Cave Springs

Housing Diversity: Since connecting to the NACA sewer plant, Cave Springs has worked to promoted more diverse housing typologies, moving away from traditional large-lot neighborhoods reliant on septic systems. The City is working closely with property owners and developers to support the integration of multi-family housing in appropriate areas across the community. We are currently seeing a rise in small-scale multifamily developments, such as townhomes and row houses, which are both being proposed and constructed. In response to growing community interest in unique and varied housing options, the City has also approved smaller single-family lot types including zero lot line homes, cottage courts, and developments with rear-access alleys.

Walkable: The City of Cave Springs was awarded a grant from ARDOT to install and connect sidewalks in areas that were historically rural, enhancing safety and walkability for residents along older roads and streets outside of existing subdivisions. Over the past year, we have also collaborated with ARDOT to route the proposed greenway trail that is planned as part of the Hwy 112 realignment into the downtown core. This adjustment will significantly improve regional connectivity and provide residents with better access to the trail system.

Mixed Use: We have worked with multiple developers to encourage new mixed-use developments which was something that the City in the past did not have the capacity for, nor the development code to allow these projects by right. Currently we are utilizing a PZD (Planned Zoning District) process which allows these types of developments, but we are working now to update our code to make this process more streamlined and easier to navigate.

These and other items are recognized as key priorities for the City, and we are actively working to address them through updates to our codes. Recently, we adopted a Downtown Master Plan to guide the future growth of the area, particularly in light of the Hwy 112 realignment. This effort, alongside updates to our Subdivision Code, Vision Plan, and future land use and development maps, have been critical in helping us keep pace with increasing development interest. We are also in the preliminary process of drafting a new zoning code aimed at expanding by-right development options and reducing reliance on the more time-consuming submittals such as the Planned Zoning District (PZD) process.