Pulaski County planning board reviews countywide land-use study as justices of the peace raise concerns

Pulaski County planning officials and several justices of the peace met in a special session to review a draft countywide land use study presented by Garver planning consultant Juliet Ritchie.

The study, which Garver and planning staff said is a policy document and not a regulatory code, maps existing and potential future land uses across West, North and Southeast Pulaski County and recommends implementation steps that could — if the Quorum Court later chooses — lead to zoning or other regulations. "Everything that we're going to talk about today is on the website," Juliet Ritchie said during her presentation.

Why it matters: The study is intended as a blueprint for future decisions about infrastructure, development and conservation in the unincorporated county. Residents and several justices of the peace said they fear a move from a policy plan to mandatory land-use regulations that would affect property rights and local character.

Garver described the study's methodology as a compilation of existing conditions, utility and transportation capacity, and public input gathered through three in-person visioning sessions and an online survey that produced 342 responses. The consultant…