Bentonville City Council on Tuesday voted against an appeal of a Planning Commission denial to rezone a 4-acre lot on D Street that would have cleared the way for a 36-unit townhome project.

It was a packed chamber for the meeting as dozens of community members flowed out the doors and into the hallway. Discussion surrounding the appeal to rezone 515 NW D St. from its present zoning classification of residential estate to planned residential development dominated the meeting. 

After over an hour of public comments and council discussion, the motion was denied on a 6-2 vote, with Gayatri Agnew and Beckie Seba voting in favor. Planning Commission had denied this item by a vote of 4-3 on July 16.

The rezoning would have pushed forward the Catalpa Cottages project. According to the Planned Residential Development Application, the proposed development would have featured a mix of townhomes ranging from one- to three-bedroom options.

Over 10 residents living near the proposed project spoke out against it, requiring an extension of the 30-minute cap on the comment period. Concerns about the project focused on additional traffic and parked cars on tight surrounding streets, including fear about student safety during an already-congested nearby school’s drop-off and pick-up times, and the current lack of infrastructure such as sidewalks.

Developer Mark Haney and one other person spoke in support of the project. 

“I’m aware it is an election year and that anytime it’s difficult to hear the protests of concerned citizens and vote against their wishes. However, I encourage each of you to consider your duty as elected officials to all current and future citizens, not just the vocal minority,” Haney said before the vote. 

In all, the City Council voted on more than 20 items. 

Here are more highlights from the meeting:

In March, a national award for heroism was posthumously awarded to Tanya “Tawny” Hinton, who died while attempting to rescue an 11-year-old boy from drowning in Bentonville in 2022. 

The boy had been playing near the edge of a retention pond when he fell in and was swept away by fast-moving floodwaters. Hinton, 47, was with the boy’s mother at a nearby apartment when the boy’s brother ran to them for help. The mother and Hinton both entered the water, and Hinton swam out to the boy’s last-known location, where she submerged and resurfaced multiple times looking for the boy, but ultimately submerged and did not resurface. She died five days later after failing to regain consciousness.

After a presentation about the Carnegie Medal, Mayor Stephanie Orman presented the award to Tawny’s husband, Craig Hinton. He was given a standing ovation by council members and meeting attendees.

City Council approved a resolution to eliminate the vacant director of administration position to create two new positions of communications manager and airport manager. 

The positions will be at lower pay grades than the director of administration role in order to not significantly increase personnel costs.

“By separating these roles, we can ensure each is led by a professional with the right expertise, leading to more effective management, improved efficiency, and enhanced focus on strategic priorities,” wrote Mayor Orman in an agenda memo. “This change is essential for supporting Bentonville’s continued growth and development.”

City Council approved seven resolutions focused on public art displayed in the community. Temporary installations of artwork will be added to the Bentonville Public Library on a one-year loan from OZ Art. 

The featured work includes:

Justin Tyler Tate’s artwork, “The Physics of Being,” was also approved to be installed in Creekside Park.