Bentonville rezoning hearings set

BENTONVILLE -- Bentonville's Planning Commission will consider four downtown rezoning requests at its meeting Tuesday.

The four lots are at the former location of the city's Street, Electric and Water departments on Southeast Third and Southeast D streets, about six blocks southeast of the square, totaling about 10 acres.

All four lots are now single-family residential. The rezoning requests call for two downtown high-density lots and two downtown mixed-use residential lots. There will be a public hearing for each request.

The downtown high-density zonings would allow for an apartment building next to the bike trails and downtown commercial areas, according to the rezoning request. The downtown mixed-use residential zonings -- the highest downtown density -- would allow apartments and mixed-use buildings.

The requests don't provide details of the buildings. Brenda Anderson, applicant representative at the Planning Commission's recent technical review meeting, said she wouldn't provide details.

The city's plan calls for the area to have the highest density zoning, but Anderson said the applicants are requesting rezoning a step below that. The properties with the highest density requests aren't directly next to single-family homes.

The maximum height in the downtown high-density zoning is 40 feet, which is about three stories, or 50 feet in the downtown mixed-use residential zoning, said Jon Stanley, the city planner.

The Planning Department received three letters opposing the rezoning requests.

Keely and Alex Brice, homeowners on Southeast Third Street, said the high-density and mixed use for one lot is out of character with their residential community and would hinder the atmosphere of the historic district.

"Apartments and duplexes will increase the amount of temporary residents, making it harder to establish a real community of caring neighbors," they wrote. "In addition ... we are concerned that the value of our property will diminish."

Metro on 03/19/2018

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