BENTONVILLE — Several Bentonville residents were disappointed Tuesday night when the City Council voted to rezone property located at 802 McCollum Drive.
The property is at the corner of McCollum Drive and Central Avenue near Interstate 540. It was zoned residential office before Tuesday’s meeting.
The council voted 5-3 to make the property a commercial property, much to the chagrin of the area’s residents.
Council members Mary Baggett, Chris Sooter and James Dotson voted against the proposal.
“I’m very disappointed,” Darlene Nicolau said. “I feel like the process failed to uphold the best interests of the constituents.”
Nicolau lives at 901 McCollum Drive. Her home sits across the street from the property.
Nicolau isn’t alone in her objection to the rezoning of the property. A petition against the rezoning that contained 105 signatures from her neighbors was submitted to the Planning Commission on July 20.
Nicolau said she is concerned about plans for a gasoline station at the site.
Mor-Wise Investments requested the property be rezoned into commercial property so a Kum & Go gasoline station can be built there.
Residents’ concerns about zoning the property commercial and allowing a Kum & Go to be built there included declining property value, noise, increased traffic, lighting and gasoline spills.
Tuesday’s council meeting was only to decide whether the property should be rezoned. The council did not consider plans for the Kum & Go when making its decision.
The commission will make a decision on whether to allow a Kum & Go to be built at 802 McCollum Drive and what restriction should be placed on the building, said Brian Bahr, the Bentonville director of community development.
Allen Shipman owns rental property at 705 McCollum. Like Nicolau, he is against the property being rezoned.
“Maybe I should look at selling,” Shipman said.
Councilman Bill Burckart said he considered the property to be commercial because of its location.
“This property, in my mind, right or wrong, is a commercial property,” Burckart said. “Because of its position on the off ramp (of I-540), it is viable for nothing else.”
Burckart also addressed residents’ concern about their property value.
“I believe the properties over time on McCollum will not only not lose property value but I believe down the road, you’ll be selling your property by the foot and not by the acre,” Burckart said.
Councilman Ed Austin said the decision to rezone the property to C-1 (commercial) was difficult because of the land around it.
“If you look to the west, a C-1 makes no sense,” Austin said. “But looking east, a C-1 makes the most sense.”
Single-family residential homes are directly east of the property. Interstate 540 is on its west.
Shipman had one question for the council following its vote to rezone the property.
“If the community decides to file a lawsuit, will they need to do that before Tuesday?” he said.
Bahr said Mor-Wise Investments may bring plans for the Kum & Go gasoline station before the commission as early as Tuesday.