BENTONVILLE — Given the chance to voice their displeasure of a proposed general plan amendment, several northeast Bentonville neighbors took the opportunity during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled city planning commission meeting.
Approximately 20 residents of properties located near East Arkansas 72 argued against the city planning staff’s recommendation of a proposed land use map change on Tuesday. The change in question — if approved — would allow the property at 3700 East Central Avenue to go from its existing residential-1 zoning to a future land use map designation of residential office.
The Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposal, 4-0, with three absentees, Tuesday. But not before hearing several opinions against the change. Joe Kupillas, a resident of the Kensington Subdivision just east of 3700 E. Central Ave., addressed the commission Tuesday and neighbors were against any future zoning changes to the property.
“We believe we have not been presented with any facts or heard any appropriate reasons to make us believe that any changes to the zoning of this property will be a benefit to the surrounding communities,” Kupillas told the committee.
Kupillas and other neighbors presented the planning commission with a petition signed by 141 residents in the Kensington, Stonebridge and Woods Creek communities who were all opposed to any future rezoning. After hearing the public comments, the planning commission reminded the citizens that Tuesday’s vote was not to determine any rezoning, but to just propose residential office land use map designation for the property to the city council.
The property owner, Terra Firm Holdings, would still have to go through several more steps to get rezoning approved. But the residents still felt it was necessary to be heard before it got to that point.
“I’m amused it’s a public hearing and no one hears the public,” Kupillas said. “The public gives you 141 voters taken between New Year’s Eve and today from three different neighborhoods that say leave it the way it is. So the only benefit we see (to change the zoning) is to the investor.”
Tyler Thompson represented Terra Firm Holdings at Tuesday’s planning meeting. Thompson originally requested for all of the land at 3700 E. Central Ave. to be rezoned R-O, but worked with the city planning staff on an agreement where just 6 acres in the northwest corner of the property would become R-O, leaving the remaining property as R-1.
“I’m trying to get the frame use map changed for the future,” Thompson said. “Because I do believe based on the property and the location, it’s definitely going to be used for some sort of commercial or like-commercial use.”
Residents expressed concern over several issues if Thompson’s property is eventually rezoned, with property values, increased traffic, safety issues and historical value of the property being the at the top of the list.
“We’re going to have to go to the city council and get on their agenda,” Kupillas said. “Maybe elected officials will be more concerned.”