ROGERS -- Neighbors of a proposed apartment complex were relieved to see the project denied.
ARC Construction requested the 3.88-acre lot on Pleasant Grove Road be rezoned from agricultural to residential multifamily with the intention of creating seven rental units per acre.
A public hearing for the rezoning of property intended for the apartment complex at 4554 W. Pleasant Grove Road took place at the Planning Commission on Tuesday night.
"When you talk about rentals, everyone freaks out and thinks it's terrible," said Carl Walker, co-owner of ARC Construction. "But you can have a very nice deal, and that's what we propose."
Walker said the multifamily unit would be single-story, upscale townhouses with mature trees on the property and a brick and wrought iron gate surrounding it. Though there are no other multifamily housing units in the area, Walker said the area is changing.
About 20 residents of nearby single-family housing neighborhood Ridgecrest Meadows attended the meeting, and attorney Bill Watkins represented their interests during the hearing.
"It's spot zoning," Watkins said. According to a definition by another lawsuit, spot zoning is arbitrary treatment of a limited area, designating a piece of land in a way that's not in harmony with other zones surrounding it. "It's like it got dropped in from outer space."
Watkins maintained an apartment complex wouldn't be an appropriate use for the land. He pointed to the lack of multifamily housing units in that area of Rogers and mentioned Whispering Meadows, another single-family housing neighborhood with large houses on spacious lots, is nearby.
Walker said developing another single-family housing neighborhood in the area would be "virtually impossible" and the multifamily housing residents of the proposed complex would all have background checks before moving in.
"We're not opposed to this type of development, multifamily is a part of our future," said Kevin Jensen, vice chairman of the commission. "But even developed as best case [scenario] ... I still think it's a spot zone."
Jensen said the area might eventually have such a development but encouraged Walker to find another location for the project.
"There are certain zones that belong and work next to each other, but this is an example of one that doesn't," Commissioner Don Spann said. "There are large residential houses on one side and small density single-family on other side and to put something of greater concentration between those two goes against our planning."
Spann said Rogers needs multifamily housing but not in this particular area. The practice of zoning progressively, which pays special attention to density, should remain, he said.
Five of the six commissioners present Tuesday voted to deny the rezoning request.
NW News on 12/07/2016