Jonesboro council approves DenZone private-club permit, adopts several zoning measures after public comments

The Jonesboro City Council on July 15 adopted a private club permit for a nonprofit eatery near the Arkansas State University campus and approved several zoning measures following limited public comment.

On third reading, the council adopted Ordinance 25-019, a private club permit for SHJ Holdings doing business as the DenZone of Jonesboro. Opponents urged caution; James Sullivan Hines (508 Ridge Crest) told council that Craighead County voters have repeatedly signaled they prefer to remain dry and urged council not to pass the permit. In response, proponents described the project as a nonprofit private club that would support local charities and primarily serve students.

Jason Willett (of Jonesboro) told council, “SHJ Holdings is doing business as the DenZone of Jonesboro… This nonprofit private club was founded 02/27/2018,” and said officers include Jerry Raper as president and family members in leadership roles. Jerry Raper, who spoke as a project representative, said the business is under renovation, intends to hire about 25 employees (predominantly students) and will use state-of-the-art ID scanners. “There will be no underage drinking allowed,” Raper said. After public comment, council moved to adopt the ordinance and the motion carried (no roll-call tally was read on the record).

The council also adopted Ordinance 25-020, amending zoning for property at 4700 Industrial Drive, and considered several other zoning measures. The council amended and adopted Ordinance 25-022, affecting Greensboro Village and Greensboro Road. A councilmember moved to amend Section 2 and add a Section 9 to stipulate that the net impact of multifamily zoning within the Greensboro Village Town Center overlay would be zero new acres; proponent Gary Harpo (representing Greensboro Investments LLC and Hammerhead Contracting and Development LLC) explained the change ties a 10-acre shift of multifamily designation to a property transfer so that no new multifamily acreage is created if the transfer does not close. The council voted to adopt the amended ordinance.

Several other ordinances on the agenda were moved forward to later readings or carried forward as procedural items; the consent agenda was adopted earlier in the meeting.

What happened next: the mayor said the consultants’ comprehensive-plan presentation will return to committee and the public for additional engagement steps; council adjourned at the end of the agenda.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in the meeting): - Consent agenda: motion carried (ayes recorded; no roll-call tally on the transcript). - Ordinance 25-019 (DenZone private club permit): adopted after public comment (motion carried; no roll-call tally recorded). - Ordinance 25-020 (4700 Industrial Drive zoning change): adopted (motion carried; no roll-call tally recorded). - Ordinance 25-022 (Greensboro Village): amended during the meeting to limit net new multifamily acreage and adopted (motion carried; no roll-call tally recorded).

Council did not record full roll-call vote tallies in the public transcript for these items; the meeting record shows motions, seconds and the mayor calling for ayes/ayes or noting the motion carried.