Latest News
No Meeting the Week of Spring Break
The Lonoke Planning & Zoning Commission did not receive any applications for the month of March. For this reason, and to allow your Commissioners the opportunity to spend Spring Break with their families, Lonoke Planning & Zoning Commission will not meet during the month of March. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday evening, April 17. Applications and agenda requests are due by Monday April 10, one week prior to the meeting. The public is encouraged to attend montly meetings and communicate with your Planning Commission by contacting the City at cityoflonoke@sbcglobal.net . |
Cancellation of February Meeting
The Lonoke Planning & Zoning Commission did not receive any applications or agenda requests for the month of February. For this reason, the Commission will not meet during the month of February during the regular meeting previously scheduled for the 20th. The community is encouraged to attend a Kick Start Lonoke Action Team meeting during the month, including the Beautification & Recreation Action Team meeting scheduled for Monday, February 20 at 5:30 pm, to be held at the Lonoke County Museum. Much of the work that the Beautification & Recreation Team is addressing will be done with the participation and collaborative input of the Lonoke Planning & Zoning Commission. Future Planning & Zoning Commission meetings in the coming months are anticipated to involve the input of citizens on such matters as trail expansion, lighting, signage, and land use. Please continue to follow this site and the event calendar for future updates. |
January Planning Meeting Workshop to Host Highway Department
The January regular monthly meeting of the Lonoke Planning Commission will feature a signage study workship and host special guests from the community and the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. Jeff Ingram and John Mathis of AHTD will join the meeting to discuss signage and wayfinding within the rights-of-way (including I-40, Highway 31, and Highway 70) and the Department's Gateway Signage program. Both of these issues were addressed in the recommendations submitted in the Initial Findings presentation by the Lonoke Planning Commission's Signage Study Working Group. You may view the slide deck of that presentation HERE. This opportunity to begin a conversation with the Highway Department is a key next step for the Signage Study Working group and for the volunteer members of the "Kick Start Lonoke" Action Teams focused on Beautification & Recreation and on Downtown & Retail improvements. In the spirit of collaboration, the Lonoke Planning & Zoning Commission is pleased to participate as a supporting stakeholder in the independent "Kick Start Lonoke" initiative. In support of the Action Team work, the Commission anticipates that the discussion with AHTD will be a beneficial extension of the work currently underway in the community. Please make plans to join this public working meeting on Monday evening, January 16, at 6:30pm to be held at City Hall, 107 West 2nd St. You may always contact us with any additional questions! |
December Meeting Canceled, Commission to Reconvene in January
The Lonoke Planning and Zoning Commission will not meet during the regular monthly meeting time scheduled for December 19. The Commission wishes each one of our neighbors a Merry Christmas, and invites the public to attend Monday, January 16 at 6:30 pm when the regular monthly meeting schedule resumes! |
November Planning Commission Meeting to Feature Guest Presentation
Throughout the year, your Lonoke Planning Commission has been studying Placemaking and encouraging creative conversations in our community. Additionally, in the spirit of collaboration and partnership, Planning Commission members are serving in leadership roles for the independent Kick Start Lonoke intiative. Kick Start Lonoke is evaluating six specific areas of focus in Our community: Infrastructure, Housing & Real Estate, Downtown & Retail Development, Beautification & Recreation, Branding & Marketing, and Jobs & Education. Each of these subjects is being addressed by an Action Team formed to develop priorities and goals related to each specific area for inclusion in the Strategic Action Plan to be unveiled in Spring 2017. The mission, vision, and values of the Lonoke Planning Commission compel us to create connections with the work being done by the citizens of Lonoke and coordinate our work as a resource for the benefit of our fellow stakeholders. As such a resource, the Planning Commission's monthly meetings and working sessions are being offered as a venue for learning, collaboration, and idea generation. The November regular monthly meeting, to be held Monday, November 21 at 6:30 pm, will feature a guest presentation regarding TACTICAL URBANISM from the leadership group responsible for the annual POP UP IN THE ROCK event in Little Rock. Click HERE to learn more about their work, and come Monday evening to here more about the purpose, logistics, and success of the Pop Up in the Rock movement.  Tactical Urbanism is a methodology that activates overlooked or underutilized public spaces, in an effort to highlight the potential of a place to facilitate community interaction. It is one of the tools that may be used in line with Placemaking principles as we look at our own downtown areas in Lonoke and consider opportunities to increase occupation rates, enhance beautification, and promote recreation & activity. The community is invited to attend and join the conversation and consider creative applications to the work of the Kick Start Lonoke Action Teams, toward a Unified & Connected Lonoke! |
