LITTLE ROCK — A closely divided Pulaski County Quorum Court on Tuesday night amended a proposed plan to control development in the Lake Maumelle watershed, imposing a four-year moratorium on large-scale development around the body of water supplying drinking water to about 400,000 in Pulaski, Saline and Grant counties.
The amendment by Justices of the Peace TylerDenton and Phil Stowers of Maumelle also would prohibit heavy manufacturing and other uses that were not otherwise prohibited in the original proposal, such as sawmills, paper mills, chemical plants, waste tire processing or disposal facilities and wood chip operations.
It also would require that an “independent organization” be formed with county assistance that includes representatives of the county, Central Arkansas Water, landowners, conservation groups and “other stake holders to assess the existing and projected water quality conditions,” to “undertake a science-based watershed and water quality assessment and study” and “assess whether all or parts of this ordinance are appropriate regulatory options for addressing water quality issues.”
The vote essentially restarts the clock on the watershed management plan.Tuesday night’s vote was supposed to be the final one, but with the amendment, the ordinance went back to first reading. It needs three readings over three separate monthly meetings for it to be adopted.
Denton noted that although the issue has been around for years, he has only been a justice of the peace for 55 days. He said he offered the amendment because the watershed issue was “far too big for us not to get it right.”
Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines said the amendment “adds complete confusion” and then added, “I know what you are trying to do: You are trying to make all sides happy.”
Few people on either side of the issue appeared happy Tuesday night. More than 20 people went before the Quorum Court to express their opinions on the two ordinances that would govern development in the watershed. Even some who supported the ordinances said they supported them with reservations.
Denton’s amendment passed 8-7. In addition to Denton and Stowers, Justices of the Peace Shane Stacks and Robert Green of North Little Rock, Paul Elliott of Maumelle, Karilyn Brown of Sherwood, Bob Johnson of Jacksonville and Doug Reed of Roland voted for the amendment. Justices of the Peace Wilma Walker of College Station, Curtis Keith of Mabelvale and Teresa Coney, Donna Massey, Lillie McMullin, Julie Blackwood and Kathy Lewison, all of Little Rock, voted against the amendment.
Barry Haas, who helped draft a 2007 plan, said after the meeting he was cautiously optimistic about the moratorium and hoped it would allow density to be addressed.
The 2007 plan called for the watershed to purchase 1,500 acres for conservation and for residential development to be limited to 5-acrelots. The latest draft of the county’s zoning regulations would allow some developments with up to two houses per acre.
“It remains to be seen whether density will actually be dealt with or not,” he said.
Central Arkansas Water would have preferred to see the ordinances governing the watershed “be enacted sooner rather than later,” John Tynan, the utility’s watershed protection manager, said after the meeting. “We still believe zoning is an effective tool for watershed protection. We’ve been working on this issue with wide stakeholder engagement for close to 10 years now and continue to plan to work with all the stakeholders involved ... to protect the watershed, to protect drinking water quality for the customers of Central Arkansas Water and the entire region.”
Small landowners appeared satisfied with the amendment.
“The moratorium protects the forested areas,” said Lorie White, whose family owns land in the watershed and would still be able to engage in small-scale development on their property. “It gives us time to get a consensus together of all the stakeholders and actually get an ordinance that does what it is supposed to do.”
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 02/27/2013