Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – July 17, 2024 – The Jonesboro City Council moved the appeal of a rezoning decision by the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission (MAPC) to its third reading Tuesday night.

Property Owners Jeremy and Fara Moore made a formal request to the MAPC in April, 2024 to rezone property at the Northwest corner of Southwest Drive and Darr Hill Road (5415 Southwest Drive) from R-1 (Residential) to C-3 (Commercial). In the rezoning application the Moores stated the reason for the rezoning request was to allow construction of a 400 square ft. self-contained coffee shop building.  The MAPC voted 4-2 at its April 9, 2024 meeting to deny the rezoning request.

The Moores have appealed the MAPC’s decision to the full City Council. The appeal was presented for its first reading at the July 2, 2024 city council meeting. At that meeting, Council member John Street said Jeremy Moore had contacted him and said “the only reason he asked for the C-3 rezoning on the lot is because he wanted to build a personal shop building.” Street said he had consulted with Darrel Smith, City of Jonesboro Director Planning and Zoning, who had indicated Moore could not build a shop building on the property while zoned R-1 without also building a house.

Street said Moore was agreeable to a “limited use overlay” condition on the rezoning allowing only a personal shop building as part of the C-3 rezoning. At the council meeting, Street moved to add the limited use overlay to the appeal, Council member Mitch Johnson seconded, and the limited use overlay addition to the appeal was approved 11-0. (Council member Chris Moore abstained from the vote and discussion. Jeremy Moore is his brother.)

At Tuesday night’s meeting Mary Tucker, who owns adjacent land to the North of Moore’s property, addressed the council in opposition to the rezoning appeal. Tucker also spoke at the April 9 MAPC meeting as well as the July 2 council meeting. “This corner is already congested and dangerous,” Tucker said. “There’s accidents there all the time. And now with a truck stop going in across from Sonic it’s going to get even worse.”

Jeremy Moore responded at Tuesday night’s meeting, “I realize there’s a lot of bad intersections in Jonesboro, and there’s a lot of wrecks that happen at intersections all over town,” Moore said. “That’s one of the reasons why I made the concession to add the limited use (overlay) and go with something less impact.”

At the July 2 Council meeting Steve Floyd, who owns adjacent property to the West of the Moore property, asked if the appeal was approved with the limited use overlay and the property is later sold or rented could the use of the property change. City attorney Carol Duncan responded, “A limited use overlay would limit the use of the building to just a personal shop for Mr. Moore. So, that would be the only use that would be allowed. Anything else would have to come back before MAPC and request a change in the use.”

The Council is expected to place the appeal on its third reading and subsequently vote whether or not to approve the appeal at its next meeting.