A vote by the Little Rock Board of Directors on a rezoning request to allow an apartment development on South Bowman Road has been rescheduled again after Vice Mayor Lance Hines didn't allow it to proceed to its required public readings Tuesday night.
State law requires city governing bodies to read ordinances three times at separate meetings, but boards can waive that requirement and have all three readings at one meeting if enough directors agree to suspend the rules.
The Little Rock board consistently suspends the rules to waive the requirement. But without comment Tuesday, Hines voted against doing so on this issue.
Eight of 10 city directors were present, so it only took his vote against suspending the rules to stop the vote on the ordinance.
"I was not aware until right before the meeting [that] two directors would not be here. I felt that with the moratorium in place that the full board should hear and vote on this, since the full board sent it back to the Planning Commission," Hines said.
The city put in place last year a moratorium on new apartments in the area, but it did not apply to this proposed project because the developer had already applied for the rezoning.
Originally, the city board was to vote on the rezoning in March but instead sent the application back to the Planning Commission to be considered with new amendments made by the developer.
Several audience members who were present Tuesday to speak against the rezoning, as well as other directors, were upset by the move.
"It bothers me. It's very seldom we actually do this. I think it's unfair to the people that have been sitting in this meeting. I know the board has a right to vote its conscience, but these people have come here and sat from 6 o'clock to [7 o'clock] and I think we should be men and women enough to vote," City Director Erma Hendrix said.
Sharon Hussman went to the microphone Tuesday to express her frustration to the board before leaving. Before the meeting she passed out "Stop Rezoning" stickers to people opposing the development. The opposition group totaled upwards of 40 people.
"This is the third time this has been put off. I have three kids here. It's just not right," Hussman said.
City Director Kathy Webb mouthed "I'm so sorry" to angry residents as they commented while leaving the boardroom.
City Director Doris Wright, who represents the area where the complex is planned, said she was blindsided by Hines' move.
"These are my constituents that are in the audience. Many have communicated with me quite extensively to share their concerns about this issue. I must say, I'm blindsided because I thought we would hear this tonight. I didn't know it would continue to drag on. This has been a long-running issue. I, for one, am tired of it," Wright said.
Developer Keith Richardson is requesting that a 74-acre tract of wooded property west of South Bowman Road be rezoned to make way for a 408-unit development called Herrick Heights. Richardson has plans for single-family homes and office space on the site as well.
The site is near Richardson's current project, the Pointe at Brodie Creek apartments.
Richardson has faced backlash from nearby single-family subdivisions that strongly opposed more apartment complexes in the area. There are already 504 apartment units in the area at the Pointe at Brodie Creek. Another 500 are approved for Bowman Pointe, and a planned development of 250 units has been approved farther south on Bowman Road.
In response to complaints about increased traffic on Bowman Road, Richardson agreed to build a traffic circle or traffic signal at the intersection of South Bowman Road and Brodie Creek. He wouldn't have to fulfill that obligation until he began developing along that road.
Richardson also offered two other compromises: He would put a 50-foot buffer area between the single-family developments and the apartment complex, and he would build the single-family houses on his property to be similar in size and character to those in nearby neighborhoods Brodie Creek and Woodlands Edge. This was in response to concerns that the new development would decrease the value of current properties.
All three amendments will be included in a deed restriction on the property if approved by the city board.
The ordinance that would rezone the property and allow for the apartment complex is now scheduled for a second reading at the board's 6 p.m. August 2 board meeting at City Hall. City directors could waive the rules and have the third reading that night and vote. If not, a final reading and vote wouldn't take place until the board's August 16 meeting.
Metro on 07/20/2016