Jonesboro · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Jonesboro public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Chick-fil-A site variances at Southern Creek Lane
A new Chick-fil-A wants to skip the required cross-access connection to the Tommy's car wash next door and run three driveways onto Southern Creek Lane. The board weighed head-on crash risk and grade problems against the purpose of the access management ordinance.
NEA Children's Museum land request
United Way keeps its long-time space at 407 Union Avenue on a 10-year, $1-a-year lease. The North Jonesboro CDC lease for 911 Magnolia Road — shared with two other nonprofits — was tabled two weeks to sort out who schedules the shared space.
160-acre annexation petition near Valley View
The Browning Family Trust asked the city to annex 160 acres of family farmland south of Valley View, partly prompted by City Water and Light's planned lift station. The committee rejected it 2-5, saying the city lacks the resources to extend police, fire and sanitation services and already has ample undeveloped land.
Permitting Process Efficiency Study Findings
The city hired Matrix Consulting to figure out why getting a building permit in Jonesboro is slow and confusing. The findings: four people across three departments handle intake, there are no published review timelines, fees haven't been updated since 2017, and two software systems don't integrate. The fixes — a permit center, a Development Services Department, better software use — could speed things up for homeowners and builders alike.