Planning commission approves conditional use for Elmhurst Drive climate-controlled storage after traffic and process objections

The Jonesboro Metropolitan Area Planning Commission on Feb. 11 approved a conditional use permit for a one-story, climate-controlled storage facility on Elmhurst Drive, west of 3319 Harrisburg Road, by a 4-3 vote.

Barry Davidson, with Davidson Engineering, representing Glenwood Limited Partnership and MyU Storage, told the commission the plan before members “is essentially what was before you last February and approved with conditions.” Planning staff recommended approval with stipulations that include obtaining all required local and state permits, completing subdivision improvements for Gladiolus Business Park before a building permit is issued, and requiring site-plan review for any commercial development exceeding 75,000 square feet.

The proposal drew sustained public comment and questions from commissioners about traffic and the timing of a return application. Patty Lack, a resident, urged commissioners to reject the application on procedural and safety grounds, saying the commission’s rules prohibit reapplication of a denied conditional use on the same property for six months. “It states if the planning commission disapproves or denies a conditional use application, no application for such use or similar use shall be permitted involving any part of the same property for a period of 6 months,” Lack said. She also cited traffic concerns at nearby intersections and an area crash count she said was 61 in two years.

City staff and the developer said the application differed enough from the earlier submittal that the city attorney allowed it to return to the commission before six months had passed. Monica, planning staff, summarized the stipulations staff recommended if the commission granted conditional-use approval. Michael, a city staff member, confirmed that subdivision improvements and the first layer of asphalt on the access road will be required before a building permit is issued: “That is correct.”

Applicant representatives clarified several technical points at the meeting. The developer initially listed the site acreage as 6.35 acres on some materials; they later said the lot under contract is Lot 9 from the approved plat and totals about 9 acres, and that corrected lot area lowers the project's lot coverage to about 46.9% (under the C-3 district’s 60% allowance). The plan as presented calls for a single, enclosed climate-controlled building with primarily internal units and limited exterior overhead doors. Based on the current plan, the proponent said the building would contain roughly 900 storage units; the applicant also stated it is unusual for more than four or five customers to be on site at the same time.

Commissioners asked whether traffic circulation would be one- or two-way around the building; the developer said the site provides two-way circulation and 22 feet of drive width in addition to 12-foot striped parking aisles. Commissioners also noted that Harrisburg Road is scheduled for a widening project in mid-2026 and that coordination with the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) may be needed for nearby turning movements and long-term safety.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to approve the conditional use with the staff stipulations; another commissioner seconded. The motion carried on a 4-3 vote. The commission’s action approves the conditional use but does not complete site-plan review; the developer must return with full site plans, secure required permits, and complete subdivision/road improvements before a building permit is issued.

The vote and staff stipulations close the conditional-use phase; the project remains subject to subsequent site-plan review, permitting and any ARDOT coordination or variance processes that may be necessary.