BENTONVILLE - Several months ago, the Bentonville Planning Commission was faced with a decision: Allow gated communities or not.
In the end, commissioners decided not. A vote was taken to uphold the city's ordinance against such developments, but there were a few exceptions to that restriction.
As it stands today, the only way a subdivision can be gated within the city limits of Bentonville is if it has no connections to major arterials, features rolling topography and does not conflict with developed property around it. To meet all three of those loopholes would, in most cases, be difficult, the commission and city staff agreed when the ordinance was reviewed. Connectivity has long been a key word in the city's vocabulary and this would keep the focus there.
But on Tuesday, the planning commission will review a rezoning request intended to set the stage for Bentonville's first gated community. And the request is being spearheaded by Larry Vandevior of Vancon LLC who, when the review of the city policy took place several months ago, spoke out against allowing gated communities in Bentonville.
Vandevior is in favor of turning property near the 8800 block of West McNelly Road into a gated community. The property, according to city staff, meets the three required elements and a rezone from agricultural to single-family residential would get Vandevior's plans rolling.
The city's future land use plans show the property as conducive to low density residential. The parcel is open land within the Creekstone subdivision, for which the previous two phases had been rezoned from agricultural to low density, singlefamily residential.
Assuming that item passes, Vancons preliminary plat for Creekstone Estates will be reviewed and voted on. Vancon has submitted a plat for a 27-lot gated community, with an average lot size of 1. 25 acres.
Other items on the agenda include • Johnny Haney of Tate and Haney will request 407 S. W. A Street be rezoned from C-2 general commercial to C-3 general commercial. The property is currently an iron shop on the downtown commercial corridor.
• Riverwalk Farm Estates LLC has submitted a largescale development plan for a Kum and Go gas station and convenience store near the northeast corner of Arkansas Highway 12 and Greenhouse Road. There would be 10 fueling stations and a 3, 391-square-foot convenience store.
• Large-scale development plans have been submitted for a pair of retail centers within the Fountain Plaza property, located near McAllister's Deli on Southeast Walton Boulevard. One building would cover 23, 000 square feet and provide space for 12 tenants, while the other would cover 37, 800 square feet with space for 20 tenants.
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