FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — City planning staff recommended approval of variances for a proposed townhome development on West Mitchell Street that is largely encumbered by a tree-preservation easement.

The request covers a roughly 0.68-acre parcel where the applicant, Engineering Services Inc., proposes about six townhome units on the southern portion of the lot. Staff told the Planning Commission the site is mostly constrained by a tree-preservation easement; "a portion of that tree preservation easement was vacated by city council earlier this year," Planning Director Jesse Masters said.

Staff recommended two variances. The first would exempt the development from the urban-residential-design standard that requires individual units to have direct pedestrian connections to the street; staff said the lot configuration and location of the easement prevent that arrangement. The second would reduce the required driveway separation: staff reported the proposed driveway would be roughly 9 feet from the neighboring driveway, while the typical standard is about 50 feet. Masters said the proposed driveway location ‘‘is the most reasonable and logical place for that driveway to be located.’’

City staff said they had received no public comment on the item and recommended placing it on the consent agenda. A commission member asked whether a separate city-council effort to change the process for tree-preservation-easement vacations would affect this application; staff replied that the council item had been walked on and was tabled to Aug. 1 and that the pending ordinance change would not affect this application.

Discussion: Commissioners asked for clarification about the council action and whether the ordinance change would alter the variance request; staff said it would not. No public speakers were recorded during the transcript.

Outcome: Staff recommended approval and placement on consent; no formal roll-call vote or action was recorded in the transcript provided.

Why it matters: The variances would allow infill residential development in a site constrained by a tree-preservation easement, balancing tree conservation with property redevelopment in a neighborhood near downtown.

What’s next: If approved through consent, the item would proceed through the administrative process noted by staff.