The City of Benton Planning Commission will meet to vote on changes to the School Zone. There was a conflict between a resolution and an ordinance regarding school zones. For a review of the January 6th meeting where this came up, we have provided the video and transcript of the 10-minute discussion.
The meeting will be February 5, 2026 at 6:00 PM. The public is invited to join the meeting at 410 River Street.
Read the Meeting Agenda below, and see video and transcript of the previous meeting for context on the Changes to School Zone.
Among other things, this change would take out the word “public” [schools].
Meeting Agenda Feb 5, 2026
1. Establish a Quorum/Call to Order
2. Statement of FOIA Compliance & Roll Call
3. Board of Adjustments
4. Planning Commission
a. Changes to School Zone [Vote Needed]
5. Other Business
Meeting Adjourned
Meeting Video Jan 6, 2026
Watch from 37:15 – 46:45. Transcript printed below video.
37:24 – All right. So, um just to remind you guys, we had that conditional use
37:29 – request a couple of months back that the planning commission had approved um for the school, the private school.
37:37 – Um there was some verbiage that was confusing in the zoning ordinance. The
37:44 – school definition uh is said a private or public facility
37:52 – that provides a curriculum of academic or vocational instruction while the
37:57 – school zone itself in the zoning ordinance said that the school zoning district is reserved for lands owned by
38:03 – public school systems. Um so there was a little bit of confusion on what was
38:08 – allowed in the school zone per the definition per the zone. Um, so Bruce and I discussed it and he would he
38:15 – recommended that we simply omit the word “public” out of the zone itself so that it
38:23 – will read the school zoning district is reserved for lands owned by school systems. And
38:29 – and I’d like to add that the city attorney did review this. This isn’t a Bruce and Chelsea thing. This is Baxter
38:36 – Drennon and city attorney having reviewed it.
38:46 – Is there discussion from the commission?
41:56 – Ma’am. It says the determination of the improvements require plan approval
42:03 – uh planning commission will be made by director of community development. Wouldn’t that be worth over
42:10 – private schools? It it basically what it does it doesn’t have any public meeting
42:16 – or notice to the public. It is an administrative procedure where the director could by themselves decide okay
42:25 – they’re going to put in a school and it’s not going to affect all the neighborhoods around.
42:30 – Just for clarification, no site plans have to send out notifications for any
42:35 – zone. Well, but you publish it on the agenda and it’s held at a public meeting where
42:42 – the public has an opportunity to come and be heard if they don’t like it. Right. But all site plans are on the
42:49 – agendas or we wouldn’t be able to discuss the item. It the only things that are publicized in the paper or
42:56 – letters mailed out are rezones or conditional uses. So site plans don’t have to put a notice
43:04 – in the paper or um send out letters,
43:09 – but you still Chelsea, am I misunderstanding you? Yeah, you’re misunderstanding me.
43:16 – If you do it administratively, then it’s done
43:22 – within the walls. It doesn’t come before this body at a public meeting. It’s not
43:28 – listed on an agenda anywhere. It’s just done. Just given approval and it would
43:35 – be the only time that we have site plans that don’t come before this body
43:41 – would be for public schools is how written. Well, would be for public schools. And
43:48 – we did that when we created this because we said, well, they’re already having
43:54 – public meetings and public notices because that’s they it’s got to go before the school board, which is an
44:01 – elected group, right? And their meetings are all public. So, we were just trying to streamline
44:08 – the process for the Benton’s public schools. They were doing development and expanding.
44:15 – This was at a time when the campus of the high school was
44:22 – expanding and they were having to go through this process before the um Benton public
44:29 – schools and have all those hearings and then they build the council room with
44:35 – you know the superintendent of schools and the school board. Okay. So, just to make sure I’m on the
44:40 – same page in understanding, I just I’m sorry. I’m So, in paragraph B, it says,
44:46 – “The planning commission shall make a recommendation to the city council to either approve approve with modification
44:52 – defer or deny a school site plan.” So, could we
44:59 – if you delete We don’t have that specific thing in any other
45:04 – Right. Right. No, I’m It doesn’t go before city council. It it it just goes Yes. Okay.
45:11 – through us and then that’s it. Yeah. Through us. No other site plan to go through city council. Okay.
45:17 – So I’m that’s why I’m saying let’s if you’re going to strike “public” also
45:23 – strike all the paragraph B and then they’re all on the same footing
45:29 – as every other site. Thanks Mrs. Gibson. Are there others that
45:37 – wish to comment? Commissioner Gibson, uh, would you put
45:43 – that in the form of a motion, please? Unless there Pardon me, I don’t want to
45:50 – get ahead. Is there someone else that has other comments or ideas on this
45:55 – item? If there are none, please state that in
46:02 – your motion. Okay. I move that section 7.02 022
46:08 – S school zone paragraph A be modified by
46:14 – striking the word “public” in the first line
46:19 – and by striking sub paragraph B site plan approval
46:25 – process and the entire paragraph that follows there.
46:30 – I’ll second that. We have a motion and a second that Chelsea please call the role.
46:37 – Andy Warford, yes. Mark Chilton, yes. Pamela Gibson, yes. John Clements, Darrell Wood.
46:45 – Brett Chumley. Carl West. This item passes.
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