City officials: Seek input on rezoning

District to reassess after panel rejects teacher housing development plans

BENTONVILLE — Two City Council members who voted against the School District’s requests for a rezoning and a future land use map adjustment related to a proposed teacher housing development said residents need more of a voice in the matter.

The council rejected both items 4-3, with one abstention on both votes, at its Tuesday night meeting.

Cindy Acree, Ward 2, Position 1, said the council should consider the opinions of those who seek a say in what their city looks like.

“I think it’s only fair that we need to listen to our constituents on both sides and make a decision,” Acree said. “I’m concerned about the continuation of almost every City Council meeting, we’re rezoning, rezoning, rezoning, based on what the future use is or based on what’s around it. But that’s not necessarily based on how the people want their city to look. It might be. But I do think that we need to listen to the concerns we have from our constituents and from our community leaders as well.”

Beckie Seba, Ward 1, Position 1, said she’s heard some positive comments — but also a lot of negative ones — about the development. She asked why residents weren’t being asked to weigh in and suggested taking more time with the process.

Bill Burckart, Ward 3, Position 2, who voted for the rezoning and the land use map change, said supporting the initiative was a “no-brainer” to him.

“We’re talking about $25 million invested by nonprofits and partners coming together to try to solve a problem that we’ve been talking about for decades,” Burckart said.

He said he wanted to get away from the politics surrounding the $25 million affordable housing proposal that would be funded by the nonprofit Excellerate Foundation, which partnered with the School District on the development. The district wishes to donate 7.79 acres to the foundation, which would manage the project.

“I have heard threats,” Burckart said. “I have heard that I’m going to be sued.”

Council members Holly Hook and Octavio Sanchez joined Acree and Seba in voting against both measures. Gayatri Agnew and Chris Sooter joined Burckart

in voting for both. Aubrey Patterson, listed on the district’s website as a teacher at Bentonville High School, abstained from the votes.

Bentonville Schools Superintendent Debbie Jones said the district will reassess and determine what to do next.

“I think that we’ve been completely transparent with the entire process,” Jones said right after the votes Tuesday. “This was actually politics at play. It was very evident in that tonight.”

The council’s rejection came after the Planning Commission approved the rezoning and the land use map change on 6-0 votes last week.

Concerns people raised about the project at the Planning Commission and City Council meetings included flooding, drainage problems, increased traffic and property values dropping.

The district and Excellerate developed the housing plan in the wake of Bentonville hiring and then losing teachers who couldn’t find affordable housing, Jones has said. There’d be no cost to the district for the development, Excellerate President and CEO Jeff Webster has said.

“We will continue to try to recruit and retain the very best staff within the School District,” Jones said. “We will continue to work on as many benefits for them as we can.”

In the request for the rezoning submitted to the Planning Commission, the district said the median home price in Bentonville is about “half a million, which is a barrier for many families. Annually, we hire about 140 teachers, but in the last couple of years, Bentonville Schools has extended offers to promising educators only to lose them when they search for a home.”

The plan called for 40 two-bedroom cottages to be deed restricted for district employees only. Excellerate would make another 60 apartments available to qualifying members of the community, including district staff members, according to the district.

Jones called the plan “a really great solution.”

The property is listed as being at 1801 S.E. J St., behind Bentonville High School.

The district sought to change the zoning from agricultural to medium-high-density multifamily residential to accommodate the housing development. The district also wanted to change the property’s future land use plan designation from public/semi-public to medium-density residential to be compatible with the requested zoning.

The Bentonville School Board approved the housing initiative by a 5-1 vote Nov. 14.

The plan caught the notice of state legislators. Some members of the House and Senate education committees criticized the plan during a hearing on the matter Jan. 9 in Little Rock. They did not take action on it, though state Sen. Joshua Bryant, R-Rogers, said the hearing could serve as an “opening dialogue” for bills in the 2025 legislative session.