I have updated and compared the numbers, commercialization, and density of the current zoning and the rezoning. My summary is below. For the current zoning, I am using the simple 72-acre split of the property though two acres on Halsell were later rezoned from PZD to RSF-4. They were part of the original PZD.
Will several of you please talk about this at the City Council meeting tonight. My five minutes is full so I can't.
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Current zoning
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72-acre PZD on east half of mountain - no development allowed, no commercializations other than existing Pratt Inn and Event Barn. Majority of the PZD is solid tree cover. The big meadow on the top is part of the PZD which is good because wildlife needs grassland as well as woods. Almost all the 46-acre Markham Camp that is on the Arkansas Register of Historic Places is in the PZD. Probably more than half of the unsurveyed Native American sites and possibly one registered are in the PZD. The PZD also protects the surrounding low-density neighborhood. So, preserving the 72-acre PZD is important to us. (We find the 72-acre PZD more important than the 44 acres on the far west next to the highway that Specialized REG promises to put in a conservation easement if the rezoning is approved. That area would be difficult to build on anyway and is the 30% required by the hillside/hilltop ordinances when looking at the entire 144 acre property.)
72-acre RSF-4 on west half of mountain - developers can develop this area with at most 4 single family homes per acre. That equals at most 288 single family homes. They must preserve (I call this semi-preserve because it can be scattered) 30% of 72 acres which is 22 acres since hillside/hilltop land.
Summary of current zoning:
- Preserves the 72-acre PZD (all the woods, big meadow, natural habitat, historic places and sites)
- Semi-preserves 22 acres of tree cover in the RSF-4 half of mountain
- Develops 50 acres in RSF-4 half of mountain with at most 288 single family homes
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Rezoning
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24-acre PZD on east of mountain - 43 homes (includes "cottages" which are really rental houses), 80-room hotel, restaurant, other commercial buildings, parking lots for all of these, etc.
76-acre RIU on top of mountain - 478 homes (single family, duplex, triplex, quadraplex), 16 acres preserved open space according to hillside/hilltop and Bill of Assurance. This can include cut-down trees replaced with grass as meeting places. It can also be scattered. So, I call this semi-preserved.
44-acre RA on west of mountain next to highway - preserved, put in conservation easement if rezoning passes. Roads and utilities can still pass through.
Please note: The 144 acres minus the 24-acre PZD equals 120 acres. When Specialized REG says they will preserve 50% of the land as open space, that is 50% of 120, not 50% of 144. So, this equals 60 acres. 44+16=60.
Summary of rezoning:
- Preserves 44 acres in RA
- Semi-preserves 16 acres in the RIU (not necessarily trees)
- Develops 84 acres in their commercialized and dense PZD and RIU (unlimited mixed housing per acre). 478+43=521 homes, 80-room hotel, restaurant, other commercial buildings, parking lots, etc.
Now, compare the numbers, commercialization, and density in both scenarios.
Main problems with rezoning besides developing/destroying more land and preserving less land are: density, traffic, incompatible to surrounding low-density RSF-4 neighborhoods, fire hazard, storm water and flooding of properties at lower elevations from 84 acres of impervious surfaces as well as the many springs and wet weather flows on Markham Hill and surrounding hilly neighborhoods, etc.
Please speak on these and more tonight at the City Council meeting at 5:30pm. We are old business so we come fairly early in the meeting. See you there!
Thank you so much for your hard work in trying to save Markham Hill from as much development as possible and trying to protect our neighborhood from a really destructive development plan.
Sincerely,
Lisa Orton
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