| Attachments:
agenda 11212016.pdf
Signage Study Working Group Presents Initial Study
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| Attachments:
signage study - initial presentation.pdf
Public Hearing and Regular Monthly Meeting to be Held October 17
The Lonoke Planning & Zoning Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 6:00 pm on October 17th prior to the regular monthly meeting for October. When an application for conditional use permit is submitted, a public hearing is required for the benefit of neighbors and commissioners who wish to understand more about the applicant's plans for the property. The public notice appears below as advertised in a local publication, per the requirements of the law: PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Lonoke Planning & Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing regarding the issuance of a Conditional Use Permit at 717 W Academy to allow for a Daycare Family Home. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that at 6:00 p.m. on the 17th day of October, 2016, at 107 West 2nd Street, the Commission will hear any comments and concerns regarding these issues. The Planning Commission will also hold its regular October meeting directly following this public hearing.
____________________________ Regina Ibbotson, Deputy City The particular application which is the subject of the public hearing is a request from a homeowner to increase the capacity of a particular in-home childcare operation (currently operating under the provisions of the Unified Development Code as a "Residential Home Day Care") such that enrollment would prospectively be increased to a maximum capacity of ten (10) children and thereby be classified as a "Daycare Family Home," the requirements of which were recently revised by the Planning Commission and approved by City Council via an update to the Unified Development Code. A new provision of the revised code allows a Daycare Family Home to operate in R-1 as a conditional use. Following the public hearing, the Planning & Zoning Commission will convene for the regular monthly meeting to consider the conditional use application at hand. This is the only item on the regular monthly meeting agenda. Citizens of all the neighborhoods in Lonoke should expect their Planning & Zoning Commission to uphold the core value of "welcoming public input with a collaborative spirit." It is the Commission's honor to serve all of our neighbors and welcome you to each monthly meeting and public hearing. When you arrive, your Commission will be prepared to hear your voice. |
Special Working Meeting October 3 for Signage Study Working Group
During the August regular monthly meeting of the Planning & Zoning Commission, a presentation of case studies based on the five planning elements was presented. A copy of that presentation is linked below. During that meeting, the formation of a Signage Study Working Group was discussed in order to proactively develop suggestions for the location of gateway, wayfinding, and district signage throughout the community. On Monday evening, October 3 at 6:00 pm, the Lonoke Planning & Zoning Commission will hold a special working meeting to review a presentation from Signage Study Working Group members Karen Dill, Michael Florence, and Ryan Biles. The public is invited to the presentation to learn of the working group's progress and collaboratively provide suggestions and input. |
| Attachments:
planning elements.pdf
Recap of September Regular Monthly Meeting
On September 19, the Lonoke Planning & Zoning Commission held a regular monthly meeting, during which time the Large Scale Development and Building Permit for a new Sonic Drive-In restaurant at 1696 N. Center Street was considered for approval. The applicant's proposal for an 1,806 square foot restaurant with 51 parking spaces was approved by the Commission. The site will also be developed to include a playground and volleyball court with a seating area to the south of the restaurant. During the meeting, a public hearing was set for October 17 to consider a Conditional Use Permit application for a day-care family home proposed to accommodate 10 children. Due to time constraints, a presentation by the Commission's Signage Study Working Group was postponed. A special working meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 3 for this presentation. |
| Attachments:
Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes September 19 2016.pdf
Upcoming Regular Monthly Meeting, September 19, 2016
This evening's regular monthly Planning Commission meeting will consider an application for large-scale development. The meeting will conclude with a follow-up presentation from the Signage Study Working Group regarding gateways, districts, and wayfinding signage building on the previous presentation of signage types in context of the five planning elements. We welcome your attendance and interest. |
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