Jonesboro Board of Zoning Appeals Variance Hearing – August 11, 2026
Jonesboro Board of Zoning Appeals Variance Hearing – August 11, 2026
The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) met on August 11, 2026, at 7:30 PM to consider a single agenda item: variance request BR 26-23. Members present were Gilmore, Miles, Miller, Bailey, and Caples. The meeting began with approval of the previous month's minutes.
Discussion Items
- Variance Request BR 26-23 (William Walker for Tractor Supply Company): The applicant sought a variance from the cross-access management ordinance for a redevelopment at 4108 Poor's Hill Road, adjacent to Caraway Road. The property was an existing Tractor Supply store undergoing redevelopment, including new fencing, gates, and expanded outdoor display. The cross-access requirement would have mandated a connection to the south for future traffic flow between parcels. The applicant argued that the neighboring landowner (Tim) opposed any shared access, and that the city's access management ordinance limited frontage to one entrance (already used by large truck deliveries). The applicant offered to show a future turnout on the plan but not build it, fearing that showing it could force construction if the adjacent property redeveloped. The board insisted that simply showing the turnout on the plan would satisfy the ordinance without obligating construction. A prior variance for cross-access was noted on the north side of Caraway at Parker Road. Board members discussed precedent, with Mr. Miles expressing concern about setting a pattern. The applicant emphasized that Tractor Supply was complying with many other city requirements (covering ditches, adding sidewalks) and had invested heavily in the project.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Patty Lack (4108 Poor's Hill Road): Spoke in favor of the variance. She argued that the board had already approved a similar variance for a gas station and chicken restaurant at Caraway and Parker, and asked the board to consider that precedent. She noted that many older developments lack cross access and that the applicant was willing to give back to the community.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to Approve Variance BR 26-23: Moved by a member (unidentified), seconded. Roll call vote: Miles – No, Miller – Yes, Bailey – No. The motion failed 1-2, with three members present? The transcript ambiguously states "Have three either way. How's that work? Okay. It did fail." The variance was therefore denied.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome, we're gonna have a cult order and roll call. Gilmore? Here. Miles. Here. Miller? Bailey? Here. Caples. All right. So we're gonna have uh motion to approve uh the minutes from last month. So move. All right, second. Second. Thank you. All right. The one and only case today, William Walker. Welcome back. What's changed besides the letter? Not a lot. Um that was staff after the last minute. In a hard place where uh neither party want it. Um both parties thinks it it hurts their property, both parties think it's creating a big safety issue. Well uh we at the last meeting we tried to make a point. If you just show a turnout, just show it. You can park in front of it. You can't we can't as a city, the city cannot force your traffic to go on to the neighbor. You gotta have an agreement between you if that's gonna happen. All you gotta show is a turnout. Just show it on the plan. You can don't have to finish it, you just show it, and we would have be doing something else today besides coming here. Sure. Yeah, so yes, that's that's the issue. We we've I thought we had made that pretty clear in the last meeting. Maybe we didn't beat it enough, but it's just one of them deals. If you just show it, yeah, and when when we spoke, we're speaking with the city attorney and staff. Um we were or are under the impression that if we show it, it could at some point have to be built if if Cooper does redevelop. Um that was what we were told. Um, even if we show it on the plan and we don't build it now, tractor doesn't really leave locations, they've been where they're at since the 60s. Um and you know, they're looking at this in 10 or 15 years if he does redevelop in a you know a high high traffic QSR goes in right there, they're gonna have to build it, and it's gonna, I mean, it's a it's a major safety issue. I I think they uh was talking to the adjoining landowner said somebody almost got hit um and that they've had to put up signs. Again, I'm not saying send tractor supplies traffic on to Cooper. I didn't that's not what I'm saying at all. Okay, it's just just uh to get through the ordinance, it just has to show it on your plan. Sure. No, understood. And I just I and at some point if Cooper wants it, then you have to agree back. You can they just can't force you either. So we could show it in there and we would never have to agree to building it. No, forever.
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