Mayflower planning commission denies rezoning request for Craftton/Lake Forest lots

Mayflower, Ark. — The Mayflower Planning Commission voted on July 8 to deny a rezoning request for two lots at the corner of Craftton and Lake Forest that would have allowed duplexes in a long-established single-family neighborhood.

Commissioner Chad Patterson moved to approve the rezoning; after discussion and a recorded roll call the commission denied the request (denial announced as a 3-to-1 vote). The vote followed nearly 90 minutes of public comment and exchanges about lot sizes, stormwater, and traffic.

Residents presented a petition saying 23 of 33 occupied properties in the surrounding area opposed the rezoning. “We the undersigned residents of Craftton subdivision and surrounding areas strongly oppose the proposed rezoning of the lots at the corner of Craftton and Lake Forest…,” a petitioner read during public comment. Petition signers cited drainage and flooding, strain on sewer infrastructure, traffic and safety, and potential reduction in single-family property values.

Speakers at the meeting cited specific counts and site dimensions: petition presenters said 33 occupied properties were surveyed, 23 signatures were gathered and roughly seven vacant lots are nearby; one participant said the combined area of the four lots in question equates to roughly 200 by 200 feet (effectively 50 by 200 feet per lot). Commissioners and staff repeatedly stressed that technical requirements — including lot frontage, setback compliance and a stormwater analysis — are determined at the permit and site-plan stage, not in the rezoning vote.

Tony Haggler and other neighbors told the commission the community’s sewer lines and drainage have been strained for decades and that additional units could worsen localized flooding. Staff responded that any development meeting a threshold would be required to submit stormwater plans and retention measures as part of permitting and that state and local environmental stakeholders, such as Arkansas Game and Fish, may review projects that affect lake runoff.

A resident alleged the proposed developer had performed work without proper licensing on prior projects; commission members treated the assertion as hearsay and said no formal complaints were on file.

The commission’s denial was accompanied by procedural guidance: applicants were told they may appeal the decision to the city council and that a favorable rezoning would still require later permitting, engineering drawings and compliance with stormwater, setback and infrastructure rules.

The planning commission said it will provide petitioners and property owners instructions on how to appeal to the city council; commissioners also encouraged affected residents and the applicant to use the permitting step to resolve engineering and drainage questions.

The commission returned to other agenda items after the vote; next regular planning commission meeting is scheduled for Aug. 8, 2025.