BENTONVILLE -- A proposed apartment complex on Northwest A Street has some residents concerned about how it could impact traffic.
Three residents shared their opinions with the Planning Commission last week.
AT A GLANCE
Other Apartment Projects
Two other apartment projects are under way in Bentonville.
• The Trails at Rainbow Curve by Lindsey Management will add 487 apartments in 27 buildings. Construction is expected to be completed in fall of 2015.
• Thrive will add 62 units downtown. It is scheduled to open in February.
Source: Staff Report
The large-scale development plan didn't require a public hearing, but commissioners allowed public comment because they had received email messages from residents about the project, said Richard Binns, commissioner.
The proposed 50-unit, five building Woodlands at Creekside would sit directly south of the city's compost facility.
One building would be three stories tall and contain 12 one-bedroom units. One building would be single story and contain two, one-bedroom units. Three buildings would be three stories tall, and each would contain 12 two-bedroom units, according to agenda documents.
The exterior of the buildings would be brick, lapped fiber cement siding, steel railings and vinyl shutters. There would be 78 parking spaces on site.
The city has received concerns over traffic in that area, said Troy Galloway, director of community and economic development.
There are between 3,000 and 4,000 vehicle trips on Northwest A Street any given day, depending on the time of day and day of the week, he said. It's estimated that a 50-unit apartment complex would add another 350 vehicle trips per day.
"It's not insignificant, but it certainly would not overwhelm that street," Galloway said.
He compared it to West Central Avenue between North Walton Boulevard and Northwest A Street. That is a two-lane residential street that carries more than 10,000 vehicles a day, Galloway said.
Brian Burke, a resident near the proposed development, encouraged commissioners to drive Northwest A Street at different times of day to see how traffic is and how the complex might affect it.
The commission has the ability under the subdivision code to deny a proposal if it finds that it creates a traffic hazard, Burke said.
"All I'm saying is that this proposal at this location, I believe, constitutes a traffic problem, constitutes a safety problem," Burke said.
The commission tabled the development on the request of the applicant.
City staff will work with Morrison Shipley Engineers to create a more safe egress and ingress. The original design had access from Northwest A Street. A sight distance issue with southbound traffic makes that option dangerous, Galloway said.
Officials will look at a redesign that would shift the point of access north and possibly have it combine with the compost facility, he said.
Galloway said he's hopeful that a solution can be found before the Aug. 5 Planning Commission meeting when the development plan will be back on the agenda.
The average apartment occupancy rate in Bentonville is 97 percent, according to a mid-year survey conducted by CB Richard Ellis, a commercial real estate brokerage firm.
A healthy vacancy rate would be around 10 percent to 12 percent since there would be a fair amount of turnover and spaces available, Galloway said.
NW News on 07/21/2014