The upcoming Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 19, is expected to draw a large crowd of residents from the area just east of Coler Mountain Bike Preserve. Following a tabled discussion on Oct. 15, the controversial Echelon development will return to the agenda, with commissioners set to vote on its future.

The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. at City Hall. The public will be given a chance to comment on the project before the Planning Commission vote.

The vote will decide whether or not to recommend the approval of a rezoning request from low-density, single-family residential and residential estate to planned residential development. Echelon developers are proposing 20 single-family homes — 10 attached and 10 detached — on 3.58 acres at 1602 Northwest 3rd Street. Included in the plan is a walking trail and neighborhood park. 

The Planning Commission fielded input from more than 35 residents at its Oct. 15 meeting, and several have spoken their opposition to the Echelon project during public comment periods at recent City Council meetings. Concerns surrounding traffic, safety, parking, short-term rentals and trash issues were cited. 

The developers have made several adjustments to the originally submitted plans since the Oct.15 meeting to address resident concerns. Adjustments include decreasing the unit count from 21 to 20, revising the maximum building height to match surrounding homes, and submitting new designs that more closely mimic the style and feel of the surrounding neighborhoods, according to a Planning department staff report.

Neighborhood covenants will disallow short-term rentals and limit long-term rentals, and traffic is expected to “increase slightly,” although Northwest 3rd Street “is likely to be able to handle any additional traffic,” according to the staff report. The development plan exceeds zoning code requirements for parking.

City planning staff recommends the Commission approve Echelon, stating “its prime location along Northwest 3rd Street which accesses a dedicated bike lane and trails, as well as its proximity to the commercial hub along Walton Boulevard, makes this location an ideal opportunity for context-sensitive infill development.” 

It aligns with the Bentonville Community Plan to increase housing diversity and support affordability within Bentonville’s evolving housing landscape, the staff report states.

If approved by the Planning Commission, the rezoning request will then be sent to City Council for a vote on final approval.