Thank you for support

Citizens for Responsible Development would like to thank the approximately 7,000 voters who voted against the rezoning of the property at Oldham and U.S. Highway 71, and the many volunteers who helped with the effort.

We would like the Planning Commission, the City Council and those in favor of this issue to know that we are not anti-development.

Quite the contrary, we speak for commercial development as long as it, as stated in the City of Bella Vista Land Use Plan, “protects the character and integrity of single-family, residential areas” and “protects residential neighborhoods from inappropriate nonresidential influences through the design of streets which discourage through-traffic.”

We feel it is necessary to develop a comprehensive development plan for our city before we do any more spot zoning.

We have never advocated the property at Oldham and U.S. 71 remain residential zoning. From the first Planning Commission meeting on this issue, citizens have advocated a mixed-use type commercial development on this property - C-1, C-2 or C-3 - just not the highest commercial development of C-4.

Our group now offers to meet with both city entities to find common ground for this and future development. We have people with more than 100 combined years of city management and planning that we offer to the city to create a vision for the future.

As quoted from our land use plan, “... The City must continue its legacy of a balanced pattern of development that harmonizes with the land. ... As the gateway to northwest Arkansas, Bella Vista must continue to capitalize on the area’s natural beauty and provide opportunities for business and industrial investment. ... Clearly, the City must manage the inevitable change while preserving its small village qualities as envisioned by the developer.”

Our hope is that the City Council, the Planning Commission, the Property Owners Association and Cooper Communities are able to collaborate on a vision so we will all benefit and enjoy our life while protecting the future.

Again, thank you to all our volunteers and the voters of Bella Vista.

Tony LiCausi Bella Vista

Opinion, Pages 6 on 11/21/2012