Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Annexation Rezoning Lolly Bottoms topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council annexes and rezones nearly 396 acres near Lolly Road; residents press city for noise and wildlife studies
Summary
Council approved annexation of about 296 acres and 39.5 acres and rezoned 160 acres to I‑3 zoning (ordinances O25‑37, O25‑38 and O25‑39). Residents raised concerns about noise from data centers, impacts to a bald eagle nest, and asked for site visits and impact studies.
The Conway City Council approved three related land‑use measures that collectively annexed and rezoned property east of Lolly Road for industrial development, clearing a procedural step that could enable a large private data center project to move forward. Ordinances O25‑37 (annex ~296.21 acres), O25‑38 (annex ~39.5 acres) and O25‑39 (rezoning of ~160 acres from A‑1 to I‑3) passed by roll call, each 8‑0.
Planning staff presented the annexations and rezoning as routine steps to bring contiguous land into the city so that development would be regulated under Conway codes, including the city’s data‑center ordinance (23‑55). Miss Tucker, planning staff, and Jamie Gates, who attended from planning, said annexation allows access to city services and ensures that future site planning, setbacks, drainage, fire and transportation reviews will apply before building permits are issued.
Several residents spoke during public comment. Alan Rice read a statement written by his son, Jeremy Rice, who lives at 1350 Lolly Road and said his property directly adjoins the proposed site. The Rice statement opposed rezoning and asked the council to pause until more information is available. Primary concerns included constant noise from backup generators at data centers, monthly generator testing, potential health and traffic impacts, and the proximity of a bald eagle nest that residents said could be disturbed by construction and operations. The resident asked the city to arrange visits to comparable facilities so neighbors could evaluate noise levels.
Planning staff and council members responded that annexation and rezoning itself do not approve any specific project; rather, those approvals place prospective development under city jurisdiction and the data‑center ordinance, which requires baseline noise measurement and other controls. Staff said the site still must pass a site‑plan review process that includes drainage, transportation and fire review and that substantial engineering and design work would be required before any building permit is issued. Staff noted the parcel includes significant floodway and floodplain areas, reducing developable acreage and providing potential buffers between facilities and neighboring homes.
Council members asked whether, if property remained unincorporated, a data center could still locate there; staff said it could but that annexation gives the city authority to require compliance with local standards. Council and staff also committed to keep lines of communication open with nearby homeowners as the project moves from annexation to site plan review.
Votes: Ordinance O25‑37 (annex ~296.21 acres) — approved 8‑0. Ordinance O25‑38 (annex ~39.5 acres) — approved 8‑0. Ordinance O25‑39 (rezoning to I‑3) — approved 8‑0. Councilmembers recorded voting in the affirmative included Mister Grimes; Mister Spergers; Mister Jones; Mister Hawkins; Mister Hawks; Mister Ledbetter; Miss Mel; and Miss Isby.
The approvals were procedural; no construction permits or site plans were approved at the meeting. Staff said they would return to the council with site‑specific plans and that neighbors would be involved in the review process.
