Centerton City Council Meeting Recap – February 11, 2025

Last night’s Centerton City Council meeting covered a packed agenda, with discussions on impact fees, rezoning decisions, infrastructure improvements, and the ongoing sewer capacity crisis. After nearly two hours of debate, several key votes took place—including a tie-breaking decision from Mayor Bill Edwards that allowed a contested rezoning request to pass.

If you weren’t able to attend, here’s a full breakdown of what happened and what it means for Centerton’s future.

Key Discussions & Decisions

Impact Fees: More Time Needed Before a Final Decision

Ordinance 2025-02, which proposed new impact fees on residential and commercial developments, was tabled for further review.

Why the Delay?

• The residential impact fee structure was mostly agreed upon, but concerns arose regarding commercial impact fees, particularly their impact on small businesses and major commercial developments.
• Some council members noted that large retail projects could face millions in impact fees, despite already investing in traffic and infrastructure improvements.
• The biggest concern regarding commercial impact fees was finding the right balance—if commercial impact fees are lowered, will the city be required to equally lower residential impact fees, or are they treated separately? Legal counsel will help clarify this before the next vote.

📌 Next Steps:
The city will consult legal counsel and neighboring cities to determine potential adjustments before bringing the ordinance back for a vote in March 2025. Expect an updated impact fee proposal next month, likely with a more balanced approach for commercial projects.

Rezoning Decisions: A Tie-Breaker Vote Changes the Outcome

✅ Ordinance 2025-05: Rezoning for Future Commercial Development Approved

A property at 567 Main St. was successfully rezoned from residential (R3-SF) to commercial (C-1, Central Business District). The property owner envisions a coffee shop and community gathering space, aligning with Centerton’s downtown revitalization goals.

📌 Key Concerns Raised:

• Traffic congestion—residents worry about increased activity in an already busy area.
• Neighborhood impact—C-1 zoning requires buffering and landscaping to minimize disruptions to adjacent homes.

📌 Why It Passed:

• The city’s future land use plan designates this corridor for commercial expansion.
• The rezoning matches nearby C-1 properties and could help attract more locally owned businesses to the area.

✅ Ordinance 2025-04: High-Density Multifamily Rezoning Request PASSES After Tie-Breaker Vote

One of the most debated topics of the night was a rezoning request for property behind 567 Main St., which sought to change the zoning from Medium-High Density Single-Family (R3-SF) to High-Density Multifamily (R4-MF).

📌 The Debate:

• Some council members opposed the change, arguing that the only justification for R4-MF was its proximity to the Pomeroy Place Apartments, which were built before Centerton’s current zoning codes.
• Concerns were raised over traffic flow, fire safety, and infrastructure limitations, as the property is landlocked with only one narrow access road.
• On the other hand, supporters felt that higher-density housing aligns with Centerton’s long-term growth needs and would help provide more housing options.

📌 The Vote:

• The council was split in a tie vote.
• Mayor Bill Edwards cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of the rezoning, allowing the request to pass.

📌 What This Means:

• The developer can move forward with plans for duplexes and triplexes on the property.
• A site plan review will be required before construction begins, meaning traffic, safety, and infrastructure concerns will still need to be addressed.

🚨 Wastewater Capacity Crisis: Building Permits for New Developments Are ON HOLD

A major crisis continues to impact Centerton’s growth:

🚨 The city cannot issue any more building permits for new developments until the Department of Health (ADH) begins approving sewer plans from Decatur—or Centerton secures capacity at another treatment plant.

📌 Why?

• Centerton does not process its own wastewater. Like many Northwest Arkansas cities, it exports wastewater to the Decatur Wastewater Treatment Facility.
• The Decatur facility is at FULL capacity—meaning NO additional developments can be approved until either:
  • Decatur expands its plant, or
  • Centerton finds another treatment facility willing to accept its wastewater capacity.
• The City of Decatur has applied for a permit to expand its headworks capacity (the section of the plant where waste comes in). They expect state approval in the next few weeks and hope to begin work as soon as possible.
• However, the outflow capacity issue still needs to be addressed before full growth can resume.

📌 Exploring Other Treatment Plants?

• Centerton has explored alternative treatment plants, but the cost to use another facility would likely be 3-4 times higher than Decatur’s current rates.
• This presents a major financial hurdle and is one reason why sticking with Decatur’s expansion is the most viable solution—for now.

📌 How Long Have Developments Been on Hold?

• Some developments have been waiting for Department of Health approval since April 2024, according to a local developer.
• Until ADH starts granting conditional approvals for sewer expansion, Centerton cannot issue building permits for new developments.

📌 The City’s Commitment to Solving This Issue:
Mayor Bill & the City Council fully understand the seriousness of the sewer capacity issue and are taking it very seriously to ensure that it does not impact the large commercial developments that have been planned for years. The city is working to protect both residential and commercial growth opportunities while waiting for ADH to clear the way for further approvals.

For now, any new development that hasn’t already secured ADH approval remains frozen.

City Investments & Infrastructure Projects

• 🚜 Public Works Equipment Upgrades:
  • Five John Deere ZTrak Mowers and two Kawasaki Mule Pro-FXT utility vehicles were approved for city maintenance.
• ⚾ New Backstops for the Kinyon Sports Complex:
  • New backstops were approved to be installed in the Kinyon Sports Complex. Fields will be on rotation with only one field down at a time starting in April to ensure local leagues can still use the fields.
• 🏗️ Centerton Recreation Center Progress:
  • Crossland Construction was selected as the Construction Manager.
  • Two community meetings will be held in April for resident input.
  • 🚨 Construction cannot begin until sewer capacity is expanded.
• 🛣️ Hwy 102 Expansion Moving Forward:
  • The council approved selling a small tract of city-owned land along Highway 102 for right-of-way usage for ARDOT’s future expansion of the highway.
  • A new traffic light will be installed at the police station entrance as part of the project.

Upcoming Community Events

📅 Coffee with the Mayor – Saturday, February 15 at 9 AM, Centerton Community Room
👉 I’ll be speaking on the local Centerton real estate market, providing residents with insights on current trends, home values, and more. If you have questions about buying, selling, or investing in Centerton, this is a great opportunity to get expert insights!

📅 Centerton Seniors Meet & Greet with Council Members – February 27 at 1 PM, Centerton Community Room

These events are great opportunities to ask questions, voice concerns, and stay engaged with city leadership.

Final Takeaways

This meeting made it clear that Centerton’s ability to grow is currently out of the city’s hands due to the wastewater capacity crisis.

🔹 Key Takeaways from the Night:
✔️ Impact fees will be revised before a final vote next month, particularly regarding commercial rates.
✔️ High-density multifamily rezoning (R4-MF) PASSED after a tie-breaking vote by Mayor Bill.
🚧 ALL new building permits for developments are on hold until the Department of Health begins granting conditional approvals for Decatur’s sewer expansion—or Centerton secures capacity elsewhere.
🏗️ The Centerton Recreation Center is moving forward, but construction cannot begin until Decatur expands its wastewater plant.

💬 What do you think? Should Centerton consider the higher-cost alternative wastewater facility? Are impact fees the right way to fund improvements? Let me know in the comments!