City Council passes plan to guide future change for community

BELLA VISTA — A comprehensive plan, approved by the City Council Sept. 28, includes a vision and framework intended to guide the city into 2040.

City Council hired Gould Evans to produce the plan in 2017, and the approved plan — which includes analysis of the community and its assets, prospects and difficulties as well as discussions on how to mitigate those challenges and maximize the city’s strong points — is the result of several rounds of revision and feedback from officials and the general public.

The plan is designed to help “achieve the vision defined by the community through the day-to-day decisions and actions made. The plan should serve as a tool to assist residents, developers, businesses, city staff and elected and appointed officials guide future change to the community.”

A community profile in the document identifies Bella Vista’s natural environment as its greatest influence and asset, with attractive scenery a huge part of the city’s appeal to residents and visitors.

The city may also benefit from its location in the growing Northwest Arkansas area, according to the plan, though challenges could include a lack of publicly-accessible amenities, limited water access for non-POA lands and the city’s topography limiting development.

The plan’s vision for 2040 sees the city remaining a “unique and diverse community defined by a natural setting,” with quality development and public services marketed as a well-maintained rural community.

The comprehensive plan covers a wide array of topics, including economic development and municipal services and includes an implementation framework in its final section.