Planning Commission approves rezoning and development plan to convert Wheeler Avenue church into event center

The Fort Smith Planning Commission on Oct. 13 approved a master land use plan amendment, rezoning and development plan that will allow an existing 1,800-square-foot church at 5724 Wheeler Avenue to operate as an event center.

Staff said the commission should amend the master land use plan from institutional to general commercial and rezone the property from RM‑3 (residential multifamily medium density) to C‑5 to permit the proposed commercial use. The property, about 0.64 acres with roughly 154 feet of frontage on Wheeler Avenue, was presented as suitable for C‑5 because of surrounding commercial and industrial uses, staff said. "The C‑5 zoning district has been requested to allow for the existing church building to be utilized as an event center," staff said.

The planning staff recommended approval of the three companion applications (master land use plan amendment, rezoning and development plan) provided conditions are met. Conditions include: installation of a six‑foot opaque privacy fence along the entire northern property boundary and a portion of the southwest boundary adjacent to residential properties; no outdoor storage; compliance with the submitted development plan; and a replat to resolve a recently created noncompliant, landlocked parcel (parcel created during deed filing on Sept. 23, 2025). "Staff recommends approval," Victoria, planning staff, said during the presentation.

Commission discussion focused on fence placement and whether the fence would encroach on curb or public right‑of‑way. Staff answered the fence must sit on the property line and can be placed on top of the curb where the parcel owner owns that area. Commissioners also noted the site already had 18 parking spaces and that prior approvals in 2017 authorized related accessory uses.

All three companion items passed with an 8‑0 vote. The commission recorded that a neighborhood meeting was held Oct. 1 at the Fort Smith Main Library and no neighboring property owners attended.

Next steps: approval by the Planning Commission means the master land use plan amendment and rezoning will be forwarded to the Fort Smith Board of Directors for its review on Nov. 4, 2025, if the required five yes votes for those items are documented in the municipal process, and required replatting must be completed before final permitting and construction actions on the site.