Hot Springs planning commission approves food truck court site plan and larger Home Depot sign

The Hot Springs Planning Commission on April 10 approved a site plan for a Backyard Food Truck Court at 4436 Central Avenue and granted a sign variance for a proposed Home Depot wall sign, voting 9-0 on the consent agenda.

Director Selma presented the consent items and recommended approval, saying the application "complies with the requirements of Hot Springs Code Section 16-4-22," subject to conditions. She summarized seven conditions the commission attached to the site plan, including that the development be built "in strict accordance with the approved site and development plan," that required city permits be obtained before work begins, and that certain infrastructure and safety measures be provided.

The commission’s conditions specified that, at time of building permit, the city engineering department will require a drainage pipe in the right of way of at least 15-inch RCP; that a grease trap be installed between the private sewer and the city sewer; that a railing be provided where parking or site drop-off is 30 inches or more; and that any additional lighting be fully downcast and shielded to contain illumination on the subject property. Staff also required a separate sign permit application for any new signs and noted that multi-building or large-scale site plans approved by the commission are effective for one year (until 04/10/2026) unless extended by the director in up to two one-year periods on written request by the applicant.

On the Home Depot application (Misc. 25031), staff recommended approval of a sign variance from Hot Springs Code Section 16-5-20(b) to increase a single wall sign area from the 200-square-foot maximum to 600 square feet. Selma said the request met submission requirements under Hot Springs Code Section 16-5-13 and appeared reasonable given the building facade size and the building’s distance from Higdon Ferry Road.

The commission approved the consent agenda by roll call vote. Commissioners recorded as voting yes were Campbell, Sharma, Collier, Lamont, Davis, Walker, Val, Ramey and Stacker; the chair announced the items passed by a vote of 9-0. No separate public hearing or contested testimony on the consent items is reflected in the transcript.

Votes at a glance: - Site plan approval (SPA 250174436) — Backyard Food Truck Court, 4436 Central Avenue: approved as presented, subject to seven conditions described by Director Selma; outcome: approved (9-0). - Misc. 25031 — Home Depot sign variance (increase from 200 sq ft to 600 sq ft): staff recommended approval; outcome: approved (9-0).

Applicants must secure the separate building, sign and other required permits before commencing construction, per the planning commission conditions.