An Express Oil Change may soon be constructed on a vacant lot along Highway 62 East in Mountain Home, pending a rezoning decision by the City Council. Records show that a request to change the zoning of the 0.85-acre property from Commercial C-2 to Commercial C-2A will be presented at Thursday’s City Council meeting.
While the ordinance identifies only the property owners—Richard Steven Fouts and Karen M. Fouts—and project consultant Brittany Youngblood of McAdams, a site engineering firm in Texas, other documentation links the project to Express Oil Change, L.L.C. The survey filed with the petition is certified to Express Oil Change, and McAdams labeled the request with a project number beginning with “EXO.” OWN Engineering of Lowell prepared the survey for a title commitment issued to Express Oil Change, a Birmingham, Alabama-based chain of quick oil change and auto service shops with locations across the South, including Arkansas.
The proposed C-2A classification, known as the city’s commercial neighborhood district, limits business hours to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. This designation is required for certain commercial uses due to city zoning updates that replace the former C-2 category. The ordinance includes an emergency clause to enable construction to begin immediately upon approval.
A second rezoning petition is also up for consideration at the meeting. Rivendell Industries Inc. has requested that two properties at 217 and 221 East 13th Street be rezoned from Industrial I-1 to Commercial C-3, Mountain Home’s quiet retail service district. The lots include the Accurate Metals building, located west of South Street. The application, filed by attorney Ted Sanders, argues that industrial use is no longer practical for the area and that the change aligns with the existing mix of commercial and industrial zones. Neighboring properties include Jiffy Laundry, Gilbert Drywall, and Walker Auction, with Hiland Dairy located across the street.
Neither petition specifies what will be built if the rezonings are approved. Both proposals carry emergency clauses to expedite development. The council is scheduled to vote on these items during its meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Municipal Building, located at 720 Hickory Street.
Other agenda items include appointing a replacement for Ward 3 Council Member Philip Frame, addressing adjustments to the city’s 2026 budget, and adopting updated energy and electrical codes to replace those established in 1979 and 2002, respectively.