The Jonesboro Metropolitan Area Planning Commission on Oct. 14 approved a final plat for Orchard Phase 2, a preliminary five‑lot subdivision for property associated with First United Methodist Church of Jonesboro, and the minutes from its Sept. 23 meeting.

Orchard Phase 2 is a final subdivision plat for 61 single‑family lots on about 23.1 acres in the southwest quarter of Section 4, Township 13 North, Range 4 East. Applicant Mark Morris said the development has received its “first lift of asphalt,” the bond amount was approved and the developer is "waiting on to get that in the mail." The city planner told commissioners the plat "meets all the requirements of the subdivision code" and recommended approval. Commissioner Little moved to approve the final plat; Allison seconded. The subdivision was approved by the commission.

The commission also considered a preliminary plat from Don Parker on behalf of First United Methodist Church of Jonesboro to combine roughly 27–28 metes‑and‑bounds parcels into five lots totaling about 5.59 acres in the Core Mixed‑Use Redevelopment District. Parker said the parcels include existing structures and several parking lots; he noted the church leases an adjacent parking lot owned by Saint Bernard's. The city planner said the proposal meets the requirements of the subdivision ordinance and recommended approval. A motion to approve the preliminary subdivision passed after a second was recorded.

Votes at a glance
- Approval of Sept. 23 minutes — motion by Zilper; second by Little; outcome: approved (voice/roll‑call vote).
- Orchard Phase 2 final plat (61 lots on ~23.1 acres) — motion to approve by Little; second by Allison; outcome: approved (voice/roll‑call vote).
- First United Methodist Church preliminary plat (5 lots on ~5.59 acres) — mover not specified in the transcript; second recorded as "Styling"; outcome: approved (voice/roll‑call vote).

City staff and the commission did not provide roll‑call vote tallies by name in the transcript; approvals were recorded after members cast votes using the meeting voting interface.

Background and next steps
Final plat approval clears a primary municipal review hurdle for Orchard Phase 2; the developer indicated bonding and initial paving are in place. The First United Methodist preliminary plat consolidates multiple older parcels and follows an alley abandonment and property‑line clarifications described in the presentation. The commission did not attach conditions in the recorded discussion. Any required recording, bond payment or administrative steps were not detailed in the discussion in the transcript and therefore are not specified.

Meeting context
The discussion of both subdivisions followed the commission’s approval of meeting minutes and preceded a legal presentation to the commission on changes to the Freedom of Information Act.