A proposed rezoning to allow a lodge and shopping development inside North Little Rock's Burns Park drew opposition from 35 to 40 residents from nearby neighborhoods at a city Planning Commission meeting Tuesday. Commissioners said they wanted more information about the issue and voted to table the request until their March 10 meeting.
The rezoning request by the city, recommended by the Parks Commission, would change the property from Open Space to Community Shopping to allow the city to market the property for private development of a lodge and conference center, with retail stores included.
The concept is to use 15 acres or more of a wooded, 73-acre parcel along Interstate 40 that borders Charles H. Boyer Drive and Military Drive at I-40's Exit 150 into the park.
The acreage was part of a land exchange the City Council approved in late 2013 that preserved the Big Rock Quarry as a city park after citywide opposition to a commercial development that was proposed for the former quarry. Such a swap was necessary to allow an indoor facility to be proposed in Burns Park because federal Outdoor Recreation Grant funds were used in the park's development. The federal funds otherwise restrict the park to be used only for outdoor activities.
"This property and the Smarthouse Way property along the river [near downtown], are two of the finest undeveloped pieces of urban property in the state," North Little Rock Economic Development Executive Director Todd Larson told the Planning Commission. "The potential there is very substantial. There are 80,000 cars a day that travel by that property. A lodge has been part of the Burns Park plan for a long time."
Larson added that requests for proposals to potential developers would be ready by March or April. A lodge has been part of the city park's master plan since 2006.
Robert Voyles, the city's Community Planning director, said the rezoning would require leaving a 40- to 100-foot buffer between the development and adjoining homes. There isn't a site plan for any development at this time, he added.
Several residents from the Amboy and Belwood neighborhoods adjacent to the site said such buffers wouldn't be enough to keep out traffic noise from the interstate and that developing the property would increase traffic and noise and ruin their hillside views.
"This is not going to be a good thing," said Jeff Higdon. "It's infuriating to us for anyone to come in there and tear the woods down to where you can see the interstate. It's a pretty nice patch of woods."
Becky Scott told commissioners that most neighbors didn't know about the issue until she and another resident made 150 copies of the notice of Tuesday's meeting that she received and took them door to door. The commission is only required to notify property owners within 200 feet of an area proposed to be rezoned.
"No one knows anything about it," Scott said. "I can see no good coming from this. You would save us so many sleepless nights if this failed."
Sandra Prater, a former state representative, said her concern was the noise and the removal of the scenery entering the park.
"It's a park." Prater said after the meeting. "When people are coming into the park what do they see? They see green. Do they want to see concrete buildings?
"There are a lot of other places that could be used effectively to build a lodge," Prater said. "It's a very quiet, well-established neighborhood. We have to be here to be the voice for everyone who can't come. I'm thankful they tabled it."
Metro on 02/11/2015