Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rezoning Bridger Road topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Applicants withdraw rezoning request at 2106 Bridger Road after heavy neighborhood opposition
Summary
A rezoning request for roughly 6.79 acres at 2106 Bridger Road drew extensive public comment on traffic, safety and infrastructure; the applicant asked to withdraw the rezoning application at the hearing.
The Metropolitan Area Planning Commission heard extensive neighborhood opposition on a request to rezone about 6.79 acres at 2106 Bridger Road on May 12; the applicant then requested withdrawal of the application rather than seek immediate approval.
David Baker of Fisher & Arnold presented the rezoning petition and said the applicants view the area as suitable for higher‑intensity residential development, citing nearby higher‑density uses and the comprehensive land‑use plan. Baker acknowledged that infrastructure and traffic impacts would be addressed in later design stages: "Part of that will be a traffic impact study... that is at the developer's expense."
Neighbors and community members spoke against the rezoning at length. Dave Nance, who identified himself as a resident and a representative of Eden Hills Estates POA, summarized local concerns as "united basically on 3 reasons": property values, perceived deterioration of some multifamily rentals over time and infrastructure demands, including drainage and public‑safety services. Carol White, who lives on Nicole Cove off Bridger Road, told commissioners: "Traffic on 49 is already extremely congested... Bridger is very narrow with no shoulders." Lynn Childers, a longtime resident and former president of the Northeast Arkansas Board of Realtors, described a recent crash involving her wife to underline safety worries at a blind curve on Bridger Road.
Attorney Jared Woodard spoke for his grandmother, a nearby landowner, and said the family opposes multifamily development on adjacent acreage: "She's 93 years old... it's 40 acres of pasture, of hay, a pond, fence rows, deer... that's what it's going to be for the foreseeable future." Several speakers also submitted petitions opposing the rezoning.
During the hearing the applicant noted a conceptual site plan that produced a potential yield of about 80 units under current code requirements but acknowledged a concept plan is not binding for a rezoning decision. Commission staff reiterated that any rezoning and redevelopment would require detailed site and infrastructure review, including compliance with stormwater and engineering requirements and a traffic impact study.
After hearing public comments, the applicant asked the commission to withdraw the application; commission staff confirmed under local procedural rules that applicants are allowed a one‑time withdrawal as of right and that a second withdrawal would trigger a 90‑day wait before refiling. The withdrawal was recorded at the meeting; commissioners did not vote on the rezoning after the withdrawal request.
Why it matters: The item highlights neighborhood concern about adding multifamily units on a narrow, high‑speed stretch of Bridger Road and shows the hearing process can result in applicants withdrawing to pursue additional neighbor outreach or a different proposal.
What’s next: The applicant may resubmit after neighborhood outreach; a resubmission would require renewed notification and would follow the same review process if refiled.
