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Commission denies conditional-use permit for transitional boarding home at former Ritz
Summary
A conditional-use permit for a faith-based transitional housing program at 1415 East Broad was denied after a 3–2 roll call that the chair said did not meet a required 'forum of the whole commission' threshold; the applicant had proposed a state-licensed program for men leaving incarceration.
A plan to open a faith-based transitional boarding home for men at 1415 East Broad was denied by the Texarkana County Planning Commission after a procedural quorum issue followed a 3–2 roll call.
The applicant, identified in the filing as Tedro Jefferson of Malachi Group Trust, described a program called Pathway to Higher Dimension that would provide up to one year of structured transitional housing, job‑readiness training, counseling and spiritual mentorship for men leaving incarceration. Jefferson told the commission the state had approved the program for as many as 24–25 residents, and that state licensing requires a staff presence (he said roughly one staff member per 24 residents). ‘‘We will not be taking any sex offenders,’’ Jefferson said during questioning.
Neighbors and commissioners pressed Jefferson about operations, supervision, and proximity to Arkansas High School. Jefferson said state rules bar certain offenders within a 1,000‑foot radius of schools and parks, that he plans to fence the site, and that the state would monitor the facility. He also said the residential building includes 10 rooms (two people per room) and a four‑bedroom house that he would use for staff offices and meetings.
At a vote, the roll call read Anita Picket 'Yes', Dr. Hickerson 'Yes', Chris Owens 'Yes', Corey Mobs 'No' and Anderson Neil 'No' (3–2). Chairman Neil said the commission must have a "forum of the whole commission" — interpreted at the meeting as a four‑member quorum for this decision — and therefore announced the conditional use permit is denied. The chair also noted the applicant may appeal the decision in writing to the board within 10 days.
The denial means the applicant cannot proceed with the state licensing and related mailings and community open house steps until the owner pursues an appeal or a future hearing that meets the commission’s procedural requirements.
The commission gave no additional findings on mitigation measures or conditions that would have satisfied the vote threshold.
