The Mountain Home City Council heard the first reading of an ordinance that would streamline and update regulations for commercial development in the city during Thursday’s regular meeting.
Mountain Home Mayor Hillrey Adams told the council the plan – designed by the city engineer, street department director and building inspector – was developed in response to inquiries from potential commercial developers, which exposed some gaps in the current development process.
Adams describes why the ordinance was developed.
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The ordinance would establish regulations pertaining to flooding and drainage control, as well as parking lot and landscaping regulations. Currently, there are very few regulations concerning landscaping, and Adams says some recent construction serves as an example of how the city’s current measures can lead to a site that is not aesthetically pleasing.
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Language in the ordinance would establish minimum requirements or the amount of green space needed and layouts of large parking lots, a requirement the Mayor hopes will deter rolling asphalt or concrete lots, which often cause draining issues and traffic problems with speeding.
Street Director Arnold Knox told the council the plan was developed in conjunction with local partners, such as developers, engineers and naturalists.
The measure will advance to a second reading at the council’s next April meeting and could not be adopted until a third reading in May. With no emergency clause, the ordinance would not take effect until June.
The ordinance will only cover new construction and renovations that are more than half of the project’s worth before the remodel.
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