Before meeting as the Planning Commission on June 9, commissioners convened as the Board of Zoning Adjustment to consider a tree-cut request. Chris Crider asked to remove 14 trees at 2 Corley Ln. to make room for a new garage. Commissioner Tom Buford immediately objected to the late filing of the application. The applicant explained that the city’s telephones and Internet had been down the previous week, but commissioners said that still might not have given them time to make site visits.
Commissioner Fergie Stewart said he found the application acceptable, but Buford said, “I’ve been here six years, and I’ve looked at every tree cut since I’ve been here.” To avoid making Crider wait another month, commissioners set a special meeting at 6 p.m. on June 15.
Building construction questioned
Another special meeting will immediately follow, to consider a property at 565 W. Van Buren St. The house on the property, owned by Paul Kelly, burned six months ago, and the lot has not yet been cleared. The property apparently has a building without a permit. Kelly was not present at the meeting, and commissioners will continue their discussion at the June 15 meeting.
During public comments on the Van Buren property, Jay Gustin identified himself as a neighbor. He acknowledged that some clean-up had been done but objected to buildings “poorly designed and constructed.” Gustin said trees burned during the fire are still standing. “Now he has a chance to start anew, and we’re in the process of seeing another substandard building constructed at the entrance to our town,” he said. “It’s an eyesore.”
Broadband needs to be broader
Commissioner Fergie Stewart will also present a proposal to council concerning Internet service. “We have a problem in Eureka Springs with broadband communications,” he said. Stewart explained that Eureka Springs could pass an ordinance that would allow the city to act as its own broadband provider. He said passing an ordinance might lead existing providers to upgrade their service, or the city could hire a company to provide services. The city could also apply for grants and loans to upgrade the Internet.
Stewart said fiber optic cables currently run through Eureka Springs, but only one of those cables serves the city. “It’s not could they do it, they don’t want to do it, and that’s the problem,” he said. Residents and tourists both complain about the service.
Coming soon
A workshop is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 24, with Jim von Tungeln of the Arkansas Municipal League. The first half hour will deal with the new Vision Plan, and the next half hour will cover air B & B operations. The workshop is open to the public.
Another workshop is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15, to discuss parking issues in the historic district.
Former mayor Beau Satori followed McBride to the microphone and echoed some of her sentiments. He described the city’s streets as “one-lane streets with two-way traffic and parking on both sides.” He said the city had a lien on a property on Pine Street. When the house burned, Satori said the lot would have made a good location for a small parking lot. He encouraged the commission to consider that model and look for areas around town to accommodate five or six cars.
Following that June 15 workshop, two special meetings are scheduled, beginning at 6 p.m., for the Crider and Kelly applications.
At the end of the meeting, Kylee Cole Hevrdejs was introduced as the new commission staff, and commissioners asked her to pronounce her name.
“HEH ver dees.”