FAYETTEVILLE -- A street corner in the Walker Park neighborhood could become a community gathering spot with planned nightly trailer rentals, a food truck, art studio and associated amenities.
The Planning Commission on Monday approved 7-0 a permit allowing urban camping at South Washington Avenue and East Seventh Street. The property sits south of what's commonly referred to as the Jefferson Square, which includes the former Jefferson Elementary School that now serves as an adult education center. Walker Park is about two blocks west.
Other items
The Planning Commission also approved of the following items Monday:
• A 150-foot-tall flagpole-style cell tower near Holt Middle School. Verizon will be the anchor tenant.
• A permit allowing group housing at Washington Regional Medical Center’s planned cancer support home at 378 E. Longview St. The commission also approved the facility’s development plan.
• A permit for Northwest Arkansas School for Dogs, a dog training and day care facility at 18 E. Township St.
• A permit for a planned 10,250-square-foot animal hospital in the 3000 block of East Hearthstone Drive.
Source: Staff report
A former automotive shop with a wall-to-wall mural by artist Octavio Logo stands at the site now. The mural depicts Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Maya Angelou and two Native Americans representing the Navajo and the Sioux tribes. The building now houses an art studio.
Planning Commissioner Zara Niederman bought the property last year for $275,000, according to Washington County property records. He recused himself from Monday's discussion and vote.
The Hideout will feature three Airstream-style travel trailers with retrofitted interiors. Nightly rental availability will be listed on Airbnb. A deck behind the building facing southeast will have strand lighting and a food truck is planned to sit at the northern portion of the property.
A neighborhood plan developed in 2008 designates the area as a community hub. Keaton Smith, a partner on the project, said he anticipates opening in the spring.
"The intent here really is to activate the site in an incremental way that meets the goals of the neighborhood master plan," he said.
The permit the commission approved allows up to eight parking spaces, although it could have fewer. The trailers will face the interior of the property, around the deck, with a maximum of two adult occupants apiece. One employee will perform daily management duties. There will be no limit on hours of operation, but the commission will review the conditions of the permit in two years.
A conditional use permit was required because of the property's zoning designation. The type of zoning, called downtown general, allows a mixture of housing types and small businesses, but a hotel or motel use requires review from the commission.
About a dozen residents spoke last month when the request came up the first time with the commission. Opinion was split. Some neighbors said they looked forward to having something unique in the neighborhood, while others worried about potential noise, access, drainage and traffic issues.
Four people spoke Monday, all in support. Donna Wonsower, who said she lives in a neighborhood south of 15th Street, commended the project's championing of the traditional town form mixing uses, which is included in the city's 2030 plan.
"We used to walk to places to eat, places to hang out, places to meet our neighbors," she said. "These are all things this project does."
Commission Chairman Matt Hoffman said the building's previous use as an automotive shop was probably more disruptive than the site's planned future use.
"I think this is really appropriate," he said. "I think it'll be great for the neighborhood and I'm excited to support it."
In a separate matter, the Nominating Committee will have to recommend a replacement for former Planning Commissioner Sloan Scroggin after its next round of interviews at the end of the first quarter of the year. Scroggin was elected to the City Council.
NW News on 01/15/2019