At the Jan. 10 meeting, members of the Planning Commission spent some time visiting with new Building Inspector and City Code Enforcement Officer Jacob Coburn. He described his background in carpentry and general construction, and his 10 years of prior experience as a building inspector. Coburn said he and his wife had repeatedly come to Eureka Springs on vacation, and he welcomed the opportunity to live and work here.
Coburn said he will focus more on education than enforcement. He said most people will comply, and enforcement measures are in place for those who resist. In response to a question, he described the existing procedures for reporting code violations.
Most reports are anonymous, he said, which makes it impossible to give feedback about the steps his office will take. Coburn pledged to be accessible and said his business cards also carry his cell-phone number. “If people have concerns, they can contact me anytime.”
The commissioners had been asked to prepare a “wish list” of goals for the coming year. The commission’s website needs to be improved, and the procedures for reporting code violations need clarification. Another area of interest dealt with holding more workshops, to educate commissioners and the public.
Ordinance, maintenance, parking and growth
Commissioner Tom Buford said the commission was working toward a tree ordinance when Covid disrupted public gatherings. “I didn’t want to proceed without face-to-face meetings,” he said. He suggested a return to the process for a new tree ordinance and called for more attention to sidewalks. He asked if people moving to Eureka Springs understand that they have to maintain their sidewalks. Buford said he often sees tourists walking in the street because of uneven sidewalks.
Commissioner Fergie Stewart asked about the city’s water and sewer capacity, to get a sense of how much growth the city could accommodate. He also suggested requiring a sewer inspection between the house and the main as a condition of the sale of a house.
Commissioner Susan Harman has brought a focus on parking issues to the commission, and called for further study of parking, and “how it relates to the flow of traffic in and out of this town.” She also called for updating city codes.
In other business:
- Officers were elected for the coming year, including Harman as chair, Stewart as vice-chair, and Buford as secretary.
- Commissioners voted to send a request to city council for a six-month moratorium on new bed & breakfast establishments. The moratorium would not affect the operation or transfer of an existing B&B, but no expansion of those businesses would be allowed during the moratorium. Buford mentioned the economic pressures affecting the housing market, and said, “There’s no such thing as affordable housing.” He said someone could build a house to rent, but that property would bring more in a weekend as tourist lodging than it would as a monthly rental.
- Commissioner Ann Tandy-Sallee said she had toured the Eureka Springs Hospital and described the experience as “enlightening and sad at the same time.” She said the patient area only has one shower and two bathrooms, and one of the bathrooms is in an isolation area. “We really need a new hospital,” she said. Commissioner Peter Graham also toured the hospital, and he saw drivers hurriedly move their cars when the helipad was needed.
- A workshop on minimum property maintenance is scheduled at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 14, before the regular commission meeting.
- During public comments, Steph Gordon-Glassford complained about “a 100-year-old tree and retaining wall” which were removed on Armstrong St. She said the changes produced two parking spaces and she asked for accountability, saying the project was initially denied. R.J. Josephine agreed with her complaint and extended it to cover unapproved construction and tree removal throughout the city. “We should be embarrassed to be a Tree City USA and treat trees the way we do,” he said.