City Council approves Bentonville street plan

BENTONVILLE -- The City Council voted 6-2 to approve the street plan Tuesday night.

Dennis Birge, city transportation director, discussed the plan with council members at the Committee of the Whole meeting Monday night. Birge also made a presentation to the Planning Commission last week where the vote was 7-0 for approval.

The plan has been in place since 2008 when the council adopted it. The new plan doesn't show many changes from the original, Birge told council members and planning commissioners. The plan denotes arterial and collector roads among other designations.

The city used three online surveys, five public input sessions, a website and an interactive online map to gather input from residents over the past year, Birge said.

Several residents stated their positions about the plan at the Tuesday meeting including asking the council to vote against, to delay it for more study, to reconsider sections of road in the plan and concerns about late changes to the document.

The Sears Road, Peach Orchard Road and Price Coffee Road areas where arterial roads are projected, the same as in the 2008 plan, drew many resident comments as the plan took shape. City planning boundaries roam outside the city, Birge said.

The street plan isn't a project or annexation map, Birge said. He noted lines on the map weren't exact. The plan, which looks at 2040 population projections, is driven by development and shows where connectivity needs to be in the future, he said.

The plan will provide for the growth and development of the city through the development of a road system providing internal circulation in the city while connecting to other population centers in Northwest Arkansas, according city documents.

Several items were approved on the consent agenda, including renovation of the Old Tiger Stadium track on Tiger Boulevard.

Improvements include an improved track surface, track lighting, a new restroom and water fountain, a shade pavilion, a patio and shelter, a bike rack and a 10-foot-wide trail along Northwest D Street, said David Wright, Parks and Recreation director.

The Parks Department will pay for the improvements using a combination of city money approved in multiple budget years and money from Visit Bentonville, Wright said.

The council approved a $540,881 bid to 81 Construction for the improvements and the track renovation. The council, also via the consent agenda, approved a budget adjustment of $335,782 to recognize $317,891 in revenue from Visit Bentonville's park fund and an additional $17,891 from the city fund balance to be used for renovation.

The Parks Department acquired the property from the Bentonville School District in 2009.