CBC 03-30-1998CITY BEAUTIFUL
C O M M I S S I O N
30 March, 1998
500 WEST MARKHAM
The Honorable Mayor and Board of Directors
City of Little Rock
ROOM 108 500 West Markham
Little Rock, AR 72201
LITTLE ROCK, AR 72201 Dear Mayor and Board of Directors:
(501) 371-4T70 As members of the City Beautiful Commission, We would like to request your
consideration of a proposal to form a joint task force for the purpose of
reviewing several ordinances. It has been about ten (10) years since these
ordinances have been reviewed, and we feel that it would be best to review all
relevant ordinances as part of the "big picture". Also, the recent article in the
paper regarding the clear cutting on Mara Lynn has precipitated several
requests from concerned citizens to take action to prevent the reoccurrence of
such extreme measures.
Specifically, we are asking for a review of the Land Alteration Regulations
(such as tree clearing and excavation), the Zoning Buffer Ordinance, and the
Landscape Ordinance, as well as any other related regulations/ordinances. We
feel that this would be a reasoned and collaborative response to the concerns
of constituents and commissioners.
We propose that the task force be comprised of representatives from the
commissions, city departments and groups:
■ Planning Commission
• Planning and Development Department
• City Beautiful Commission (architect, landscape architect, or
engineer)
■ Public Works
■ Parks and Recreation
■ Representatives from the Neighborhood Associations
• Representative of developers
• Other interested parties as deemed necessary, e.g., Tree Streets,
League of Women Voters, etc.
An example of some action that could be taken to reduce the impact of tree removal would be to
require a natural buffer on the street side of commercial development. There are, of course, other
steps that could be taken, such as a systematic review of what other progressive cities are doing
to preserve the environment and its beauty while allowing for planned progress. We all have a
vested interest in working together to keep Little Rock a beautiful city in the Natural State.
Thank you for considering our request.
Sincerely,
City Beautiful Commissioners
CC: Cy Carney, City Manager
Planning Commission