Planning commission rejects special-use request for three shipping containers at 110 North Redwood Street

The North Little Rock Planning Commission voted 9-0 to recommend denial of Special Use Case 2025-03, an application to allow three shipping containers to serve as storage modules at 110 North Redwood Street.

Neighbors and nearby residents told the commission the containers have blocked light into an adjacent rental home, created noise and activity at early hours, and left construction materials and trucks parked in the lot. "I am vehemently against it," Carolyn Webb, a nearby resident, said during public comment. EJ Webb, another neighbor, said the containers have been on the site for months and called them "permanent." Applicant Kevin Haney of Haney Contractors told the commission the containers are used intermittently for active construction projects and that he would be willing to move or reposition them if they were causing problems. "We're just asking for permission to keep them there intermittently as they're needed and used," Haney said.

City staff told the commission the ordinance governing temporary containers typically addresses a single container and limits outside storage to short durations (staff said 60 days is the usual threshold). Staff also reported concerns that the containers on the site appear to occupy parking area and may not meet required setbacks. "Based on a cursory review, it appears the containers are taking up a portion of the required parking," a city staff member said during the discussion. Commissioners also noted the property's current use appears inconsistent with what is permitted in the C-4 zoning district and that a contractor's office with outdoor storage or a warehouse would require a conditional-use approval.

The applicant asked to postpone the item to consult with staff and produce a clearer site plan, but the motion to postpone failed for lack of a second and the commission called for a vote on the application as submitted. On the roll call, Commissioners Banks, Glasgow, Chambers, Foster, Phillips, Pierce, Wallace, White and Chairman Clifton all voted "no" on allowing the three containers to remain. Chairman Clifton said the application failed and that the containers will have to be removed unless the applicant pursues other lawful options with staff and the city council.

Staff advised the applicant that if the planning commission issues a negative recommendation and the city council later upholds that denial, a one-year waiting period to reapply could be triggered for a similar special-use request for containers. Commissioners suggested the applicant work with city staff to determine what uses are permitted in C-4 without a special use and, if appropriate, prepare a revised application with defined container locations, buffering and setback compliance for review by the design review committee before returning to the planning commission.

The commission's action does not change the property's underlying zoning; rather, it denies the specific special-use request for three shipping containers at this site. The applicant was told city staff would follow up about permitted uses and next steps if he wishes to pursue a different application or appeal to city council.