Plans for a 2,500-capacity music venue in downtown Bentonville will go before the Planning Commission for the first time — but almost certainly not the last — this week.
Live Nation announced last week that it is exploring plans to build the venue at the corner of Southeast 8th Street and Southeast E Street, just south of the Momentary and west of 8th Street Market.
A request related to the project is on the agenda for the Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, March 17. The Planning Commission is a board of local residents that reviews development and zoning requests.
If the request is approved, it would amend a Planned Unit Development (PUD) district that applies to land around the Momentary.
The city’s planning department describes PUDs as mechanisms that allow developers to propose developments that are “innovative but which do not strictly comply with the provisions of the zone in which the property is located.”
The PUD was first approved in 2020. Once approved, developments must follow the site plan exactly — or return to the Planning Commission for approval of changes, as is happening in this case.
Map from application
If approved, the PUD amendment would next go to the City Council, which could vote to approve or reject it. In some cases, the City Council chooses to overrule the Planning Commission.
The next stage after the PUD amendment approval would be the city’s “Large Scale Development Process,” a multistage review that includes submitting more detailed plans, getting sign-off from multiple city departments, and another required approval from the Planning Commission.
Meeting Details
The Planning Commission will meet at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17 at City Hall.
Residents can sign up to speak at the meeting before the Planning Commission votes on the request. Comments are typically limited to three minutes per person.
