TEXARKANA, Ark. – The board of directors on Monday voted to allow an organization, Winner Circle 4, to enter into a contract to provide events for the Front Street Festival Plaza. The directors discussed a concern about a lengthy three-year service contract for Winner Circle 4 and Ward 6 Director Steve Smith said he thought they should start with a six-month trial period instead of a three-year contract.
Winners Circle 4 declined the six-month trial period and said the three-year contract is the only way they would offer services for special events. Five directors voted yes to pass the resolution, and Director Ward 6 Steve Smith and Mayor Allen Brown voted no, so the resolution was passed. Also, in regular business, the board voted on adopting an ordinance to rezone 6304 East 9th Street for a limited mixed-use rural in Ward 1 for a short-term residential rental, allowing the homeowner to turn the residence into an Airbnb.
The board’s concerns included parking issues, and Mayor Brown said he felt unsure about how the rules governing this conditional use permit of the property would be enforced. “There’s not any way that I can see how our building inspectors could enforce this process,” said Brown. Mayor Brown suggested that the board mirrors how the Texas side handles the same issue.
The city has a cap of 2% of residences that can have an Airbnb to rent out, and the board expressed concerns about the overall neighborhood experience changing for the homeowners living .