Southeast Downtown Area Plan Heads To Bentonville Planning Commission

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

— The Planning Commission could approve the Southeast Downtown Area Plan tonight.

The plan is an extension of the Downtown Master Plan adopted by the City Council in 2006. It encompasses about 300 acres southeast of the downtown square. East

WEB WATCH

The Southeast Downtown Area Plan can be viewed online at www.bentonvillear.c….

MEETING INFORMATION

Bentonville

Planning Commission

Time: 5 p.m. today

Where: Community Development Building, 305 S.W. A St.

Central Avenue creates the northern boundary, Southeast J Street is the eastern boundary, Southeast 10th Street is the southern boundary and Southwest B Street is the western boundary. The plan will still be based off the themes and concepts in the Downtown Master Plan, according to the Southeast Downtown Area Plan draft.

“The southeast downtown area should be a place where people want to live, work and socialize,” the draft reads.

The plan includes an arts district and market district connected by Southeast Sixth Street. There also is a focus to increase housing options in the area.

Steering committees, public workshops and surveys were used to gather information during the planning process. The final plan draft was presented to the public at the city library twice on Dec. 18.

The city will not play the role of developer, but will provide infrastructure that will help make the area appealing to private investors, Mayor Bob McCaslin said at the December event.

There was some good conversations that took place at the presentations at the library, but planning officials haven’t received much feedback from the public since then, Troy Galloway, director of community development, said Monday.

Tonight’s meeting will include a presentation of the plan to the commission, but it won’t include a public hearing. Residents who may have questions are encouraged to attend, Galloway said.