BENTONVILLE — Improving communication between county planners and the Quorum Court was the main topic of discussion at Wednesday’s meeting of the Benton County Planning Board.
Some members of the planning panel wondered aloud if the justices of the peace understood the nature of a pair of ordinances the group is asking the Quorum Court to approve. The ordinances have been referred to the court’s long-range planning/facilities committee for discussion.
“There seems to be a huge misunderstanding or miscommunication that this is going to that committee at all,” Lane Gurel, a member of the planning board said.
Gurel said the Quorum Court committee deals with county buildings and properties, not the sort of land development or building projects county planners do. He said he was concerned that having the planning ordinances referred to another committee would delay implementation of a proposal for a commercial development matrix that is meant to simplify the county planning process for small developers.
“I wonder if there might not be a way to impress upon them that there’s no need for more delay,” Gurel said.
Scott Borman, chairman of the planning board, said the justices of the peace may have any number of reason for referring planning matters to a given committee. He said such referrals are common at the state level and not surprising at the county level.
“There could be a multitude of reasons why it was sent there,” Borman said. “But that’s where it was sent and that’s where we’ll deal with it.”
In other business, the board approved an informal plat for the Schrader Acres development on Old Highway 68 near Siloam Springs. A question was raised about the location of a road along one side of the development but Borman said the developer had changed his original plans to meet requirements the planning board placed on the development at an earlier meeting. The board voted unanimously to approve the plat.