Bentonville Fuel Station Plans Placed On Hold

The brakes have been put on Walmart's plans for building a fueling station next to the Neighborhood Market going up in Centerton.

The Bentonville Planning Commission tabled three items 5-0 relating to the project Tuesday evening. Commissioners Lisa Bohn and Joe Thompson were absent.

At A Glance

Council Action

Bentonville’s Planning Commission met Tuesday and approved:

• A lot split at 207 Southeast B Street

• A permit for a private child care and early education center on Northwest Walton Boulevard

• A permit for a residential child care at 8 Jordan Lane

• Rezoning 2309 S.E. Moberly Lane from neighborhood commercial to general commercial

• A property line adjustment at 508 S.E. C St.

Source: Staff report

The request to table came from the applicant's representative, according to planning staff reports.

The Neighborhood Market at the intersection of Southwest 14 Street and Greenhouse Road is expected to be finished by the end of May. Plans show Walmart's interest in building a fueling station just west of it on land in Bentonville.

The three items were a rezone of the property from agricultural to general commercial, a lot split and a large-scale development.

The rezoning and lot split are proposed for a potential sale to Walmart, according to a memo from CEI Engineering Associates to Troy Galloway, city's director of community development.

CEI Engineering is the agent of the Patton Family Revocable Trust, owners of the six acres. The fueling station would be built on the most eastern one acre.

A city access management ordinance requires a cross-access drive be provided on commercial properties classified as major traffic generators to allow circulation between sites. Development plans included a waiver request to forgo the requirement on the west side of the project to the remaining five acres.

Commissioners denied the request during its tech review meeting last week.

Walmart made the request because it's not known what the remaining land will be used for, according to the planning staff report.

"The property transaction between Walmart and Mr. Patton does not protect Walmart from potential competitors or other objectionable uses on the remainder of Mr. Patton's property," the report states.

Walmart also expressed concern about customer safety and potential traffic problems, according to the report.

The city requires the cross access to limit "turning movements" on the highway and help traffic move smoothly, Galloway said.

"It takes some of that traffic off the highway," he said.

Commissioner Debi Havner said it's rare that a waiver request for that ordinance is approved.

"Most don't even ask for it," she said.

It will be granted in situations where the cross access would create a hardship for a business, Havner said. A hardship would include it becoming or creating a physical obstacle for traffic. Competition wouldn't qualify as a hardship in regards to the ordinance, she said.

NW News on 04/02/2014

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