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Commission denies conditional use for tow and repair yard at 5500 Stadium Boulevard
Summary
The Jonesboro Metropolitan Area Planning Commission voted to deny a conditional use permit for a tow and repair yard proposed by Jim Healy at 5500 Stadium Boulevard on March 25, 2025, after discussion of RDOT screening standards, fence durability and vehicle storage limits; the applicant may appeal to city council.
The Jonesboro Metropolitan Area Planning Commission declined to grant a conditional use permit for a proposed tow and repair yard at 5500 Stadium Boulevard on March 25, 2025, following questions from commissioners about screening, fence durability and how long vehicles would remain on the property.
Jim Healy, the applicant, said the operation would be a towing service and not a salvage yard. "No. It's not a salvage yard. It's a towing service," Healy said when commissioners asked how long vehicles would be stored. Healy also responded that, at times, vehicles may be kept "indefinitely," and did not provide a fixed maximum storage period.
City planner Daryl summarized staff and state requirements and recommended approval subject to conditions including landscaping and screening consistent with state highway (RDOT) standards and obtaining all required local and statewide permits. Daryl read RDOT's screening guidance for junk/salvage operations, noting fencing must be built of permanent materials and be capable of lasting at least 10 years, high enough to screen wrecked vehicles from the highway, maintained by the owner or operator, and repaired within 30 days if damaged. He said steel signs are not acceptable fencing material and that plantings may be used as screening.
Commissioners pressed for ways to limit the site turning into a long-term storage or salvage operation, asking whether conditions could be imposed on maximum storage duration, fencing materials and height, and whether the commission could require periodic reevaluation. Daryl said a conditional use can include conditions such as limits on how long vehicles can stay, fencing requirements and hours of operation, and that a conditional use authorization stays with the owner rather than the property (so it would lapse on change of ownership).
A motion to grant the conditional use request was made and seconded (Bailey seconded); the motion failed on the commission's vote, recorded as five opposed and none in favor. After the vote, staff told the applicant he may appeal the commission's decision to the city council by filing with the city clerk.
The parcel in question is about 6.5 acres in the I-2 General Industrial zoning district. The commission's discussion focused on whether RDOT-level screening and local conditions would be sufficient to prevent long-term outdoor storage of wrecked vehicles visible from the state highway; commissioners expressed concern that the chain-link fencing shown in photos would not meet their aesthetic expectations even if it met RDOT rules.
