Bella Vista Planners OK Store

— Bella Vista will see some commercial development in the near future.

With a 5-1 vote, planning commissioners Monday night approved the construction of a Casey’s General Store at the intersection of U.S. 71 and Riordan Road. Commissioner Deb Lewis voted against the project.

Plans call for a 4,300-square-foot building with a canopy structure housing 16 gasoline pumps on about 1.5 acres.

The group considered and approved three waivers by the applicant — one to decrease the length of the driveways off Riordan Road, one to decrease the separation distance between the eastern driveway centerline and the right of way along U.S. 71 and one to eliminate the requirement of a detention pond on the site.

In agreeing to grant the second waiver, the commission cited as a requirement of approval the developer must construct a concrete median along Riordan Road only between the aligned entrances of the future construction and Cunningham Corner at Dairy Queen. The median will prevent left turns into both sites at those entrances closest to Bella Vista Way, and therefore eliminate the potential for traffic congestion there.

The western entrances to both Casey’s and Cunningham Corner will allow left turns in and out via a center turning lane on Riordan Road.

Traffic counts collected by Small Arrow Engineering call for 3,140 total vehicle trips per day from the development — half of that number going into the store and half coming out. Numbers were collected in 2010, when Kum & Go convenience store applied to build at the site, but updated with a 2 percent growth rate.

With the granting of the waivers, Planning Director Chris Suneson said the conditions of approval eliminate issues with increased traffic on Riordan Road.

The waiver to eliminate a detention pond on the site was approved under the condition the developer will install a mechanical separation device to segregate pollutants from stormwater flow prior to being discharged into Sugar Creek.

The next planning meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Fire Department training room.

Upcoming Events