This was found in today's editorial section of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette...

Keep Hillcrest historic

Historic neighborhoods don’t have to let McMansions spring up like gigantic toadstools that tower over old structures, destroying the neighborhood’s sense of proportion and obscuring its past. It’s possible to safeguard the charm and character of a storied locale by law. Which is what residents of Little Rock’s historic Hillcrest neighborhood propose to do by limiting the size of new houses built there—specifically to 4,125 square feet on a typical Hillcrest lot, which is about 50-by-150 feet.

It may be too late to save parts of the adjacent Heights neighborhood, where mammoth houses/compounds have sprung up, dwarfing the surrounding houses, but Hillcrest can still save its future, that is, its past.

The city’s Planning Commission agrees; last week it voted 7 to 1 to scale down any new structures that can be built in Hillcrest. The city’s board of directors probably won’t get around to considering the proposed new ordinance until later this summer. When it does, the city directors might keep in mind that small is beautiful. It’s not just charming cottages and small businesses that give such a neighborhood its appeal, but how they all fit together in a harmonious whole. The way a good sentence or a pleasing piece of music or, yes, a cherished old neighborhood does.

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Publication: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Date:2007 Jun 27; Section:Editorial; Page #: 22

NEW DRAFT DOCUMENT

Post your comments here on the latest draft to be sent to the Planning Commission June 21, 2007. These comments will also be sent to the planning staff.

Arkansas Business Article

Mark Friedman with Arkansas Business published an article in this week's issue (Jan 15-22) about our efforts!

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aID=96720.54928.108843&view=all&link=perm

Now we have to let our City Officials know that we want this to get passed. Let our City Directors know that you support this overlay district. See the link below for contact information of our Directors.
http://www.littlerock.org/BoardOfDirectors/MemberBios/

You can also let our new mayor know at mayor@littlerock.org.

HILLCREST DESIGN OVERLAY DISTRICT

Please reveiew the draft document for the design overlay district and post your comments here or let your voice be heard at the public meetings. These are set for Sept. 21 and Oct. 5, at 6:30 p.m. at Fletcher Library.

Some more work will be needed before the document is presented formally to the Planning Commission -- maps, drawings, etc. -- so if you see any other items to consider, please do not hesitate to let us know.

HILLCREST DESIGN DISTRICT DRAFT

Thanks,
John

Teardown Marketing

This home is on a block that was discovered by a developer to be zoned for multi-family use. That developer has torn down the home he bought to renovate and is now building two town homes that will significantly increase his profits. Now two homes down a local real estate agent is marketing her listing for that very same fate. What has become of Hillcrest when real estate agents are marketing properties for their teardown potential? Where does it end? What does Hillcrest look like 50 years from now? Do you care? Please share your thoughts...post your comments...

Lagniappe Mess

I'm very disappointed with the Lagniappe Mess on I street. The developers requested a meeting with the HRA and neighbors to discuss a way to solve their mess they've created with their development plans. We met tonight after waiting for them to return from a week long vacation. Now we are pressed for time to "help" them submit their revised plan before the city deadline in 3 days.
The main reason I'm dissappointed:
No apologies.
They act like they care and have respect for Hillcrest but the truth is they only care about their bank accounts. They should have walked in the door to this meeting apologizing for the mess they've made. These developers walked into this meeting with the attitude that they did nothing wrong and that there were people trying to control what they are doing without having "one penny invested" in the project. What about the people who have invested in their homes in Hillcrest? The people who bought in Hillcrest because they love the ambience and atmosphere of the charming old homes surrounded by big, old oak trees.
Those are the people who have invested in Hillcrest...not a developer looking to see how large of a house he can get away with building on a lot in a great neighborhood. How can they respect a neighborhood that they don't even live in? How can we protect the investments of the residents who live here?

This is exactly the reason why Hillcrest needs to become a Local Ordinance Historic Distrcit with a board that could review plans
before they begin. Lagniappe Ventures is even trying to point a finger at the city saying they approved the faulty plan. What a mess.

June 29, 2006 Arkansas Times: Hillcrest Hubbub

About that long-running neighborhood squabble over a teardown and new residential project on I Street, in the heart of Hillcrest bordering Allsopp Park:

Residents of I Street won a victory Thursday when the city manager and city attorney decided that developers of a house that’s too large for its lot must seek Planning Commission approval to alter their planned development.

The city planning department said the footprint of the 3,500-square-foot house is 30 percent larger than Gary Pursell and Larry Chisenhall’s permit allowed.

Planning Department head Tony Bozynski asked city attorney Tom Carpenter if the department could solve the problem by asking the developers to redraw the lot lines for the house and three others to be built on the property. Carpenter said the change was too substantial for the department to allow without commission approval.

Builder Pursell denied a report in last week’s Times that he left the I street site in a huff after being told by the city to stop work at the house. The work — some clean-up, Pursell said — violated a stop-work order issued by the city. Pursell also said that the city should assume some blame for his overlarge house footprint. He could have corrected the problem before the house was built “if the city had caught this on permitting,” Pursell said.

June 22, 2006 Arkansas Times: Eyes on I Street

Builder Gary Purcell was ordered off residential property at 4410 I St. last week after he was seen working on an expensive home under construction there despite a city stop-work order. Purcell, who was seen speeding away from the site with his horn blaring after city employees told him to leave, said he was only cleaning up the site. But, city planning head Tony Bozynski said, the stop-work order means “they are not to be on the property at all.”

Purcell and development partner Larry Chisenhall aren’t winning any popularity contests with neighbors. After cutting down all the trees on the large lot, which backs up to Allsopp Park, they began building a house that violates footprint and setback agreements in the plan approved by the city. Neighbors also note that a ground floor, which has windows and a screened porch extending from it, is being described as “basement” to avoid restrictions on square footage.

Bozynski said the city attorney’s office is “reviewing options” to deal with the violations. Neighbors have questioned whether the city should be meeting privately with developers, rather than sending the plan back to the Planning Commission for public discussion. The Hillcrest Residents Association has formally asked that the meetings be held in public.

The house is one of several planned on property that become controversial when the developers tore down a single house that stood there to make way for multiple houses.