Bentonville planners approve new city maintenance annex

BENTONVILLE — The Planning Commission at its online meeting Tuesday night approved plans for a city facility.

A maintenance annex is planned at 2401 S.W. Aviation St. The development plan calls for a 12,789-square-foot building. The site is about 3.25 acres, according to planning documents.

Public Works maintenance shares a facility with Parks maintenance at 401 N.E. Moberly, said Water Utilities Director Mike Bender. Public Works maintenance would move into the new building, he said.

The current building has been too small for both departments for years, Bender said. It consists of about 5,600 square feet of offices, a break room and three service bays in the main building with about 11,000 square feet of equipment and vehicle storage in three other buildings on the 3-acre site, he said.

“Due to the overcrowding at the current facility, Public Works maintenance has people and equipment scattered

over three additional facilities including the compost facility, Municipal Works Complex, and the Community Center,” Bender said.

Parks Maintenance also has equipment and staff sprinkled across other facilities, he said. Construction could start this summer, he said.

“The addition of this building will have an immediate impact of allowing Public Works maintenance to be housed in one facility, which will improve operations efficiency while allowing Parks Maintenance the room to operate more efficiently as well,” Bender said.

A development for Elliott Electric at 320 S.W. 28th St. was approved as part of new business agenda items. The applicant proposes development of an 11,495-square-foot office, retail and warehouse/ storage facility.

A right-of-way waiver request also was approved for Pritchard’s Addition at 703 N.W. Sixth St.

There also were public hearings for two rezonings and four permits. All were unanimously approved by the commissioners.

The rezonings were from general commercial to central commercial for Dakota Leasing, 307 S. Walton Blvd., and from light industrial to general commercial for the city’s Community Development Building on Southwest Municipal Drive.

The permits were for New Heights at 1705 S. Walton Blvd., Featherston Road Church at Southwest Featherston Road and Southwest Regional Airport Road, temporary office space at 306 N.E. B St. and for Chabad of Northwest Arkansas, 3400 S.E. John Rollow Drive.

A property line adjustment for lots 148 through 154 of Willowbrook Farms subdivision, Phase II, on Southwest Lucretia Road was approved via the consent agenda.

In old business, the Planning Commission approved 6-1 a planned residential development for The Reserve at Southwest Regional Airport Boulevard and Greenhouse Road.