Agenda packet and open-space review
The Pea Ridge Planning Commission agenda lists a public hearing and old-business consideration for the Village at City Park PZD on August 4, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall.
Page 7 - revised rendered concept
The packet includes a rendered concept showing the retention pond, market farm and homestead, residential areas, mixed-use buildings, private streets, and landscaped gathering areas.
Page 22 - preliminary plat and labeled areas
The preliminary plat labels Lot A, the non-buildable detention pond, at 35,837 square feet; Lot 37, the farm, at approximately 30,640 square feet; and the separately labeled greenspace areas throughout the residential and mixed-use portions.
Page 23 - areas highlighted as green or open space
Page 23 highlights the detention pond, farm, narrow landscaped strips, and several smaller greens in bright green. The highlighted presentation should not be read as proof that every highlighted square foot qualifies as required recreational or usable open space.
PR Neighbors' open-space calculation
Detention pond: 35,837 sq. ft. - excluded from required recreational space under Pea Ridge Municipal Code Title 15, Section 15.04.06.
Farm: approximately 30,640 sq. ft. - the packet describes it as a commercial farm and also states it is accessible to development residents and counted toward open space. Whether that access is permanent, enforceable, and sufficient for the area to qualify should be clarified in binding documents.
Other highlighted green areas: approximately 26,195 sq. ft., based on the labeled areas on page 23.
Approximate remainder: 26,195 sq. ft., or about 0.60 acre. On a roughly 10-acre site, that is approximately 6%.
One of the highlighted areas is an approximately 650-foot-long, 6-foot-wide strip along the southern edge, equal to roughly 3,900 square feet. Its narrow shape raises a separate question about how much of the highlighted area is practically usable for recreation rather than functioning mainly as a perimeter buffer.
This is a PR Neighbors reading of the preliminary drawings, not an official City determination. The City should publish a clear, code-based calculation separating required recreational space from stormwater facilities, commercial operations, buffers, and other constrained land.
Questions residents may ask at the hearing
- Which specific areas are being credited toward required recreational space?
- Is the detention pond excluded from that calculation?
- Will residents have a recorded, permanent right to use the commercial farm area, and what activities will be permitted there?
- How much of the remaining green area is wide and functional enough for recreation?
- Will the final PZD conditions include a measured open-space exhibit and maintenance obligations?