North Little Rock officials shut down a U-Haul rental business operating out of a barbershop Monday after the City Council denied an application for special use on the property because some thought a row of trucks in front of a business wasn't a good look for the community.
The North Little Rock City council voted 7 to 1 to deny a special use request by Malcolm Keener, owner of Faith Beauty and Barber Hair Design, to operate a trailer and truck rental business in a C-3 zone at 2010 Pike Avenue.
After the vote, the city told Keener to cease and desist any rental truck operations on the business.
"It helps the community," Keener said before the council voted. "People call us every day asking if we have a truck. We have people call us because we are closer to them than they don't want to have to drive all the way to Kanis to pick up a truck."
Andrew Hicks, marketing company president of the U-Haul Company of Arkansas and who attended the meeting, explained how studies have found that the typical person will want to rent from places two or three miles from their home instead of driving further. He said for this reason U-Haul partners with as many businesses as possible to keep their trucks close as possible.
"We mesh with every business," he said. "I got 200 dealers in the state and they range from flea markets to beauty salons to tattoo parlors."
Council member Debi Ross said the rental truck business had been operating alongside the barbershop since April, but the area hadn't been zoned for that particular use.
Hicks said this was a mistake made by one of his representatives.
"He just didn't know," he said. "It was human error on his part. We are going to make sure it never happens again in the future."
Keener pointed out the North Little Rock Planning Commission had already approved, in November, the application for special use at the barber shop after applying a series of restrictions. The restrictions included meeting the parking lot shade requirements and allowing a maximum of six rental trailers and trucks on site at one time.
"The original request was for 10 trailers and trucks on the property and we brought it down to six," said Shawn Spencer, director of the city's Planning Commission.
The commission also discussed times for U-Hauls to be parked there when the barber shop was open, but removed the requirement after some discussion, Spencer said.
"The argument was, if he wants to park too many trucks there and not have enough parking for the customers, then that is poor judgment on how to run his business," he said.
Council member Beth White acknowledged the Planning Commission's decision, but also chose to read some of the concerns the North Little Rock Planning Commission had at the time, including not having enough parking spots for a barbershop and trailer rental, that it might attract similar requests, and that the request didn't comply with the city's land use plan.
"For these reasons, I can't support it," White said.
Ross said a lot of work has been done to beautify the Pike Avenue area and she was concerned with how a row of U-Haul rental trucks in front of the business would be perceived.
"It would be different if it was parked behind the business or on the side, but they will be parked where you can see them," she said.
Hicks said U-Haul has a computer system that will automatically cut off rental trucks to a location if it reaches a maximum number.
"We don't try to de-beautify the area," he said. "We try to enhance the location."
State Desk on 12/25/2019