Planning board rejects Roth preliminary plat for Oaktree Estates amid road, safety and infrastructure concerns

The Benton County Planning Board voted down a preliminary plat for a 29-lot subdivision called Oaktree Estates, proposed by developer Randy Roth, after residents and some board members said local roads and emergency access are inadequate for new subdivision traffic.

Braden Wise of Bates & Associates presented the proposal for a 30‑lot preliminary plat (29 buildable lots and a detention/common lot) on Old Springtown Road near Gentry and Springtown, saying the development would rely on City of Gentry for water and individual septic systems for wastewater. Wise told the board the applicant provided a revised plat and a service-confirmation letter from Gentry Water and that the planned lots meet the county’s dimensional requirements.

The nut of the opposition was public-safety and infrastructure. Terry Glenn, mayor of Springtown, said the low-water bridge on Old Springtown Road ‘‘is in poor condition now, and with increased traffic from the subdivision, it’s not gonna last…