CENTERTON -- The Planning Commission this week gave Walmart the green light to build a fuel station on the east side of the Neighborhood Market at East Centerton Boulevard and Greenhouse Road.
The move comes after Bentonville's commission in April failed to approve a waiver in the plans to build the fuel station on the west side of the Neighborhood Market.
Centerton annexed the land the station will be built on from Benton County in June, Mayor Bill Edwards said.
Centerton had to wait 30 days before the commission could approve the plan at its Tuesday meeting, he said.
The station will have six islands with 12 pumps and a 740-square-foot building, according to the plan.
The plan shows there will be access from East Centerton Boulevard into the fuel station. There will be access from the fuel station into the Neighborhood Market. The development also will have four parking spaces, one of which will be wheelchair accessible.
Having the fuel station in Centerton instead of Bentonville will give Centerton more tax revenue and also provide another fueling option in the city, Edwards said. The city has three stations.
Having the fourth on the east side of town also will serve people who live on the west side of Bentonville, Edwards said.
"I think the biggest plus to this is that, when folks come in, they can get fuel and go right to the Neighborhood Market next door," he said. "It's all in one spot."
There isn't a set time for construction to start, but officials will target the station to be open in the third quarter of this year, according to Erica Jones, Walmart spokeswoman.
The 41,000-square-foot Neighborhood Market opened June 18.
Walmart announced in March it will build an 180,000-square-foot supercenter at the intersection of Centerton Boulevard and South Fish Hatchery Road in Centerton. It's slated to open next summer.
NW News on 07/25/2014