Little Rock board approves Holy Souls parking lot after hours of testimony; opponents cite trees, drainage and historic homes

The Little Rock City Board of Directors voted 6-3 on May 6 to approve a plan development commercial (PDC) allowing Our Lady of Holy Souls Catholic Church to demolish two houses and build a surface parking lot on property at North Harrison and Jay Street.

The vote came after more than three hours of public testimony, with parishioners and parents saying the lot is needed for safety and handicapped access and neighborhood groups and preservation advocates saying the plan would remove mature trees, add impervious surface and destroy two historic houses that could be preserved.

The churches’ representative, Gary Smith, identified himself as a member of Holy Souls Parish and described long-standing parking shortages at weekend Masses and church events. Smith said the parish had reduced the proposed parking from 66 spaces to 58, would phase construction and “has no plans to build beyond our contiguous physical plant,” and asked the board to approve the site plan as modified.

Architect Greg Peckham, of Peckham Smith Architects, presented site details and preliminary drainage information shared by Thomas Engineering. Peckham said the site contains about 31 major trees, that the parish would retain 12 perimeter trees and three large interior trees, and that the plan anticipates replanting shade and understory trees in the lot. He also relayed a preliminary runoff comparison for a 25-year storm drawn by the engineers: 2.78 cubic feet per second (cfs) for a comparable residential build-out versus 4.73 cfs for the proposed parking surface, an increase of about 1.95 cfs (roughly 70 percent). Peckham said the parish planned a subgrade detention system to regulate discharge so the church’s outflow would not exceed existing conditions.

Opponents included Trisha Bean, executive director of the Quapaw Quarters Association, who urged the board to deny the rezoning and cited the Hillcrest design overlay district rules, the R-2 zoning of the lots and a lack of a parking study. Bean said the two houses are “restorable homes and architecturally significant” and warned that relocation funding suggested by the applicant would not cover realistic moving and rebuilding costs. She told the board the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program had determined the houses could be contributing properties if the Hillcrest National Register boundary is expanded.

Residents who live near the site described the green space as an informal community gathering place and an outdoor classroom used by Holy Souls School. Several speakers who identified themselves as parents and parishioners said street parking imposes safety risks for children and older parishioners and that on-site parking would reduce unsafe street crossings.

Other residents, engineers and longtime Hillcrest advocates raised separate concerns: that the lot would raise local temperatures by removing canopy, increase runoff onto North Taylor and adjacent parcels that already experience flooding, and set a precedent for removing houses for institutional parking. A number of speakers asked the board to require a comprehensive parking study, shared-parking agreements with other nearby institutions and more detailed engineered drainage plans before approving demolition.

Planning staff recommended approval and a majority of the Planning Commission supported the PCD, but the item drew strong neighborhood opposition at the commission level as well. During the board’s roll call the clerk recorded the motion as passing 6-3; one director was recorded absent for the vote.

The board’s approval allows the PCD as presented; the parish said it would build in phases and intends to include landscaping and stormwater controls in detailed construction plans. Opponents said they will consider next steps available under the city’s historic-preservation review process and other legal paths.

Speakers quoted in this article spoke at the May 6, 2025 Little Rock City Board meeting and include parishioners, architects, neighborhood association representatives and other residents who identified themselves in the public hearing record.