Planners OK zoning changes for Old BV
■ Commissioners also approved changes to the city’s planning map.
The Planning Commission approved rezoning 1,070 lots in and around Old Bella Vista and recommended approval to the City Council during the Commission’s Monday evening meeting.
Senior planner Jennifer Bonner explained, “That while the commission looked at a version of this before, the earlier version did not include all of the properties that were annexed in the Old Bella Vista area in 2014. This was essentially the same staff report the commission saw in August, but with those properties included and the amendments that were suggested.”
There were questions during the last public hearing about whether rezoning a property could increase property-tax assessments. According to an email chain included with the meeting packet, this is unlikely. Benton County Assessor Roderick Grieve wrote that a change in zoning will not trigger a reassessment and these properties, without a change in use, will not be assessed again until the next countywide reassessment in 2021. However, Grieve wrote, properties that see a change in use — from residential to
commercial for example — will need to be reclassified and revalued. If the properties with highway frontage are not developed, those properties are likely to be reclassified in 2021 because of their highway frontage and increasing demand for commercial property. Daniel Ellis, the Commission’s chair, said this will go to City Council for final approval. The commission is only a recommending body on this piece of business.
After the commission gave unanimous approval, they moved on to looking at a proposed amendment to the city’s planning map. The planning map is an area in which the Planning Commission will prepare plans and recommend ordinances
and regulations, in which city subdivision regulations apply. This area is not limited to city limits. Bonner said, “This is in response to Gravette officials updating their planning map, which is affecting Bella Vista’s currently-drawn planning boundaries. In this event, state law requires the involved municipalities to reach an agreement or settle on the midpoint. The city has yet to receive notice from anyone else involved. The most significant changes, she said, will be just north of Rocky Dell Hollow Road. “Short version is you’re taking the electrical substation and drawing a line through it cattywampus,” she said. Additionally, the boundary will be adjusted to run along the center of the Bella Vista Bypass, as requested by Centerton. If Gravette has issue with these lines, she said, they have 30 days to challenge. Staff attorney
Jason Kelley said he did not believe this was likely to happen or to have any merit if it did. “We’re not trying to encroach into what would be their district,” he said. “I don’t know how they would argue they should have more than, nor are we saying we should have more.” The commission unanimously approved this adjustment.
The commission unanimously approved a conditional-use permit for the Arts and Crafts Festival. Bonner said the Arts and Crafts Festival would be similar to what the city has seen in the festival’s previous 48 years and there were only a handful of staff comments that needed to be addressed. City staff, she said, requested conditions of approval, including an electrician obtaining a permit for temporary power, a sign permit and limiting hours of operation from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Thursday,
Oct. 19, to Saturday, Oct. 21. Those hours, she said, would allow people to work one hour before and one hour after the general public is allowed on site. The commission approved the request with these conditions. Elaine Reinke, the festival’s director, said she appreciated the approval and encouraged those present to attend. “Awesome, I can have my festival,” she said. “Next year’s our 50th, I’m so excited.”
The commission also approved property-line adjustments on Minack Lane and Brixham Lane, as well as lot splits on east Rillington Drive, Lancashire Boulevard, Evanton Road, Glasgow Road, Cullen Hills Drive, Arkansas Highway 94 and Bella Vista Way.