Council waives long-term buffer to let Maumelle Charter High School build softball field

The North Little Rock City Council voted to waive a temporary buffer requirement at 9701 White Oak Crossing to allow Maumelle Charter High School to construct a softball field that would reduce the landscaped buffer from 200 feet to a permanent 30-foot undisturbed area.

Josh Minton, civil engineer with Minton Engineering and the project representative, told council members the school originally planted staggered rows of pine trees along the north property line to satisfy the buffer requirement but that the trees have not yet reached maturity. He said the waiver would allow the school to construct the softball field while maintaining a permanent 30-foot undisturbed buffer on that property line.

"When this site was developed for the Maumelle Charter High School, 1 of the requirements since it butts up against residential property on the North was to have additional landscape screening along that north property line," Minton said. He added the photometric plan submitted with the site plan shows near-zero light spill at the north property line and that the nearest back fences would be another 15 to 20 feet beyond the line.

Council members asked about potential noise and light impacts; Minton said the site has other lighted fields and that the submitted photometric plan and the existing tree rows have mitigated concerns to date. The council held a public hearing; no members of the public testified in opposition at the meeting.

Council approved the buffer waiver and suspended readings for emergency passage; the waiver will allow the softball field construction to proceed pending any required permits.