Exhaustive year-long process lays foundation for the future.
Bringing closure to a lengthy process of community engagement and hard work, Bentonville’s City Council unanimously approved Plan Bentonville’s proposed Future Land Use Map and accompanying Alignment Policy at their regular Tuesday meeting last evening.
Over the course of the past year, the Bentonville community has helped shape this updated approach to land use planning — one rooted in growth projections, economic performance, environmental and historic preservation, mobility choice, and quality of life.
Throughout, public input fueled the effort as residents, business owners, and other stakeholders contributed ideas and opinions via surveys, pop-ups, a full week of open houses and real-time design work, online commenting, a two-week schedule of summer input opportunities, and a series of public hearings leading up to the Planning Commission’s positive recommendation in late January.
Public comment at the meeting was universal in its support for adoption and appreciation for the city’s — and specifically the Council’s — commitment to working with residents, seeking their input, and revising proposals accordingly along the way.
“If anything is evidenced by the Plan Bentonville process,” said Planning Director Tyler Overstreet, “we don’t do anything without engaging the public.”
Video of the meeting can be viewed here.
Next Steps
Now begins Phase 2 of the Plan Bentonville effort, wherein we’ll align our zoning regulations with the Future Land Use Plan developed in Phase 1. The ultimate result will be two complementary tools working together to ensure that, over the coming decades, the development we want is the development we get.
Stay tuned to planbentonville.com for updates.