BENTONVILLE — Dozens of residents gave input at a forum Wednesday evening that will help shape the city’s Southeast Downtown Area Plan.
The new plan will prioritize development for an area ranging from the city square south to Southeast 10th Street and between Southeast J and Southwest A streets. The area will include an arts district, a market district and a public facilities district, while a residential committee will oversee improvement to housing opportunities.
At A Glance
What They Said
Some public comments made Wednesday on the Southeast Downtown Area Plan include:
• Get the old Tyson plant back to work.
• Reuse Kraft plant.
• Create a multifunction building for events.
• Plant trees.
• Add bike lanes.
• More sidewalks, especially around C Street and Sixth Street.
• Mask view of city equipment.
-Staff Report
Wednesday’s drop-in forum allowed residents to complete a visual preference survey, add notes to a comment board and speak with community leaders about potential improvement.
A large board in the Walmart Community Room at the Bentonville Public Library was covered with yellow sticky notes advocating for a variety of improvements. Some of the most repeated comments involved following through with code enforcement and cleaning up properties.
Other residents wrote for more sidewalks and increased trail access. Another wrote, “Maintain historic charm.”
The visual survey allowed residents to rate a variety of architectural styles for single-family homes, duplexes and larger apartment complexes. One resident advocated for brownstone row-style homes, while another commented they wanted state of the art homes.
Troy Galloway, director of community development for the city, said he was pleased with the input. He noted people from across Bentonville turned out to help create a vision for part of their city.
“That just goes to show the community at large has an interest in what’s going on downtown,” he said.
Each of the districts and the residential group have committees that have already started meeting. The information from Wednesday’s forum will be used to help shape committee recommendations moving forward, he said.
Mary Baggett, alderwoman from Ward 1, chatted with residents and looked over the plans during the forum.
“It’s impressive to see the number of people here,” she said. “We have a lot we need to do for the southeast part of downtown.”
The area is ripe for redevelopment with an improving economy and plenty of available land, said Pat Carroll, Planning Commission member and director of national accounts for Crossland Construction. He also serves on the market district committee.
He mentioned the need for improved drainage. “There’s really no strong infrastructure,” he said.
Goals of the Southeast Downtown Area Plan include guiding development, preserving public infrastructure and encouraging private investment. The city hopes to establish the area as a regional center for local food resources and healthy eating education, as well as creating a concentration of art and cultural venues.
Galloway said the next public meeting will present strategies to make sure the city and committees correctly interpreted residents’ intent. Planners aim to present a finished plan to the City Council by the end of the year so they can include budget requests in the 2014 budget.