Fayetteville council rezones portion of 112 Drive-In theater land

Jonathan Curth (right), development services director for the city of Fayetteville, leads a tour Monday, May 2, 2022, of the 112 Drive-In in north Fayetteville. The City Council had on its agenda Tuesday rezoning about 22 acres at the site of the longstanding drive-in theater. Visit nwaonline.com/220504Daily/ for today's photo gallery. 
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
Jonathan Curth (right), development services director for the city of Fayetteville, leads a tour Monday, May 2, 2022, of the 112 Drive-In in north Fayetteville. The City Council had on its agenda Tuesday rezoning about 22 acres at the site of the longstanding drive-in theater. Visit nwaonline.com/220504Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)

FAYETTEVILLE -- The City Council voted 8-0 to rezone most of the 112 Drive-In property.

The vote Tuesday will open the land, zoned strictly for commercial uses, to residential uses as well. The rezoning, called an urban thoroughfare district, applies to 22 acres of the 36-acre tract. The request did not include the 14 acres to the south where the movie screen sits.

Land uses allowed in an urban thoroughfare district include single-family homes through quadplexes and multifamily units. On the commercial side, potential uses include restaurants, hotels, shopping, offices, liquor stores and gas stations, all of which are already under the previous zoning.

Attorney Steve Brooks, representing developer Dave Anderson of Little Rock and his CL Partners LLC, said the plan for the property includes a drive-in theater. He asked the council to approve the request Tuesday because of deadlines associated with the land sale and development.

Jonathan Curth, the city's development services director, said the drive-in theater could continue to operate regardless of the rezoning. If the property owner wants to redevelop that portion of the land under the urban thoroughfare zone, he would have to get a use permit from the Planning Commission.

One resident, Corey Johnson, spoke to the council via Zoom. He said he felt the rezoning was inevitable, but the city should do more to protect its landmarks.

"How can the city government ensure the survival of our independent art and cultural spaces?" Johnson said.

Rezonings do not carry development plans with them. A conceptual plan developers previously sent to the city showed 210 residential units with a smaller drive-in screen and an indoor theater. Planning commissioners will review a detailed site plan at a later date.

Council member Sloan Scroggin said regardless of the drive-in, the urban thoroughfare district was a better zone for the land. The increase in land uses and potential for increased density next to a highway that the state plans to expand makes sense for the area, he said.

Scroggin said he hated to see the drive-in go as it stands, but the city's growth means change.

"It would be nice if we could freeze Fayetteville, but we can't," he said.

Council member Teresa Turk said she hoped the city's regulations are strong enough to handle future development since about two-thirds of the property lies in a floodplain.

In other business, the council voted 8-0 to authorize issuing up to $74.3 million in bonds for projects associated with a $226 million referendum held in April 2019. Projects will include transportation, trails, drainage, parks, city facilities, fire and the arts corridor downtown.

Chief Financial Officer Paul Becker said the bonds are structured to be paid off in 11 years. However, if sales tax revenue growth stays at the current rate, the city could probably pay off the debt in about six years, he said.

Becker said the council's vote Tuesday only authorizes the issuance of the bonds. Any appropriations to spend the money will have to go to the council separately for approval.

The council in June 2019 OK'd issuing up to nearly $142.7 million in bonds across the 10 issues for a first phase in projects. The first phase covered the entire amounts needed for the issues pertaining to refinancing old bonds, economic development and building a new police headquarters.

Becker said about $15 million should be left over for a third and final future phase of projects in transportation and parks.

Council member Sarah Bunch served in her capacity as vice mayor and chaired the meeting Tuesday in Mayor Lioneld Jordan's absence. Jordan was recovering from a medical procedure on his heart and awaits a second procedure. He should return to in-office duties within a few weeks, according to city administrators.

  photo  Jonathan Curth (center), development services director for the city of Fayetteville, leads a tour Monday, May 2, 2022, of the 112 Drive-In in north Fayetteville. The City Council had on its agenda Tuesday rezoning about 22 acres at the site of the longstanding drive-in theater. Visit nwaonline.com/220504Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
 
 
  photo  Jonathan Curth (left), development services director for the city of Fayetteville, speaks Monday, May 2, 2022, with City Council member Mike Wiederkehr during a tour of the 112 Drive-In in north Fayetteville. The City Council had on its agenda Tuesday rezoning about 22 acres at the site of the longstanding drive-in theater. Visit nwaonline.com/220504Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
 
 


Council action

Fayetteville’s City Council met Tuesday and approved:

• Accepting a $75,000 recreational trails program grant from the state to improve natural surface trails at Kessler Mountain Regional Park.

• Awarding a $1.7 million construction contract to NEC Inc. for construction of intersection improvements at Center Street and Harmon Avenue.

• Rezoning 3.5 acres between Interstate 49 and Stephen Carr Memorial Boulevard from residential agricultural to a community services district.

Additionally, residents Wes Wooten and Griffin Webb were recognized for pulling a driver out of an upside-down, burning vehicle in March.

Source: Fayetteville

 



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