Planning commission approves multiple site plans and rezonings, postpones truck-wash request

The North Little Rock Planning Commission on Tuesday approved several site plans and rezoning requests and postponed a rezoning for an auto truck wash because the applicant failed to provide required public notice.

The commission approved site-plan reviews for SD2025-13 (Cock Of The Walk, Lot 2 at 7323 "Of The Walk" Lane), SD2025-16 (Iron Mountain addition to Argenta, Lot 1 R Block 10 at 1122 Pine Street) and SD2025-17 (North Shore Business Park, Lot 2 Block 9 at 5405 North Shore Drive, the new state crime lab). Design-review staff recommended approval for each application, and commissioners voted to approve the site plans as submitted.

Why it matters: The approvals clear the way for private development and a state laboratory site within North Little Rock, and the rezonings approved during the meeting would allow new housing construction near East Thirteenth Street and along Highway 161. The postponed truck-wash rezoning will not move forward until public-notice requirements are met.

Most significant actions

- Special use: The commission approved special-use case 2024-21 to allow a pawn shop to reopen at 2301 East Broadway. Applicant Frederick Jackson told the commission he previously operated the business and closed during the COVID-19 pandemic; he said he is seeking to reopen. "I was the original opener up...the pandemic shut it down and I'm just now about to open it back up if you guys will agree with me," Jackson said. The application passed on a roll-call vote in which Banks, Glasgow, Chambers, Foster, Pierce, Wallace and Chairman Clifton voted yes.

- Rezonings for housing: The commission approved rezoning case 2025-03 (listed in the record as "rezone 20 25 dash o 3") to rezone several parcels at 1010, 1012, 1014, 1102 and 1114 East Thirteenth Street from I-2 to R-3 to allow construction of single-family homes. Belinda Birney, president of Dark Hollow CDC, identified herself as the applicant representative. Commissioners voted yes on the motion; the chairman instructed the applicant to see Mr. Spencer for next steps.

The commission also approved rezone case 2025-04 to change property at 3503 Highway 161 from I-2 to R-4 to allow multifamily development; applicants listed were Dale Daig and Tony Burnett. One adjacent property owner had called to ask whether rezoning would affect their ability to develop industrial uses, but no other opposition was recorded. Commissioners voted yes to approve the rezoning as submitted.

- Administrative approvals and design-review items: SD2025-13 (Cock Of The Walk) and SD2025-16 (Iron Mountain addition to Argenta) were approved after staff and the applicant confirmed the plan sets address required items. Abby Stevenson, project manager with the applicant engineering firm, told the commission, "I believe that all items requested to be addressed have been addressed in the plan set that was provided." For SD2025-16 the design-review committee noted a series of deletions and required items (transcript itemization of which elements of items 1–10 remain or were deleted was read into the record); the committee recommended approval and the commission approved it.

- Postponement: Rezone case 2025-05 (rezoning from C-2 to I-2 to allow an auto truck wash at 12209 Highway 70) was postponed because the item lacked proper public notice. The commission announced the postponement on the record and did not take a vote on the merits.

Votes at a glance

- SD2025-13 (Cock Of The Walk, Lot 2 at 7323 Of The Walk Lane): approved as submitted; vote recorded as "all in favor, aye." (roll-call support not itemized in the transcript beyond general aye.) - SD2025-16 (Iron Mountain addition to Argenta, 1122 Pine Street): approved as submitted; unanimous approval recorded after committee modifications were read into the record. - SD2025-17 (North Shore Business Park / state crime lab, 5405 North Shore Drive): approved as submitted; unanimous approval recorded. - Special-use 2024-21 (pawn shop, 2301 East Broadway): approved on roll call; yes votes recorded for Banks, Glasgow, Chambers, Foster, Pierce, Wallace and Chairman Clifton. - Rezone 2025-03 (I-2 to R-3, 1010–1114 East Thirteenth Street): approved on roll call; yes votes recorded. - Rezone 2025-04 (I-2 to R-4, 3503 Highway 161): approved on roll call; yes votes recorded. - Rezone 2025-05 (C-2 to I-2, 12209 Highway 70): postponed due to lack of notice.

What commissioners and staff said

Commissioners generally made brief motions to approve the staff recommendations and held roll-call votes for items that required public record. Staff and the design-review committee presented item details and noted which subitems in the plan sets were required or deleted; no extended public testimony or contested hearings occurred during the recorded items. Chair Clifton and staff referred applicants to Mr. Spencer for administrative follow-up after approvals.

Next steps

Approved applicants were instructed to follow up with city staff (Mr. Spencer was named in the meeting) for permitting and next steps. The postponed truck-wash rezoning will need to be re-noticed to meet public-notice requirements before it returns to the commission.

(Transcript: meeting remarks and roll-call votes are reflected in the commission record.)