The Fayetteville Planning Commission on July 14 voted to forward a rezoning request for Appleseeds Inc. — a local nonprofit teaching farm and education program — to the City Council with a recommendation of approval.

Planner Wesley Frank explained the request would rezone 2648 North Old Wire Road from RSF-4 (residential single-family, four units per acre) to P-1 (institutional) to better match the site’s ongoing use as a teaching farm and education facility. The property was purchased by Appleseeds in 2015 and has operated since then with a commercial kitchen and educational programming. Appleseeds leases two acres of adjacent Gully Park to run raised beds, an orchard and an accessible garden, and the organization reported donating approximately 10,000 pounds of produce to Northwest Arkansas schools with high free-and-reduced lunch rates.

Brooke, Appleseeds’ operations director, told the commission the nonprofit has used the house and property as an office and teaching kitchen and would like zoning that recognizes institutional and educational uses should Appleseeds seek facility upgrades in the future. Staff recommended forwarding the rezoning to council with a recommendation of approval; no public comment was recorded on the item.

Commissioner Garlock moved to forward RZN 2025-022 to City Council with a recommendation of approval, noting the use aligns with adjacent Gully Park and the neighborhood context; the motion carried on recorded vote.

Next steps: the rezoning will be considered by City Council. If approved, Appleseeds would be able to pursue upgrades consistent with institutional zoning and continue its educational programs and food-donation efforts.