DECATUR -- With the new Simmons plant due to come online in a little over a year, the Decatur City Council passed a new zoning code which paved the way for future growth in the housing industry in Decatur.
During the regularly scheduled meeting Aug. 13 in the conference room at city hall, the council discussed at length the new zoning code and map.
The 36-page document replaces the old Decatur zoning code which has been in place since 1986.
The code establishes 10 base districts or zones. They include one agriculture (A), four residential (R), three commercial (C), and two industrial (I) zones. Each has its own set of regulations that govern the use and the kinds of structures that can be built on the property within the zones.
Decatur Mayor Bob Tharp, along with Jeff Hawkins, transportation GIS analyst for the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, and Carl Mason, Decatur planning and zoning commissioner, came up with the new codes to fit Decatur's growing needs for housing and business development.
The council passed the ordinance on three readings. The emergency clause was also passed, allowing the measure to go into effect Aug. 13.
Also passed during this session was an amendment to Ordinance 13-07 which established a new set of building fees which follows:
Re-inspection fee -- $60;
Plan review fee -- $60;
House moving/manufactured home moving or set up fee -- $100;
Single-phase of construction or miscellaneous inspection fee -- $60
Lost permit fee -- $15
Other Council Action
The council passed a request by the water department for a new overflow water line for the water storage tanks near the high school.
The Decatur City Council meets at 6 p.m. in the conference room at Decatur City Hall on the second Monday of each month. The first 30 minutes of each meeting is set aside for citizen comments and concerns. For more information, contact the city clerk's office at 479-752-3912, ext. 4.
General News on 08/22/2018