The Bella Vista Planning Commission approved a lot split at 15809 Looney Road during the Monday, Aug. 12, planning commission regular meeting.
The request was to split a 5-acre parcel outside city limits but inside the city's planning area into two parcels of 3 and 2 acres.
Senior planner Derek Linn explained that the commission approved a lot split at this location in 2018 but it was never recorded with the circuit clerk.
Staff recommended approval with the condition that outstanding staff comments be addressed and the property owners accept the revised plat.
Commissioner Shawki Al-Madhoun made a motion to approve the split with these conditions, which was seconded by vice-chairman Doug Farner and approved unanimously by the commission.
Another agenda item was a largescale development to expand the parking lot for the Village Bible Church at 1591 Forest Hills Blvd., which had been tabled during the last regular meeting because of a lack of a stormwater runoff plan to make up for the increased hard-surface area.
Linn said that the applicant requested the item be tabled again this month because the plan in question is not complete.
The commission also discussed The ReLeaf Center, which is in the city's planning area and has applied for a largescale development for an expansion project onsite. This application was tabled during the Aug. 1 work session because the applicant was not present to answer any of the commission's questions It is expected to be on the agenda again for the Aug. 29 work session.
Farner, who previously expressed concerns that development had already started prior to planning commission approval, said he isn't sure why the current round of onsite improvements did not come before the planning commission.
"The issue is ... you can't find the old building," he said.
Linn said that the property owners were permitted through the Benton County permitting office to renovate their existing building and it appeared that they had painted, remodeled and improved an existing barn within its existing footprint.
Commission chairman Daniel Ellis said he agreed that it appeared to be the same structure with improvements, as well as some non-substantive exterior improvements, including fencing, some concrete parking and heating and cooling.
"They put a new roof on it and they definitely reskinned it. But it definitely looks like the same structure," he said.
General News on 08/14/2019