Council hears draft rewrite of Conway City zoning design standards for commercial development

City of Conway planning staff presented a draft rewrite of the city’s zoning code design standards for commercial development (referred to in the draft as Article 10) and described changes intended to simplify review and add flexibility for modern building materials.

Tara, a planning staff presenter, told the City Council the advisory committee met four times and that architects, developers and residents provided “really honest, thoughtful, constructive work” that informed the draft. "This is what is referred to as our squeaky wheel. It's something that we deal with every single day as planners," Tara said, explaining why Article 10 was the first piece chosen for revision.

Under the proposal, the draft replaces the current flat 50% masonry/maximum 20% metal-siding approach with a four-class material system (Class 1–4) and facade-specific minimums for primary, secondary and rear facades. Staff described Class 1 as highest-quality materials…