Roberts Seeking Planning Comm. For City of Rison

RISON - Mayor Charles Roberts told the Rison City Council Monday night that he would like to start a planning commission that will begin looking at ways to grow the city, especially within the residential sector. While there is already a Rison Zoning Commission in place, Roberts said a planning commission would fill a different role for the city. He explained the zoning commission essentially enforcers the city's existing zoning ordinance, determining if a property use is allowable within one of the commercial or residential zones. He said a planning commission looks ahead, developing infrastructure and establishing guidelines for commercial, industrial and/or residential development within town. "Rison needs a planning commission," Roberts told the council during its meeting Monday night, which was rescheduled from it regular Tuesday meeting date last week. "I'm going to leave the zoning commission alone," he said. "I want a planning commission. I want somebody that's got a vision that can help me facilitate these blank lots (within the city) into new homes." One idea that was brought up (continued from page 1) at the meeting was "tiny houses." While there is no definitive size that as to what qualifies as a tiny house, the size is typically about 600 square feet or smaller. While some tiny houses are built on trailer frames to be portable, many are site built as well. In an interview after the meeting, Roberts said he would like to develop affordable housing in Rison and tiny homes would fit within that goal. He said there are already a few houses in Rison that are well under 1,000 square feet that could be considered tiny houses based solely on their size. During the meeting, the mayor asked if the council would be willing to issue a variance for tiny houses if there is an ordinance on the books regulating the minimum size of homes within in the city. Roberts said he was aware that there was an ordina...