A front-page headline in the April 7, 2021 issue of the Newton County Times was "Jasper begins land use regulation study." Jasper, population 400, is my hometown, and it is the county seat. Here's the lede:
Jasper government official met Wednesday March 31, with experts in the area of community economic development planning from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock/Arkansas Economic Development Institute (AEDI) to begin the process of updating existing city zoning regulations in order to meet the goals the city has set out in its Future Strategic Community Plan (FSCP).
AEDI worked with the city to develop the plan over a year-long process that included community meetings, surveys and studies. The FSCP was published in July 2020 and has become the basis of choosing projects that benefit business, government or the community and to improve the area's overall quality of life.
Attending the meeting were [the mayor, the city administrator, a city council member and Planning and Land Use Committee chair, public works director and water operator] and the city's attorney, R Dawn Allen from Berryville. Officials in attendance from Little Rock were the AEDI director, emergency management specialist Miles McDonnell, and several community economic development planners.
As the FSCP notes, the population of Jasper and Newton County has been on the decline. The city wants to enhance the community and quality of life to attract new businesses and residents.
The plan recommends development should occur in areas where infrastructure and public services already exist, updating city zoning regulations, and reusing and redeveloping existing parcels and structures versus development of vacant parcels.
The mayor said that, in recent months, the city has been faed with several requests for rezoning property within the city for a change of use. She said she doesn't now how to answer those queries when people bring them to her at city hall. The story then goes on to list some examples, including regarding placement of tiny houses, the prospect of turning private residences into commercial properties, like bed and breakfasts, and developers wanting water and sewer lines relocated to suit their needs.
The city attorney said she had researched ordinances of cities similar in size to Jasper to see if those ordinances can be adjusted to meet Jasper's needs.
Here's an interesting line from the article:
It was pointed out that tourism is the community's economic engine. They city has few if any filing or permit fees. The city has a surplus of water that it purchases under an agreement with Ozark Mountain Regional Water Authority.
One of the AEDI planners mentioned that the town's topography "creates problem for the laying of water and sewer lines," requiring pumps to get water uphill. Updated maps of water and sewer lines are needed, too. AEDI GIS mapping specialists may be able to assist.
City officials said they want to attract small retail businesses because there is no room for large industry. They also noted a need for homes for workers: "The problem is there isn't enough housing available in either Jasper or the county," especially housing lower earning families can afford. "It was noted many people who work in the city such as the school have to commute from other neighboring towns or communities."
Health and transportation services are needed by the more senior population which is currently on the rise.
When the AEDI planners asked if the city has a goal population, no one had a clear answer. One local official commented that "residents don't want Jasper's small town atmosphere to radically change."
The topics of annexing more land also came up, as did seeking government grants for parks and expansion of emergency services. The AEDI personnel "reviewed a long list of recommendations prepared for the city to encourage and prepare for future development ... includ[ing] zoning and design guidelines, prioritizing infrastructure improvements, and emergency access and other areas of economic development such as infrastructure agreements, tax investment financing, tax abatement, establishing special assessment districts and special service districts.
Speaking of taxes, a recent story indicated that the city is considering a "burger tax." This also relates, of course, to the importance of tourism to the area's economy.
Speaking of zoning and housing, a subsequent story, on April 21, 2021, is headlined "Jasper passes residential building code."
The ordinance defines multi-family and single family dwellings and permitted uses of residential structures. These to no include travel trailers or single-wide mobile homes, but may include double-wide mobile homes or modular homes that have tongues, wheels and axles permanently removed after the unit is placed on a permanent concrete slab foundation or other approved foundation. The exterior shall be situated and maintained to give the appearance of a site-built home.
A residential structure replacing a structure in place at the time of this ordinance
Lot area and setbacks include a minimum lot area of 5000 square feet for a single family dwelling. An additional 1,500 square feet is required for each additional unit per lot. The ordinance also addresses lot widths, the size of front, side and rear yards. Dwelling size requires a minimum of 750 square feet for each additional family unit per lot. The maximum height allowed by the ordinance is 2 stories.
There is also information on the permitting process, including the fact that "[i]f the city takes no action on a permit request within 45 days, the permit is assumed to be approved.
Another story from the April 21 paper reports that the Jasper City Council has selected an architect to renovate the old Buffalo Theatre. The council passed a resolution to accept the building as a gift from Don Nelms, who has owned it for several years after acquiring it from a local non profit that tried to use it as a theatre and community center. The City's plan is to use it as a visitor's center. The firm selected for the work, Clements & Associates of North Little Rock, was "selected from others because the owner is familiar with Jasper and ... has worked on similar restoration projects." The story does not detail the nature of that familiarity. One of my early jobs--from perhaps age 12-14--was running the concession stand at the Buffalo Theatre, where movies were shown on its sole screen Friday through Sunday, evenings only.
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