Planning commission adopts Plan Bentonville resolution after public comment on Highway 72 and walkable corridors

The Bentonville Planning Commission voted to adopt the Plan Bentonville future land‑use map and alignment policy resolution after an evening public hearing that drew multiple neighbors who urged different land‑use outcomes for the Highway 72 area. The commission passed the resolution by roll call, 7–0, and staff said it will study several specified areas and return with recommended edits.

Tyler (city staff) told commissioners the item returned after city council raised concerns about noticing and asked planning staff to bring the final draft back to the commission for review. The adopting resolution includes an Exhibit D that staff and the city attorney recommend be used to identify three study areas for follow‑up: (1) the J Street interchange area, (2) the square and its proximity for historic preservation, and (3) a far‑south Bentonville area referred to in the meeting as the “Kite Tail.” Staff recommended, and the commission agreed, to allow two weeks for staff to produce a final map if the commission requested map edits at adoption.

During the public hearing, speakers offered differing views for a specific area near Highway 72 that had been proposed for a walkable or urban designation. Ken Eric, 1054 North Main Street, said he represents a group of neighbors and Walmart associates who buy and rehabilitate homes and argued the area was appropriate for an urban walkable designation to allow greater density and reduced setbacks so more affordable housing types could be developed. “We pull together a group of Walmart associates, we buy houses together, we fix them up ... we wanna have higher density so we can keep the prices low,” Eric said.

Several nearby residents urged the commission to retain a suburban neighborhood designation for the same Highway 72 area, citing traffic, safety and property‑value concerns. Deidra Hunter, 5 Stonebridge Way, told the commission she worried about added traffic, the location of a proposed hospital nearby and planned development that would increase congestion. Patty Molitor, 7 Stonebridge Way, said taller apartments would reduce privacy for existing homes and could lower property values. Multiple speakers from Stonebridge Way thanked commissioners for previously supporting a suburban designation and asked the commission to keep that designation in place.

West Wolfright (Nightingale in Bentonville) told commissioners that reverting to a walkable designation would “penalize the people who already live there” by lowering property values and increasing safety risks. Commissioners acknowledged those concerns and discussed that the adopting resolution includes a staff commitment to study the identified areas and return with recommendations during the code‑update process.

After public comment concluded, commissioners debated whether to vote the items individually or adopt the single resolution covering the full Plan Bentonville update; they voted to adopt the single resolution and directed staff to return with any edits the commission requested within two weeks for finalization. The roll call recorded a unanimous vote to adopt the resolution, 7–0.

Staff also noted additional written public comments had been appended to the meeting packet and that code updates (Phase 2) would be discussed at the commission’s next meeting on the 18th.