. The draft can be downloaded from the www.rogerspulse.com website.

The public also is invited to a presentation of the plan by Gateway officials from 6 and 8 p.m. June 30 at City Hall.

NW News on 06/28/2015

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