BENTONVILLE -- Benton County planners on Wednesday heard another proposal from W.C. & Associates, a trucking company, for a business operation in a residential and agricultural area east of Lowell.
The Planning Board reviewed the proposal for property at 5475 and 5529 Colvin Place owned by Maria del Carmen Martinez. Don Kendall, a Rogers attorney, represented Martinez and W.C. & Associates, the trucking business seeking permission to operate from the 5-acre site.
The county received complaints about the business in early 2017 and the board rejected the company's initial plans in August 2017. That denial was appealed and upheld in October by the Planning Appeals Board. The company submitted revised plans in January. The board had questions about those plans and they were withdrawn in February and the company requested another review by the Planning Board at Wednesday's meeting.
Kendall said the scope of the operation has greatly changed and the owners have done a great deal of work cleaning the site.
"If you go back and look at it, it was a junk yard," Kendall said of the location before the Martinez bought the property. "It was terrible."
Bob Bracy, board chairman, said he appreciated the work done but expressed concerns the business has continued to operate even though the county issued a cease-and-desist order and has denied the previous applications.
"I find that to be a bit concerning," Bracy said, adding he expects the owners to comply with regulations in the future.
The business was reported to the Environmental Division in February and April 2017 regarding trucks, machinery and material being stored outside on the site and the suspected leaking of oil and other fluids, according to the planning staff report on the project. The planning staff issued a stop work order for the business and the Planning Board subsequently denied the application as submitted. The Planning Appeals Board then upheld the denial.
In the new plan the business proposes reducing the number of dump trucks on the property from 30 to 10, along with a track hoe, backhoe and excavator used in conjunction with the trucking operation. Used batteries and oil will be stored on the site. The business will have no nighttime operations and business hours will be from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. six days a week, Monday through Saturday.
A public hearing on the plans was set for May 2.
Also Wednesday, the Planning Board continued to review proposed changes in planning regulations. Once the board has completed its work the changes will be sent to to the Quorum Court for review.
NW News on 04/19/2018