ROGERS -- A developer has a setback in his plans for a subdivision after the city refused to give him a pass on one of its requirements.
The Planning Commission on Tuesday approved plans for the subdivision on about 3 acres off Pine Street west of downtown, but denied the applicant's request to waive a requirement to do roadwork connecting the development to Pecan Street east of the planned subdivision. Developers in Rogers are required to connect their developments to streets, said Lance Jobe, city engineer.
The developer, Scott Deer, wants to build 13 two-story homes on the property, he said before the meeting. Most of the homes would have three bedrooms and two bathrooms, be between 2,500 and 3,000 square feet and be for sale.
The cost of the required roadwork, which Deer estimates will be more than $100,000, would be too expensive for the project, he said.
"Because this isn't required for fire access, we don't think the street improvements should be responsibility of developer," said Ali Karr, an engineer on the project, during a development review committee meeting.
A single entrance into the subdivision with a cul-de-sac would be acceptable but not preferable to the Fire Department, said Deputy Fire Chief William Hyde.
Karr said she could see why a larger subdivision would need more than one access point, but asked the city grant a waiver because the proposed subdivision would only have 13 lots.
Taylor Lindley, another engineer on the project, said many subdivisions have cul-de-sacs.
"You're right. They do, and that's what we're trying to get away from," Jobe said.
The city is trying to make it easier to walk from one subdivision to the next and avoid dead-end streets, he said.
"It's not my job to redesign your subdivision to meet our code," commissioner Mark Myers said to the engineers.
Myers said the engineers should look at how they design the subdivision so it isn't too expensive and complies with city code.
The commission also approved Angela Blake's request to rezone 606 N. Fifth St. in downtown from residential duplex to the neighborhood transition zoning district to allow for a photography studio to be there.
Both items passed unanimously.
NW News on 05/22/2019