BENTONVILLE -- Benton County planners on Wednesday approved plans for a trucking operation in a mostly residential area near Lowell.
The Planning Board unanimously approved W.C. & Associates trucking company's plans after a public hearing drew comments from neighbors for and against the proposal.
Joseph Brown, who lives just east of the site, told the board he remains concerned about the effect of possible leaks or spills on groundwater wells and a creek in the area. Brown also said he's concerned about the size of the operation.
"It seems like it's going to be a bigger place than I ever imagined," Brown said.
Jason Campbell, who lives at 3388 Phillips Road, complained about the adverse impact on his property's value.
"I can't sell my property now," Campbell said. "It's not right."
Steven Curry, who lives at 5880 Colvin Place, north of the site, said the property has been cleaned since they bought it and is much better now.
"It was Sanford and Son times 100," Curry said. "It was really, really bad."
The board reviewed the proposal for 5475 and 5529 Colvin Place owned by Walter and Maria del Carmen Martinez. Don Kendall and Susan Kendall, Rogers attorneys, and Tina Ford with Bates & Associates, represented the plans for the 5-acre site. Ford said other parcels in the area are used for similar purposes and the Martinez property has been greatly improved.
"This site has undergone extensive renovation and they have worked very diligently toward cleaning it up," Ford said. "That whole area has heavy equipment around them."
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.
Also Wednesday, the board approved plans for another business in the same area. Keith Austin Construction submitted plans for a vehicle storage operation at 3597 Phillips Road. The board requested additional buffering and screening on the site before unanimously approving the plans.
NW News on 05/03/2018