Commission recommends rezoning for Stover/Blair/Kent to allow 11 single‑family homes; neighbor raises street‑width concerns

The Hot Springs Planning Commission on March 12 voted to recommend that the Board of Directors rezone approximately 2.29 acres at Stover, Blair and Kent Streets from RN5 to RN3 to allow construction of up to 11 single‑family homes.

Director Selman presented RZ26036 and recommended the commission forward the request, saying the application implements the city’s housing strategy and is consistent with the residential medium‑high future land use designation. Staff noted the property is currently undeveloped and that an adjacent RN5 lot nearby is under development as a duplex.

Applicant Lance Levy told commissioners he plans to build 11 brick single‑family houses with garages and said his target price range is “around 200 to 225 ... or 250 maybe, but try to be closer to 200.”

Pam Noble, an adjacent resident at 316 Stover, spoke during public comment and asked whether the narrow local streets would be widened or receive curbs and sidewalks to handle added traffic. Director Selman responded that zoning approval does not itself authorize street widening; street improvements and lot platting are reviewed later during engineering and platting review when the applicant submits lot‑creation or site‑plan applications.

After public comment closed, commissioners recorded votes recommending the rezoning (Stone, Walker, Val, Lemon, Campbell, Gerky, Stafford). Director Selman said the item will go before the Board of Directors at its first April meeting for final action.

Any required street, curb or sidewalk upgrades will be determined by engineering at the platting or site‑plan stage rather than by the zoning decision.