Council approves a slate of rezonings and PUDs including downtown NC‑2 and two planned developments

At its Aug. 26 meeting the Springdale City Council approved a series of zoning changes and planned unit developments (PUDs) forwarded by the Planning Commission and staff.

Sharon Tromberg, director of Planning and Community Development, explained that a downtown parcel cluster between Poplar and Harris streets was rezoned from NC‑1 to NC‑2 to allow more flexibility for ground‑floor residential and mixed‑use development; the Planning Commission had approved that change unanimously in June and council carried the ordinance with an emergency clause.

The council also approved several PUD rezonings. An ordinance rezoning roughly 20 acres at the southwest corner of Don Tyson Parkway and Haberton Road to a PUD passed with an emergency clause after staff presented a summary and exhibits. The council approved Canopy Cottages, a PUD north of West Morris Avenue (off North Thompson) that the applicant said would contain 43 single‑family lots (Tromberg and the applicant confirmed 43 lots, which lowers the density to about 7.1 units per acre as discussed at the meeting). Derek Gibson, representing OC Springdale and one of the property owners, told the council the PUD aims for "a high‑density quality single‑family opportunity" with an average home around 1,300 square feet and price targets in the $250,000–$295,000 range; he said the developer will construct Morris Avenue improvements, sidewalks and other infrastructure as part of the project.

Not every ordinance included an emergency clause. A rezoning to C5 (Thoroughfare Commercial) for a proposed community event center at 2143 Worth Lane passed on final reading but the council did not adopt the emergency clause for that item, so that zoning change will take effect after the standard waiting period if final ordinances are recorded.

Tromberg reminded council that the rezoning decisions do not themselves approve site plans; large‑scale development or non‑large‑scale applications will be required for specific building designs, and each such plan will undergo departmental review for stormwater, fire access, parking, materials and lighting. For several PUDs and rezonings the council adopted emergency clauses where applicants or staff indicated pending development activity; Tromberg said the clause allows zoning to take effect immediately rather than waiting the normal 30 days when there are time‑sensitive project schedules.

Why it matters: The set of approvals advances multiple proposed developments and downtown flexibility for mixed use. Some items (notably the Canopy Cottages PUD and downtown NC‑2) will drive near‑term building proposals and public infrastructure work; others will be subject to future design review and neighbor notification.

Ending note: Council directed staff to manage follow‑up reviews for each approved rezoning and to ensure adjacent property owners are notified when specific development plans are submitted.