ROGERS — The Planning Commission on Tuesday approved three large-scale development permits, including a warehouse, an office building and townhomes.

A proposed 640-square-foot Conex Office Building, located on 0.2 acres at 3300 S. 27th St., required several variances because of the small lot size and location surrounded by Arkansas Highway Commission property.

The property, owned by the Dugger Revocable Living Trust, is being developed by Brandi Lyn Properties, according to city documents. It is in the commercial zoning district in the commercial corridor designation on the comprehensive growth map, documents state.

Commissioners approved variances allowing a large-scale development on less than an acre, allowing the structure to be built within the 75-foot overlay setback for Interstate 49, allowing a structure to be built inside the 25-foot deep landscape buffer next to the Interstate 49 overlay corridor, allowing the structure to be built inside the 10-foot rear overlay buffer and allowing the proposed structure to encroach the commercial zoning district building setbacks.

The proposed building does not front Interstate 49 but is adjacent to the highway’s right of way, according to a staff report. Because of the small lot size, there is nowhere on the property the development would not encroach on the 75-foot setback, it states. The project can’t avoid the landscape buffer or the rear overlay buffer for similar reasons.

All of the variances are a result of the land being surrounded on three sides by Arkansas Highway Commission property, meaning it cannot be combined with anything around it to make a larger lot, said planner Nicholas Little.

The property appears to be a remnant from Interstate 49, said commissioner Kevin Jensen.

Commissioner Rachel Crawford said she didn’t want to set a precedent with the permit but noted the property seems to be an anomaly.

In other business, commissioners approved a permit for the construction of Belue Muse Townhomes, owned by JS Fenwick Properties Inc., northwest of the intersection of North Eighth and West Persimmon streets.

The development will include one 3,708-square-foot building, three 448-square-foot buildings and a paved parking lot on 0.6 acres.

A variance was approved for the development to allow construction of a multifamily, large-scale development on a lot of less than an acre and zoned residential-multifamily. The property is flanked by city land to the south and a developed lot to the north, so it is unlikely to be combined with other land, a staff report states.

Commissioners also approved a permit for a 15,000-square-foot warehouse developed by Mathias Shopping Centers, to be built on 1 acre at 1701 W. Industrial Drive. The location is zoned highway commercial and in the employment center designation on the comprehensive growth map.

The Rogers Planning Commission also:

• Approved a request to rezone 7.5 acres south of the intersection of South Everest and West Everest avenues to the residential multifamily 12 units per acre zoning district with the acceptance of a density concept plan for Shadowbrooke Phase 5.

• Approved a request to rezone 24.8 acres southeast of the intersection of West Broadway Place and South Dixieland Road from the residential multifamily zoning district to the residential multifamily zoning district with the acceptance of a density concept plan.

Janelle Jessen can be reached by email at jjessen@nwadg.com.

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