Commission asks staff to craft traffic‑study rules after Rivertown Phase Two review

Batesville’s Planning Commission voted to ask staff to draft code revisions that would require traffic-impact and other engineering studies for large developments after questions about the preliminary Rivertown Phase Two plat.

A commissioner moved that staff investigate thresholds (for example, predicted vehicle counts) and bring back recommended criteria and subdivision-code changes. “I make a motion that we investigate when we should require additional engineering steps, additional planning work be done by these developers,” the commissioner said, citing Rivertown as the largest development the city has recently reviewed.

Commissioners discussed what the study should cover—internal circulation, connections to White River Boulevard and Harrison Street, and possible impacts on Arkansas State Highway 69. Staff and a transportation planner on the panel explained how a typical traffic-impact analysis combines predicted new trips with existing counts to estimate changes in level of service and to recommend mitigation such as turn lanes or adjusted road sections.

Several commissioners noted the highway department controls signals and some state roads, but said requiring a developer-funded study helps the city document impacts and propose remedies even when final signal warrants are set by the state. The commission debated whether the planning commission had authority to require studies that are not yet in code and ultimately directed staff to return with proposed code language and criteria.

The motion was seconded and approved; staff will prepare suggested threshold criteria (for example, vehicle-per-hour triggers), describe what analyses are required (traffic, floodplain, environmental where applicable) and return to the commission for review before any code-change hearing.