FAYETTEVILLE -- An automotive repair shop seeking to comply with Washington County planning and zoning regulations was denied a permit Thursday after the business failed to garner enough support from the county's Planning Board.
The Washington County Planning Board voted 3-2 in favor of a request for a conditional use permit for Overbeys Automotive. With conditional use permits requiring a majority vote of the seven-member board for approval -- at least four affirmative votes -- the motion to approve the permit failed. The applicant can resubmit the project to the Planning Department or appeal the result to the Quorum Court.
The automotive repair shop has been operating since July without a permit from the county, according to information from the planning staff. The 40-by-50-foot shop is on about one-third of an acre of land at 1826 S. Tallgrass Drive, which is south of East Huntsville Road and east of Fayetteville. The property is located inside the city of Fayetteville's planning area. The owners are listed as James and Shelley Overbey.
According to the application, the business would operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and have two employees on site. The shop building is already in place, and no new construction is planned. According to the application, all of the work done would be inside the shop building and not be visible to any neighbors. The shop building doors face property also owned by the applicant and will be closed most of the time, with any noise from the building expected to be "very minimal," according to the application.
Several neighbors spoke in opposition to the permit, citing the "quiet, family-oriented" character of the neighborhood. They also pointed to safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists from the increased traffic if the business is allowed, noise from the shop and from the large wreckers that would be bringing vehicles to the business, possible spills or leaks of oil or other automotive fluids, and the potential loss of value of their residential properties.
"I too am in favor of small business, but not in my back yard," Sasha Beard told the Planning Board.
The Planning Board voted unanimously to approve a conditional use permit for the Cedar Bell Wedding Chapel. No one spoke in opposition to the business at Thursday's meeting.
The wedding chapel is planned for an 18.6 acres of a farm at 18112 Edgewood Road, which is Washington County 344. The property is located in the Goshen planning area. Edgewood Road runs south of Arkansas 45, east of Goshen. The entire parcel is about 38.6 acres in size.
According to the application submitted by Geoffrey Bates of Bates and Associates on behalf of Brian Glenn, the property owner, the property is now pastureland and woods. The event center and wedding venue will include 109 standard parking spaces and five parking spaces that will meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The venue is planned to be open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week with two employees on site. The expected capacity of the venue is 100 people with a maximum or 25-35 cars per event, according to the application.
There are two buildings planned, one of 7,600 square feet and a second of 2,400 square feet. The facility is planned to have outdoor music and outdoor lighting but no screening around the property. The owner is planning to leave several natural buffer areas on the property, according to the application.
After approving the conditional use permit, the Planning Board also approved the preliminary large-scale development plan for the venue.
Conditional use permits
Land in unincorporated Washington County is zoned for agricultural or single-family residential use. All other uses require the property owner to obtain a conditional use permit through the countys planning process. The permits must be approved by the Washington County Planning Board and the Quorum Court.
Source: NWA Democrat-Gazette