WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — A new zoning ordinance was brought to the Washington County Quorum Court on Thursday, Sept. 19. However, the quorum court decided to not take action on the ordinance that focuses on unincorporated areas of Washington County.
The zoning is called "The Freedom and Property Prevention Preservation Act." Right now, all areas of unincorporated Washington County are zoned for residential or agricultural use. In this ordinance, the county is aiming to change the zoning of unincorporated land along some highways to mixed use, which could be residential, agricultural, or commercial, meaning businesses.
The county attributes the new ordinance to the growth the area is seeing. The current ordinance has been in place for almost 20 years. It's all about giving people the choice and more opportunities, explained County Judge Patrick Deakins at Thursday's meeting.
"We understand we're a growing county. We understand we're a changing county," Deakins said. "If I'm a landowner and I have land on 412, and I think it's time for me to move and I want to do something different with it, I'm given the opportunity to sell that land at the highest and best value. I think if it's if it's deemed commercial and it's more appropriate as commercial, surely, I can attract a better price for that. But if not, you don't have to change it all."
It would also change the process of applying for a conditional use permit.
"We're not here to demand anything. We're not here to impose anything. We're here to give people options," Deakins said. "This was to shepherd commercial businesses into certain areas so that we can continue to try to preserve our rural agricultural heritage in this county for as long as we can."
The quorum court voted to send the ordinance back down to the County Services Committee to look over it again and potentially make some changes. Lots of residents came to Thursday's meeting concerned with questions.
"The major concern is just the sprawl with development, we are growing. We do need to do something about it, but we don't need, we don't need to just open the floodgates and invite businesses to just completely take over our rural areas and our farmland," said Ash Lee Hicks, who's a Justice of the Peace candidate for District 14 and lives in a rural area. "We want to keep our rural space rural, and don't want to have a bunch of signs and really strip malls going along the beautiful Ozark Mountains."
Hicks said she isn't completely opposed to the rezoning, but she wants some changes.
"I would like to see is just a little more thought and slowing this process down, and maybe even taking it piece by piece, instead of doing a total overhaul with the whole entire document," Hicks said. "And taking all of those concerns from area community members into consideration."
The county services committee is set to meet Sept. 30.
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