SPRINGDALE -- The Springdale Planning Commission on Tuesday night approved 9-0 plans for a new skilled nursing facility.
Central Arkansas Nursing Centers plans to build Mill Creek Nursing Facility on 46 acres at 4500 S. 48th St., directly north of the Woods at Johnson Mill Apartments.
The 106,251-square-foot facility will have space for 142 residents, said Brandon Rush with Engineering Services Inc.
Rush said the project was approved by the commission several years ago, grading permits were issued and initial construction began at the site. That approval came at the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, and construction was stopped, Rush said.
Approval of large-scale designs apply for one year, said Patsy Christie, director of the city's Planning Department. If the project is not started within a year, the developer must reapply, she said.
The Planning Commission approved several waivers during the first process. The commission waived the requirement of street improvements to South 48th Street. Some screening requirements were waived because the lot was wooded and most of the trees would remain in place, Christie said.
During Tuesday's meeting, Christie asked Rush if more trees had been removed in the intervening years. She accepted a verbal agreement -- written into the record -- from Rush that any trees removed would be replaced with a tree approved by the city.
During the first approval process, the commission also allowed Rush and the developers to turn the front entrance of the building away from the street. The building will be set back from the street because of a steep hill on the site.
The entrance was turned to face south, with visitors and staff driving up a long, steep driveway to access the center.
Central Arkansas Nursing Centers, based in Fort Smith, operates another skilled-nursing facility in Russellville, according to the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce website.
The company did not respond to an email or phone call Monday and Tuesday.
The commission also approved a preliminary site plan for the Gap at the Crossings, an office and commercial subdivision by C.L. George and Sons. Crafton Tull is the site engineer.
The project will lie between South 64th Street on the west and Gene George Boulevard on the east and from Apple Road to the north and George Avenue on the south.
The developers will install infrastructure, improve Apple Road and George Avenue, and build Gap Avenue parallel to and between the two streets. The improvements also will include four regional detention ponds for the development. Street improvements will include sidewalks and bike paths.
The land will be divided into eight lots ranging in size from 5 to 12 acres, according to site maps provided by the Planning Department.