New commissioner Theodore Cottingham came to the March 13 Planning Commission meeting having done his homework, telling commissioners that according to his research the most recent attempt at a Master Plan for the city was “A Vision Plan for Eureka Springs” prepared in 1996 by Donaghey Urban Studies. Before that there was a 1994 plan by Robert Myers.
“These plans are more than twenty years old and no longer seen to be affecting our city policies, priorities or how we plan,” Cottingham pointed out. He said it was time to “infuse new energy into our municipal planning process.”
He also noted City Code charges the Planning Commission with this responsibility, and read from Code the list of specific responsibilities.
Commissioner Woodie Acord responded, “I thought Planning was already doing many of those things.” Cottingham acknowledged maybe so, but said he did not know of any other documents guiding their decisions.
Commissioner Susan Harman said they had discussed taking on the Master Plan in the past year, but commissioners found themselves facing a series of Code conundrums and decided to clear up “old and obsolete” ambiguities in Code first. She did, however, acknowledge Cottingham’s point that the only plans guiding the city are old and hardly relevant.
Commissioner Tom Buford added cities in the I-49 corridor continue to add neighborhoods and expand infrastructure yet Eureka Springs still has neighborhoods without city sewer, and annexation is unrealistic. He said the city is restricted even with a Master Plan in how much it can plan for expansion.
Cottingham returned to what Code states regarding the Land Use Plan, the Community Facilities Plan and the Master Plan. He said he wanted to keep the subject on their agenda so the city can make “the highest, best use” of its assets, and that by opening the discussion, someone might come forward to help. He commented there is a plenty talent in town, and he wants to open a dialogue and see what develops. He committed to researching what similar towns have done regarding Master Plans.
Commissioners acknowledged Cottingham for the research he had done.
Change in procedure
Chair Ann Sallee said she had been told there was a reference in Code that stated there must be a public hearing before the city can adopt new regulations. Booth said City Attorney Tim Weaver had passed down the opinion, so the changes to ordinances Planning had worked on last year would need to go before a public hearing.
Cottingham read Code differently. He said the section requiring public hearings applied to changes in Land Use Policy or the Master Plan, not every ordinance update. Booth said there might need to be some cleaning up of the language in Code because the requirement seemed to apply to every ordinance. Cottingham commented there simply needed to be clarification of the intent of the passage, and Sallee agreed they would pursue getting this passage clarified.
Brewery going up
Commissioners approved the application for commercial construction of a brewery at 96 Ridgeview. Jeff Joseph represented the application, and said he intends to put the brewery on a five-acre lot behind Holly House. He will have a tasting room but not a bar. He eventually will employee as many as six people and intends to produce 200 barrels per year. He will also plant ornamentals in a container garden and a pollinator garden on the property.
The application was approved unanimously.
Other business
Sallee announced commissioner Doug Breitling had resigned, leaving a vacancy on the commission.
Next meeting will be Tuesday, March 27, at 6 p.m.