Bentonville liquor store permit withdrawn

BENTONVILLE -- The applicant who wanted to open a liquor store near Memorial Park has withdrawn his request for a conditional use permit.

Steve Turner with Petromark submitted a short letter to notify city planners of his decision.

At A Glance

The property located at 2501 E. Central Ave. where a permit was sought to place a liquor store is zoned C-2, General Commercial. That district is the least restrictive of the commercial districts and is designed to serve the planning area and highway travelers.

There are more than 60 permitted uses in that zoning district that would not require a conditional use permit.

Some of the retail uses include an artisan shop, a bakery, convenience store, gas station, equipment rental, restaurant and retail store.

Source: Staff Report

"Please advise the Bentonville Planning Commission that Petromark, Inc. will not pursue approval of the Conditional Use Permit. We appreciate the time involved and the input of all. Thank you for the opportunity and we look forward to doing business in Bentonville, today and tomorrow," Turner's letter reads.

Turner plans to "pursue additional opportunities presented over the previous week," he wrote in an email Tuesday, also saying it was premature to reveal what those opportunities might be.

Turner applied to establish Gatsby's Fine Wine, Beer and Spirits at 2501 E. Central Ave. in the vacant White Oak Station.

The station is on the east side of Moberly Lane, while Memorial Park is on the west side. City ordinance prohibits alcohol sales within 500 feet of a city park or trail without a conditional use permit.

The permit request was first brought to the Planning Commission at its Feb. 17 meeting, when it was tabled. Turner requested it be tabled again at March 3 and March 17 meetings because he said he needed more time to accommodate the conditions outlined in the permit.

The permit had 17 conditions, including building a berm and landscaping and evergreen plantings to obstruct the liquor store from Memorial Park.

Planning commissioners and planning staff received many comments from residents concerned about the project.

Beau Thompson, city planner, said he received 29 email messages about the liquor store. Others called with questions or concerns.

Not everyone expressed opposition to it. Some called seeking more information, Thompson said.

Commissioner Debi Havner said there were times when she would receive 10 email a day about the proposed liquor store. Some were from individuals and others were writing on behalf of a group of people. She said she appreciated the public's comments as they helped commissioners get a real sense of what the community desired.

"That's what it's all about," she said. "This is our town. We want to make it right as much as they do."

This is only the second permit that's been sought to sell liquor near a city park or trail. The Planning Commission approved the first one in August 2013 for No.1 Liquor at 1200 S.E. 14th St.

A trail is on the opposite side of Southeast 14th Street, a five-lane road. There was also an evergreen hedge that helped separate the store from the trail, Thompson said.

"There was quite a bit of separation," he said, recalling that there wasn't much opposition to that permit.

The city has approved other requests regarding the sale of beer and wine, but the Petromark request was the only other permit regarding the sale of liquor.

The Planning Commission approved a permit in November allowing the Walmart Neighborhood Market at 1703 E. Central Ave. to sell beer and wine but not liquor. That Neighborhood Market is near Memorial Park.

Tom Byland, former planning commissioner, was the only one to vote against it.

Ramo D'Olivo received approval in September to sell wine at 217 S. Main St., which is near Dave Peel Park.

A new permit application would be required and new public hearings would be held if Petromark wanted to pursue a liquor store at the 2501 E. Central Ave. location again, Thompson said.

"The conditional use process would start all over," he said.

NW News on 04/01/2015

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