GENTRY -- Following a public hearing on the matter, Gentry's planning and zoning commission, on Thursday, voted unanimously to recommend to the city council a zoning change for a portion of the city of Gentry currently zoned R-3, R-2 and RO to R-1, which would only allow single-family homes to be built in the zone.
The area in question lies between N. Railroad Ave. on the east, N. Collins Ave. on the west, E. Arkansas St. on the south and McKee Drive on the north.
The issue was brought to the planning and zoning commission via a petition signed by residents in the above area after a four-plex housing unit was being built in the area. Most said they were surprised to know that the zoning allowed developers to build multi-family units in the neighborhood which has some of Gentry's oldest homes.
The petition, first taken up by the commission at its August meeting, was to change the zoning of a portion of the above area -- from E. Crawford Street to the alley behind Main Street between N. Railroad and N. Collins avenues -- from R-3 and RO to R-2, which would prevent additional multifamily units to be built in the area, unless a developer purchased two lots, dissolved the lot line and built a duplex on the property.
The matter was brought to the planning commission by a petition circulated by James Furgason of Gentry. The petition included some 64 signatures of residents and landowners in the affected area. Furgason and area residents became concerned when construction began on a four-plex within the zoned area, and many didn't know the current zoning allowed the construction of multifamily units. He said the zoning change occurred in 1991 and most were unaware of it.
Furgason argued that the area is the oldest housing area in the city and should be kept as single-family homes because of the historic value of preserving the old homes.
Also discussed in August at the suggestion of commission member Jay Williams was eventually creating a historic zoning overlay that could be added to certain zones to preserve properties of historic significance.
Commission chairman Mike Parks said at the August meeting that he believed the area just north of Main Street, which is zoned RO (residential/office), should be preserved in the area north of the Main Street alley and to the homes on Arkansas Street because of the need for a place for business offices.
All agreed that the current four-plex construction project is legal under the current zoning but that action possibly should be taken to preserve the area as a single-family residential area.
Since changing the property back to R-2 would still allow the construction of duplexes, the commission recommended rezoning the entire area between McKee Drive and Arkansas Street to R-1 and only allow single-family homes to be built in the area.
The commission had planned to hold a public hearing and take up the matter at its September meeting but mailed notices of the hearing were not sent out in time, delaying the matter to the October meeting.
In other business, the commission approved a tract split for Lorene Woods and recommended a change in subdivision regulations which spells out what must be included on plats and establishes a checklist which can be used when considering the approval of tract splits and subdivision plats.