What You Missed at the Centerton Planning Commission Meeting — August 19, 2025

Last night’s Planning Commission meeting was all about one big agenda item — and it came with some heated back-and-forth: the proposed Goodwill development on W Centerton Blvd. If you live nearby or care about how Centerton is growing, this one’s worth understanding.

🏗 GOODWILL DEVELOPMENT WAIVER REQUEST

Location: 1218 W Centerton Blvd
Proposal: A 17,166 sq. ft. Goodwill facility combining retail and warehouse
Zoning: C-2 (Highway Commercial)
Owner/Applicant: Goodwill Industries of Arkansas
Engineer: Blew & Associates

The proposed Goodwill project sparked discussion due to two major waiver requests from the city’s development code:

1. Parking Layout Waiver

   • Code requires no more than 50% of parking be placed in front of the building.

   • Goodwill’s site plan exceeds that, placing the majority of parking in front.

2. Landscaped Buffer Reduction

   • The city requires a 10-ft-wide landscaped buffer along the street frontage.

   • The applicant requested to reduce this to 8 ft in areas where utility easements overlap.

⚠ Why the Waivers?

The engineer laid out the site’s constraints that make code compliance a challenge:

• The rear of the site drops off into a floodplain/floodway.

• Utility easements (due to the AR-102 highway widening project) chew up frontage space.

• The driveway had to be aligned with Monroe Street — a city requirement — further limiting options.

• Elevation changes across the site complicate truck access and grading.

Bottom line: trying to shift the building back or reconfigure access points would mean extensive grading, retaining walls, and floodplain issues — not to mention major design overhauls.

🧠 What the Planning Commission Discussed

The commission didn’t just rubber-stamp this. They asked smart questions:

• Could the building be flipped or reoriented to place more parking on the side or back?

• What’s the real impact of having box trucks enter through the front lot?

• Does the parking exceed what's actually needed?

• Can some spaces be removed to help meet the landscaping and parking location rules?

Commissioners explored alternatives like rotating the building, trimming unnecessary parking, and adjusting driveway design. Staff noted that while an ideal layout might be possible, the submitted plan was reasonable given the specific challenges of this site.

📐 Staff’s Position

City planners acknowledged the site’s constraints and were generally supportive:

• On the landscaping buffer: staff agreed that an 8-ft buffer was acceptable in light of the overlapping easements.

• On the parking layout: they encouraged the commission to weigh alternatives but recognized the physical limits of the property.

🛑 Final Decision: Table It

After lengthy discussion, the Planning Commission voted to table the waiver requests, giving the engineer time to return with revised designs. The commission made it clear that they'd prefer to see a site plan that comes closer to meeting city code — especially regarding the amount of parking in front and the building’s placement on the lot.

In short: no decisions yet, but this project is far from dead.

🗓 Mark Your Calendar

• Next Planning Commission: September 2, 2025 @ 6:00 PM

• Next Tech Review (Zoom): August 21, 2025 @ 2:00 PM

• 🚨 City Council Special Session: Tuesday, August 26, 2025 @ 6:00 PM

🚨 Why the August 26th City Council Meeting Matters

This isn’t your typical City Council meeting.

It’s a special joint session between Centerton City Council and Centerton Water, with the Mayor of Decatur also scheduled to attend. That should tell you just how significant the conversation will be.

On the agenda: the very real infrastructure challenges facing Centerton and the surrounding area — from water capacity and delivery, to long-term planning for future growth. As new developments stack up and our population grows, the pressure on our utilities is hitting a critical point.

And here’s the part that matters even more: I’ve been notified that there will be a place on the agenda for public comment. That means if you’ve got concerns, questions, or just want your voice heard — this is your chance to step up and speak directly to your local leaders.

Whether you’re a homeowner, business owner, developer, or just a neighbor who cares, your input matters more than ever right now.

Until next time, stay informed, stay vocal, and stay rooted in Centerton.

— Allie Verdery, The Blue Haired Broker
Engel & Völkers Bentonville | Your Local Centerton Expert