The Siloam Springs Planning Commission approved permits related to relocating the rodeo grounds during its final meeting of the year on Tuesday.
The address for the new rodeo grounds will be 2251 S. Lincoln Street (U.S. Highway 59) and the approved agenda items will be reviewed by the city's board of directors during its Dec. 5 meeting.
The commissioners approved a parking and driveway variance as well as an agenda item to rezone the development from C-2 to R-4 and G-I, which stands for "General Institutional," and "was selected because it is the most appropriate for the proposed use," for rodeo activities, according to senior planner Ben Rhoads. They also approved a development permit and a lot consolidation of the 16.84-acre property.
Relocating the rodeo grounds became necessary after the commission approved a sale price offer for the previous property to the Siloam Springs School District. The district hasn't decided on to accept the offer on the property.
Plans for reconstructing the rodeo grounds a 2,889-square-foot building for concessions and bathrooms and south-facing bleachers to seat approximately 2,000 spectators. Commissioners approved a budget of $800,000 for the project.
"In relationship to the size of the current rodeo grounds, is this pretty much the same, or is this a little smaller?" said commissioner Judy Nation.
"My understanding is that it's actually an increase in size slightly," Rhoads said. "With additional seating capacity and that type of thing. But not marginally, or tremendously, larger."
The parking and driveway variance, which was approved during the commission's adjustment meeting, means there will not be a paved parking area as typically required in the zone.
"As you can imagine paving the full parking for an arena of this size would require 500 parking spaces, which would greatly increase the storm water runoff in the area and impact the drainage," Rhoads said. "The city is arguing that usage of the facility being limited to a handful of events a year does not warrant paved parking due to the water runoff as well as keeping the area as an active ranch for livestock grazing.
"Staff believes that this is a unique use as an agriculture attraction, which qualifies as a unique hardship not normally occurring in the zone."
Also approved was a significant site development permit for a 16,863-square-foot art barn at 1450 W. Broadhurst Street on the campus of John Brown University, which will be used for storing and constructing large-scale projects, as well as a setback variance development permit for a new vehicle storage facility at the city compound at 500 East Tahlequah Street.
It was the final meeting for outgoing commissioner J.W. Smith, who thanked the commissioners near the conclusion of Tuesday's meeting.
"It's been a learning experience and I enjoyed it," Smith said. "I even got to vote 'no' a few times, much to the chagrin of a few developers."
General News on 11/19/2017