Fayetteville currently has no pawn shops, and any future shops will not be found along the city’s main commercial strips.
Instead, the Fayetteville City Council July 15 voted unanimously on an ordinance amendment that limits pawn shops to the industrial zoned areas of the city.
Senior Planner Linwood Robinson said that while there are currently no pawn shops operating in the city, there have been several recent inquiries. He proposed having those businesses located in the M-1 (Light Industrial) and M-2 (Heavy Industrial) zoning districts rather than the C-3 (Highway Commercial) district as had been the case prior to the vote.
Robinson said that, as a housekeeping matter and an attempt to make sure pawn shops approved for operation in Fayetteville are placed in appropriate zoning classifications, city staff, the city attorney and Planning & Zoning Commission have conducted research on community impact and which zoning district is best suited for the placement of pawn shops.
Property crimes are linked to pawn shops being located in retail areas, Robinson said, adding that pawn shops are destination businesses, so the location of the business is not a deterrent to operating successfully.
Also at the meeting, the council unanimously approved an ordinance amendment that would exempt new restaurants on the south and west sides of Courthouse Square from impact fees and sewer proportionate fees.
Main Street Director Brian Wismer said there had been some interest expressed by potential restaurants, adding that the idea behind the proposal is to create incentives that will encourage restaurant uses in historic commercial properties in the downtown square.
As on previous occasions, Wismer said that an increased presence of restaurants will, in turn, boost the local economy, create additional income for the city, and further the city’s goal to create a more active and lively downtown area.
