Jonesboro Planning Commission Approves Major Rezoning Request

A proposal to rezone land for an upscale Jonesboro development cleared an important hurdle Tuesday night during a sometimes contentious planning commission meeting.

The Jonesboro Metropolitan Planning Commission voted 9-0 to approve the request by Greensboro Investments, LLC to rezone 201.23 acres from R-1 single family to C-3 general commercial district.  Chuck Downham, an official with Nashville-based Littlejohn Engineers, along with developer Jerry Halsey of Halsey Thrasher Harpole made the presentation for Greensboro.

The plan calls for the development of the property to be called the Greensborough Village Town Center. The land, which runs from Red Wolf Boulevard/Stadium Boulevard, north to Johnson Avenue and Arkansas 351, would be used for both residential and commercial uses.

Downham told commissioners that the development would create a place for people to work, live and play; plus would benefit from being close to Arkansas State University.

“With restaurants, there will be a place called the College Green. It could be used for festivals or pre-game (events),” Downham said.

However, several people who were opposed to the plan attended the meeting. Some of the complaints ranged from traffic concerns and a lack of transparency to the possible loss of trees on Greensboro Road.

Debbie Pelley of Jonesboro, who opposes the plan, said the transparency issue bothered her.

“There is more to this than meets the eye,” Pelley said. “This project was kept from the public for nearly two years.”

Iris Stevens of Jonesboro said the finances of the project bothered her.

“I am also concerned about the lack of transparency in the project. There are very few facts on this,” Stevens said. “How much tax money is going to it?”

City planner Otis Spriggs countered that the city has not spent any money on the project, while Halsey said the developers will be working with city and state officials on traffic and infrastructure needs. A person in the audience asked about the traffic concerns, especially on U.S. 49.

“With or without us, you have a traffic problem,” Halsey said.

Voting in favor of the plan were board chairman Lonnie Roberts and board members Paul Hoelscher, Brant Perkins, Kim Schrantz, Kevin Bailey, Beverly Nix, Jerry Reece, Jim Scurlock and Ron Kelton.

Roberts said after the meeting that the rezoning is only the beginning of the process.

The next step is heading to the Jonesboro City Council, possibly as early as its Aug. 19 meeting.

Roberts noted that the project will likely take between seven and 10 years to complete, with each step of the project going before the commission for their review.

Pelley said she believed the project is geared toward the so-called Agenda 21 issue. However, Scurlock said the issue was about capitalism.

“If this was all government, I would be against it,” Scurlock said. “But what’s wrong about people investing their own money (for a project)?”