As I mentioned yesterday, the Central Arkansas Water Commission meets this afternoon on a proposed zoning code for the Lake Maumelle watershed. Its less than environmentalists want and less, in its heart of hearts, than the water utility would want. But CEO Graham Rich has endorsed it as the best possible political compromise.
If approved today, it goes to the Pulaski County Planning Board and Quorum Court.
Here’s the resolution before Central Arkansas Water today.
The proposed zoning code got still more changes late Friday from the county planning department. Vann McClendon, the planning director, says they are primarily changes to soften rules for small landowners — remove a 36-foot height restriction for accessory structures; increase the by-right expension of an existing residence from 500 to 1,000 square feet and clarify a rule on a family exclusion in developer definition.
Water protectors had hoped for lots more — particularly a dramatic reduction in the allowable residences. The plan now allows more than 35,000 in Pulaski County alone.
UPDATE: Kathy Wells, president of the Coalition of Greater Little Rock Neighborhoods, reports that the commission has signed off on the proposal, though with a resolution that stopped short of a full-bore endorsement. Her report and from Barry Haas from a citizens group working to protect the watershed follows:
