2016 proved an eventful year for Bella Vista.
There were arrests, accidents and fires, a trail system opened, the city got major buildings put together, and residents could finally buy their favorite adult beverage locally.
Bella Vista's First Liquor Store Opened
Bella Vista Wine and Spirits opened toward the end of January in Cunningham Corner, near the intersection of U.S. Highway 71 and Riordan Road.
The liquor store is a full-service store, featuring wine, spirits and beer, said store manager Lee Deaton, who worked at Crossover Liquor in Fayetteville and most recently as wine manager at County Line Liquor in Springdale. He has been in the retail liquor business for nearly 10 years.
Construction on the interior of the store began in August. Opening was initially slated for late 2015 but got delayed until the beginning of 2016.
"We are looking forward to serving the people of Bella Vista," said Borum Cooper, managing partner for the store. Customers won't have to travel to the Missouri line stores anymore, he added.
Signs Stolen
Dr. Ralph Patterson was accused of stealing two of Jim Parsons' "Vote No" signs in July. He was charged with two counts of misdemeanor theft.
Patterson pleaded not guilty in Bentonville District Court Dec. 7, and the case was put on diversion.
Patterson was scheduled for a diversion hearing Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2018. Bella Vista staff attorney Jason Kelley said that this means the charges will be dropped after one year if he doesn't do anything similar, and that he's required to pay restitution in the amount of $43.82 to Parsons and $100 to the Bella Vista Police Department.
Patterson stated that he took the signs, but he believed they were placed unlawfully and that removing them was not unlike picking up litter.
Patterson said that police informed him that, in the future, he should report any improperly-placed signs to code enforcement and refrain from taking care of them himself.
The signs belonged to Jim Parsons, who said he witnessed Patterson taking the signs and wrote down a partial plate number, which was used to identify him. The signs opposed the Bella Vista Property Owners Association election to raise the monthly assessment levied on POA members.
Back 40 Opened
Bella Vista's new trail system, the Back 40, had its grand opening Oct. 15, allowing Mayor Peter Christie the opportunity to cut a shiny blue ribbon on a gorgeous, sunny day.
Attendees got the chance to go on guided hikes and visit with vendors, including trail builders and local bike shops.
Phil Penny, director of trails with Crossland Construction, said that the main loop was designed to be fairly simple and accessible, while the secondary trails branching off it are designed with more intermediate to advanced riders in mind.
"You can find something for everyone out there," he said.
The trail system also got the first batch of signposts that now dot trails throughout the region.
The thick posts feature the names, directions and difficulties of a given trail, indicated with symbols not unlike those on a ski slope.
It also drew a crowd during the International Mountain Bicycling Association's 2016 world summit, an event that brought riders from all over the world to Northwest Arkansas. The Back 40 capped off the summit, featuring a VIP ride with several well-known professional riders, among other group rides.
In December, the system hosted races on foot and bike alike, with riders and runners covering either 10 kilometers, 20 miles or 40 miles. A pair of athletes even managed to do 40 miles on foot and on their bikes.
Accessory Structures
The City Council juggled an ordinance for most of the year to regulate accessory structures in Bella Vista.
By the end of 2016, no ordinance was in place, but the year ended with some discussion that may have created the bones for such an ordinance.
Before the Dec. 19 City Council meeting, Aldermen Frank Anderson and John Flynn met at City Hall to discuss what should be included in a proposed ordinance on accessory structures.
"We've been working at this one a year and I'm not sure we're going to get it this time," Anderson said.
After mulling over several ideas, Anderson and Flynn came up with what could be the bones of an ordinance.
The general requirements included a stipulation that accessory structures be behind the front plane of the house, based on which side of the building the front door is on, and that size be limited to 40 percent of the primary structure's square footage.
The roof may be no higher than the primary structure's roof under this potential proposal, measured against what Anderson described as an "imaginary plane," which is to say that, even if the accessory structure stands on a lower or higher patch of land, it may not stand taller than the top of the roof of the primary structure
Additionally, accessory structures would be limited to one per lot, with an exception being made for boat houses and docks. A lot, Anderson said, could be permitted to have an accessory structure plus one boat house or dock.
"You want to let the guy build something," Flynn said, "but if you let them build too big it looks like you just built a warehouse in a residential area."
The two aldermen will be taking these ideas to the various boards and committees for preliminary discussion in early 2017, they said.
Farmers Market
The Bella Vista Farmers Market took root in 2016, giving varied vendors the opportunity to sell the goods they produce each Sunday from April to October.
One vendor, Tim Ross, made planters from driftwood and sold them at the Bella Vista Farmers Market. Ross said one of his favorite things about the market is the people he meets.
"I like this market," he said, "and I like the people."
Ross said he appreciates that everyone at the market is relatively open -- he can kick ideas around with other vendors, and if anyone needs help with something, people are quick to pitch in.
For his part, he sells his planters and some produce.
"It's stuff that I'm not embarrassed to sell," Ross said.
This seemed to be a common thread. While some vendors said the market was less of a moneymaker than some, they were drawn to it largely for the friendly atmosphere.
Alison Archer, the market's coordinator for 2016, said that while there's room for growth, she's proud of what the market has done in its first year.
"Our purpose was to bring family and community out," she said. "We hoped to keep a laid-back, stress-free market for everyone."
Fire Station 4 Opens
Bella Vista's newest fire station, Station 4, opened in July at 1639 Forest Hills Blvd., near the Highlands gate.
This station, Fire Chief Steve Sims said, expands the department's coverage throughout the central part of town, and improves coverage in the Highlands.
The ambulance, Sims said, was removed from Station 3, which is near the Branchwood Clubhouse, because the building cannot house enough people to staff an ambulance and a fire truck.
If Station 3's ambulance had to transport anyone, Sims said, the area could be completely uncovered for as long as two hours, during which responses would have to come from Station 1 in Town Center, taking roughly 20 minutes.
With this configuration, he said, the fire truck can respond to medical calls. The fire truck is equipped with all of the basic life-support equipment that the cross-trained firefighter/EMTs could need, allowing them to save lives and get patients ready for transport, if needed. And if transport may be needed, the ambulance from Station 4 will dispatched as soon as possible.
"That's the way we feel is to provide the best coverage for that area," Sims said.
The new 9,200-square-foot facility, Sims said, is the most technologically advanced firehouse in the area. In addition to serving as a fire station, the city also designed it as a back-up communications center.
The department also purchased powered cots and loaders, which are expected to reduce lifting-related back injuries, and improve safety for patients being loaded into ambulances.
A new fire truck and ambulance also joined the department in 2016.
Street Department relocation
The street Department's new building opened in May. The building is the first city-owned new construction since the city's formation.
The old building, which was on Pinion Valley Drive, was damaged beyond repair in March 2015 when a fire swept through it, destroying 14 vehicles.
The new facility, on 32 acres at 2471 Forest Hills Blvd., features offices and a maintenance shop.
During bad weather, employees can stay at the office, ensuring they're ready to go first thing in the morning and don't have to worry about making it in on slick roads.
Cassi Lapp, communications manager for Bella Vista, said street workers slept in the building for the first time the weekend of Dec. 17 to be ready for the ice and snow that would be on the roads.
The facility also has diesel and gasoline pumps that can supply city vehicles, and the city built storage facilities for sand and salt, as well as heavy equipment in 2016.
"The department has 14 trucks, nine dump trucks that work also as snow plows, one grader, eight tractors, two backhoes, three rollers, one patching machine, four trailers, one loader, one dozer, one excavator and one forklift," Lapp said.
Torres found guilty, sentenced to death
On Nov. 14, a jury found Mauricio Torres, 45, guilty of capital murder and first-degree battery resulting in the death of his son, 6-year-old Maurice Isaiah Torres.
The jury recommended the death penalty, 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren sentenced Torres to death by lethal injection.
The 6-year-old died March 30, 2015, in the hospital in Bella Vista. The medical examiner said chronic child abuse contributed to his death.
Torres will receive an automatic appeal.
Fatal fire
The home at 25 Blandford Lane burned down Aug. 18, killing a resident.
Fire Chief Steve Sims said the fire was accidental, believed to be caused by food left on the stove.
The occupant attempted an evacuation, Sims said, but was unable to escape.
"He tried to make his way out," Sims said. "He was overcome by the conditions."
Sims said that the home was fully involved by the time firefighters arrived, and burned hot enough to melt the siding on the next house over.
Fortunately, he said, the fire was kept to one house.
"It could have been a lot worse," Sims said.
Ride organizer killed in bike-truck crash
Jack Allen, retired from the U.S. Army and IBM, was struck by a truck and killed Friday, Aug. 19, during a bike ride on McNelly Road.
"He loved riding bikes," his wife, Shirley Allen said.
Shirley and Jack Allen had been married over 60 years.
Allen was an experienced rider who organized week-long rides with the Bella Vista Bicycle Club, which he was a member of for two decades, including a few years as president.
Allen also worked with the Bella Vista Property Owners Association's Joint Advisory Committee on Recreation to develop the first Master Trail Plan, and more recently he served on the POA's Election Committee.
He was also active with the Community Church, delivered meals on wheels, volunteered with the AARP and taught safe driving classes, and volunteered at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
General News on 01/11/2017