The Texarkana, Arkansas, Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for five duplexes on East Street and denied a permit for a transitional housing program at the former Ritz Motel during a meeting that drew impassioned testimony from residents on both proposals.
The commission also passed two ordinance revisions allowing accessory structures and accessory dwelling units in side yards and approved a rezoning of the Flying J truck stop to mixed-use highway.
Tederal Jefferson, owner of the former Ritz Motel at 1415 East Broad St., requested a conditional use permit to operate a faith-based transitional housing program called Pathway to Higher Dimension. The program would house men returning from incarceration for six months to a year, providing job training, mentorship, credit counseling and life skills education.
Jefferson said the state of Arkansas approved the facility for up to 24 residents. The property, zoned C3, includes a four-bedroom house that would serve as an office and 10 motel-style rooms, each approved for two occupants.
“My goal is to really give them the help and the training that they need,” Jefferson said. He said the program would not accept sex offenders and that participants who violated rules would be sent back to jail.
Jefferson said the state requires the facility to provide three meals a day, transportation to jobs and parole appointments, and on-site staffing. He said he was completing state-required training and planned to hold a community open house with a state representative before opening.
Commission members asked about staffing levels, state oversight, curfews and proximity to Arkansas High School. Jefferson said the state mandates one staff member for every 24 residents and that fencing would be installed around the property.
The commission voted 3-2 in favor of the permit, with Anita Pickett, Dr. Hickerson and Chris Owens voting yes and Cori Mobbs and Chairman Anderson Neal voting no. Because the commission requires four votes from the full body to approve a conditional use permit, the request was denied.
City planner Jamie Finley informed Jefferson he could appeal the decision to the board of directors within 10 days by submitting a written request.
The commission voted 4-1 to approve a conditional use permit for Cowart Batte Investments LLC to build five duplexes at 3411 East St., a five-acre parcel zoned C3 that formerly housed a business called Bucks and Ducks.
The approval came after the commission denied a planned unit development rezoning request for the same project in January. The developers returned with a conditional use permit application, which is allowed under C3 zoning for any use permitted in R4.
JC Cowart, representing the developers, said the duplexes would provide affordable housing in an area that struggles to attract growth.
“One of the biggest negative feedbacks they get from these potential sites that come in are the lack of housing, affordable housing in the area,” Cowart said of local economic development groups.
Stacey and Rachel Ashland of Tri-State Realty Group, hired to manage the properties, said they employ strict screening criteria including background checks and rental references. They said rent would be about $1,000 a month for a two-bedroom unit.
Neighbors spoke against the project for a second consecutive meeting. Cherry Rhodes of 3500 East St. said the duplexes did not represent the highest and best use of the land and would disrupt the rural character of the neighborhood.
“This is country-type living,” Rhodes said. “It’s just not a good mix.”
Karen Rhodes, also of 3500 East St., said a neighboring property could not be sold because prospective buyers backed away after learning about the proposed duplexes. She said the universal concerns among more than 20 neighbors she visited were property depreciation and liability from renters’ children accessing nearby ponds and wooded areas.
Leah Collie of 4400 Old Blackman Ferry Road said she respected the developers’ intentions but questioned putting duplexes in an area lacking grocery stores and other services.
Colin Kuhn, representing the developers, said the C3 zoning already allows uses such as RV parks and taverns without a conditional use permit and that duplexes were a better fit for the property.
Pickett cast the lone dissenting vote. Hickerson, Owens, Mobbs and Neal voted in favor.
The commission unanimously approved two ordinance revisions recommended by the building official.
The first allows accessory structures such as detached garages, shops, swimming pools and carports in side yards. Previously, they were permitted only behind the rear building line. City planner Finley said most lots would not be large enough for side-yard structures but that code enforcement and the city manager saw no reason to prohibit them.
The second revision extends the same allowance to accessory dwelling units, which the state now requires cities to permit. Unlike standard accessory structures, ADUs must meet the same setbacks as the primary structure on the lot.
Both items passed 5-0.
Rezoning the Flying J truck stop to mixed-use highway was unanimously passed. The designation was created when the commission established the mixed-use highway zone for truck stops. The rezoning makes the Flying J a conforming use, allowing it to expand in the future if desired.