A Popeye’s chicken restaurant franchisee is continuing an effort to break into the West Markham Street strip near UAMS.
The Little Rock City Board at an agenda meeting Tuesday will set a public hearing Nov. 16 on an appeal of the Planning Commission’s denial of a request to rezone 4908 West Markham (the northwest corner of Markham and Monroe) for a Popeye’s. The site is currently occupied by a vacant branch bank building, which would be razed.
The city staff recommended denial of the rezoning because that corner is viewed as an entry into Hillcrest through a primarily residential neighborhood, with single-family homes on the east side of Markham and north of the bank branch building. The staff acknowledges some other commercial uses on the Markham strip, including a Wendy’s on the west side of the bank branch property.
The Planning Commission and City Board last year turned down another request to convert quiet office to a Popeye’s, in the 5500 block of West Markham. In that case, as with the latest request, the Planning Commission and staff opposed the request, though the Midtown Advisory Committee favored it.