Land tract division approved

GENTRY — The planning and zoning commission gave its approval to a division of land belonging to Nathan Hawkins and located along Arkansas Highway 59, south of Gentry city limits but within Gentry’s planning area.

The parcel of land was already split by old Highway 59, and the new highway divided it again. According to the agenda, Hawkins requested approval of the land division so that he could lease a portion of it to a car dealer who is intending to put in a used car lot on the portion of land between the old and new highways.

The commission also took up a question of Mayor Wes Hogue regarding an application for a conditional use permit by an individual who is planning to start up aday-care / pre-school business in her home, which is located in a residential district.

The applicant, according to Hogue, was required to have a conditional use permit before the state would process her application to conduct the pre-school and daycare business for up to 10 children in her home. Though her application form indicated that her conditional use permit could be approved administratively, Hogue was concerned that the state could then require commercial upgrades to the applicant’s home and void the type A permit and require her to apply to the commission for a type B permit.

City attorney Jay Williams suggested that the application be accepted at face value but be reviewed and, if need be, revoked should the requirements for a type A permit not be met by the applicant.