BENTONVILLE -- The City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved an agreement related to development of the new Walmart Global Home Office.
O.R. Colan Associates will be paid $88,775 to provide professional services for property acquisition required for the development of the project, according to council documents.
Transportation Director Dennis Birge, in a letter to Mayor Stephanie Orman and the eight council members, said Walmart will reimburse the city for all expenses to acquire right of way and easements needed for public improvements.
The council also unanimously approved the project's updated planned unit development. The original planned unit development was passed by the Planning Commission and City Council in August.
Additional property that originally was railroad right of way will be included in the development. Its inclusion will add two parking decks, an additional commercial building and one surface parking lot to the original development, according to planning documents.
The amendment passed through the Planning Commission last week 6-0.
The property is generally bounded by East Central Avenue to the north, Southeast Martin Luther King Junior Parkway and Southeast Moberly Lane to the east, Southeast 14th Street to the south and Southeast J Street to the west, according to planning documents.
The campus will have 13 buildings, 12 parking decks and nine surface parking lots. The development is divided into five zones to be constructed in three phases. The development will provide 11,255 parking spaces, according to planning documents.
Also unanimously approved Tuesday night was an agreement with the Charles H. and Marilyn S. Turner Revocable Trust and Lawrence H. and Linda J. Hawkins for $850,000, plus closing costs estimated at $9,000 and $10,000 earnest money for the purchase of 401 S. Main St. Additional costs of $19,800 will pay for other services associated with the purchase. The property will provide greater expansion opportunities for the public library, according to council documents.
The money will come from city reserve. The library is at 405 S. Main St.
An ordinance granting the Library Advisory Board authority to approve naming recognition related to fundraising efforts for library also was unanimously approved.
The council also voted to send an item back to the Planning Commission for a variance consideration instead of a rezoning. The property is at 410 S.W. Fourth St. The Planning Commission voted 6-0 last week to grant a rezoning from single-family residential to downtown medium-density residential.
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Council action
Bentonville’s City Council metn Tuesday and approved:
• Recognizing Det. Cpl. Jerrod “JC” Wiseman on his retirement from the Police Department. Wiseman has more than 25 years of Arkansas law-enforcement service including more than 14 years with Bentonville.
• The city staff to study short-term rentals in the city.
• Appointing Allison Glenn to Position 5 on the Public Art Advisory Committee. This will be Glenn’s first term, beginning Sunday and expiring Oct. 31, 2023.
• Reappointing Lauren Haynes to the Public Art Advisory Committee. This will be Haynes’ second term, beginning Sunday and expiring Oct. 31, 2023.
• Declaring a 2009 Chevrolet Impala police car as surplus. The vehicle was previously used as an unmarked detective and administration car.
Source: City of Bentonville
Mike Jones can be reached by email at [email protected].