Bentonville council OKs library deal

City to buy property from foundation for $1

BENTONVILLE — The City Council on Tuesday night agreed to buy the public library property for $1.

Hadi Dudley, library director, outlined the proposal in a letter to the council that Mayor Stephanie Orman included in the council agenda packet. The council approved, 7-0.

“Bentonville Public Library (BPL) seeks City Council approval to execute an offer and acceptance agreement for the City of Bentonville to purchase the existing library property from the Bentonville Library Foundation for $1.00,” she wrote.

In 2003, the Bentonville Library Foundation was formed by community members to generate money for construction of the library. The property at 405 S. Main St. was deeded to the 501(c)(3) nonprofit group to help with grant opportunities and charitable contributions, Dudley wrote.

The public/private partnership came to fruition in 2006 with the city’s pledge for $2 million joining the foundation’s capital campaign, which raised $7 million from individuals, organizations and businesses, Dudley’s said.

In October 2006, the city leased the library from the foundation for 300 months. In lieu of rent, the city accepted responsibility for all utilities, costs, maintenance and improvement of the property. The library’s 2020 budget of $1.8 million exemplifies the city’s commitment and stewardship of the library with ongoing operational, maintenance, capital and personnel costs, Dudley said.

The public/private partnership will continue. The transaction will streamline property ownership responsibilities. As a city property, it will simplify options for the library’s expansion opportunities with anticipated fundraising support from the foundation, Dudley said.

The library building is 38,000 square feet, Dudley said.

Parks and Recreation Director David Wright updated the council on the Southwest 28th Street Park project.

The 25-acre park on Southwest 28th Street will be east of Osage Creek Elementary School, he said. Design work has started, and the park will be part of the city’s looped trail system, he said.

The park will include a regulation-size cricket field and practice field. There also will be two pavilions near an open-space area, a playground and a splash park with a water slide, Wright said. A 2½-acre dog park also is planned. The dog park will be in an area with mature trees, and also a near a creek the dogs will have access to, he said.

The cost would be about $5.5 million if it went to bid today, but Wright wants to get the cost down to $4.5 million. Wright anticipates the park going out to bid by the end of the year and work starting in the first quarter of next tear with a 12-to-16 month build.

The council approved a $27,500 agreement with Flintco to provide pre-construction services for park project.

Other park projects are also in the works. Wright briefed the council on the downtown Quilt of Parks plan at a previous meeting, and he said the city soon will unveil a website for the new 8th Street Gateway Park.

A group home ordinance also was approved by the council. The city zoning code doesn’t regulate group homes. After receiving requests to locate group homes in residential neighborhoods, the city retained legal counsel to prepare regulations preserving the character of residential neighborhoods while complying with the Federal Fair Housing Amendment Act of 1988, according to council documents.

The Planning Commission last week approved the ordinance.

A rezoning for the new Walmart home office campus also was approved by council members. The property was rezoned planned unit development from heavy industrial, medium-density residential, residential office and general commercial, according to council documents. The item passed through the Planning Commission last week.