The Fayetteville Planning Commission on July 14 approved conditional use permits for two adjacent short-term rental (STR) applications at 421 and 463 West Isla Street after hearing neighborhood concerns about parking, driveway safety and the potential for event use.

Staff reported both properties meet the city’s STR requirements and that, if both licenses are issued, the properties would remain under the city’s 2 percent neighborhood ratio cap for STRs. Each house has off-street parking the applicant says accommodates three vehicles; staff noted guest parking passes would be provided. The applicant, Michael Marsh, told the commission he and his wife Kayla have invested in exterior and interior renovations, removed a dilapidated detached garage, and added parking in the rear. "We purchased both properties… we actually have one home down in Hot Springs on Lake Hamilton, and we've maintained a 4.97-star review over the last 3 years," Marsh said.

Neighbors urged the commission to refuse one or both permits, citing safety and maneuverability on the narrow, mostly single-lane residential block, cut-through traffic on game days, and concerns that tandem rentals could attract large groups. Mark Kenyon, who lives across the street, said cars often sideswipe parked vehicles and that the shared, single-lane driveways make backing dangerous. "There's no way that 7 cars could fit back there from what I can see," Kenyon said, urging approval of only one permit as a compromise.

Melinda Jones, who lives two doors down, said the block already experiences heavy traffic tied to sorority houses and university events and that approving both STRs would exacerbate parking problems. She told commissioners she would be "amenable to there being one being a short term rental and the other being a long-term rental."

Commissioners split on the issue. Commissioner Garlock and Commissioner Madden expressed safety concerns about the shared driveway and narrow turning radii. Commissioner Warner and Commissioner Payne said the layout and recent parking improvements made them comfortable approving the permits; Commissioner Warner noted he lives in a house with a shared driveway and called the configuration manageable. Commissioner Payne moved to approve CUP 2025-025 for 421 West Isla Street and CUP 2025-026 for 463 West Isla Street, with compatibility conditions recommended by staff; Commissioners Werner and Brink seconded elements of the motion. The roll calls for each item recorded two "no" votes by Commissioners Garlock and Madden and the motion carried for both permits.

The commission approved the permits with conditions specified by staff, including guest-cap and parking requirements. The applicants said they intend to prefer renting the two properties in tandem to the same group when possible and plan to mark parking spaces, use guest passes, and maintain communication with renters to reduce driveway conflicts. Neighbors and commissioners asked staff to monitor impacts and compliance with permit conditions.