SPRINGDALE -- The Planning Commission on Tuesday tabled consideration of two multifamily housing projects because the plans didn't allow for enough open space.
Both projects were for Butterfield Coach Road. Developers of both projects said they will revise their plans for review at the next Planning Commission meeting Sept. 1.
City zoning ordinances require 20 percent of the project to be open or green space, said Patsy Christie, the city's director of planning. That doesn't include isolated strips or areas such as parking lots, she said.
"Green spaces can help build a sense of community as neighbors gather for relaxation, recreation and social activity," reads the city's code. If planned properly, green space can preserve and stabilize the area's ecological balance as well as buffer air and noise pollution.
Developer Tom Embach plans 25 two-bedroom units with one-car garages. That's five buildings of five units each on a 3 1/2 acre site, west of Butterfield Coach south of Yorkshire Circle, explained Ferdie Fourie, the project's engineer.
He said the units will look similar to those his company has developed in the Mansion at Mill Creek senior living community but will be open for general residence.
The second complex includes 81 units in five buildings, on the east side of Butterfield Coach, said an engineer from Blew and Associates who attended the meeting via Zoom.
The original plan called for two-story units with a garage on the bottom level. Designers moved the garages to the side, to keep the buildings one story to provide privacy for the homes around the property, the engineering representative said.
But that also limited green space.
"You're putting too much building on too small an area," Christie said.
Residents from nearby subdivisions voiced concerns of population density and traffic turning onto Butterfield Coach Road. They said they've gotten used to this open land serving as a buffer to their neighborhood.
Property owners have a right to sell their property, said Peyton Parker, a member of the commission. Others have the right to buy the property to save the green space.
"But something will eventually go in there," Parker said. "Right now, we are trying to determine what is the best use of that land going forward.
Laurinda Joenks can be reached by email at joenks@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWALaurinda.