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Residents tell Benton City Council they were not notified of rezoning and voice concerns over growth and utilities
Summary
Several residents told the council on Dec. 2 they did not receive mailed notice about nearby rezoning and urged the city to review notification rules, development density and water/sewer capacity; staff said they would investigate and report back.
Multiple residents raised concerns at the Dec. 2 Benton City Council meeting about notification for a nearby rezoning and whether the city can sustain rapid growth.
A resident who identified himself as Gary (S6) said he found a sign announcing a rezoning from suburban A to R‑2 on a parcel near his property on Carroll Avenue but had not received the city’s mailed notice. He said the city code requires 300‑foot notice and asked why he was excluded. Gary also read city planning language aloud, citing roughly $2,250,000 in current water and sewer reserves and saying “more than 18,000,000 in major capital improvements will be needed over the next 5 years,” and asked how the city will keep services reliable as neighborhoods come online.
A staff representative (S5) told the resident the city would look up applicable code and notification records and that the administration would follow up. The staff member also said the city monitors development against available utility capacity and that, at present, the city had roughly 25% capacity available for water and sewer but would deny or slow projects if infrastructure limits are approached.
Beck (S8) asked why planned 6th Street improvements were not on the agenda and requested the engineer report back at the next council meeting; Beck also questioned the decision to allow rezoning from R‑1 to R‑2 for a parcel across from her home and asked whether building heights (a 30‑foot limit) had been enforced for new duplexes on Carroll Avenue. The council noted variances had been granted for some properties, including an elevation/flood‑proofing variance for ground floors in a flood plain that allowed taller structures where the lower floor has no habitable area.
Debbie James (S4) asked the council to press the city attorney to finalize paperwork to vacate a 20‑foot easement/right‑of‑way so she can proceed with a planned accessory dwelling unit; she said she has been waiting since July and that permits are ready but the land paperwork is incomplete.
Council members and staff said they would review notification procedures, search records for mailed notices, follow up on the easement/right‑of‑way paperwork and place residents’ items on a future agenda for fuller answers.
