Benton County planners review marijuana growing plan

BENTON COUNTY — Benton County planners on Wednesday set a Sept. 6 public hearing for a proposed medical marijuana cultivation facility near Gentry. The Planning Board heard from representatives of the business planned for 20 acres at 10004 and 10012 Bloomfield North Road, northwest of Gentry. The plans call for renovating a poultry house on the site for the cultivation facility, and a house on the property would be used as an office. The plans show security fencing, lighting and other screening and buffering required by the county to separate the business from adjacent properties.

Marvin Park, representing the business, said the growing facility would use an "aeroponic" system.

"It's a self-contained system," he said. "So there's no dirt involved. No open pools of water involved. There's a minimum of space required. It's a very low footprint."

Park said the state licensing period remains open until Sept. 18, but the business has to go through the county planning process as part of the state licensing process.

"We have to go through with this before we can put in our application," he said.

Bob Bracy, board chairman, said the county regulations only allow the planners to consider land use, not the nature of the proposed business. Bracy said he hadn't studied state regulations for medical marijuana cultivation facilities but he will before the Sept. 6 meeting.

"I'll do some homework, just to be familiar with it," he said.

Kevin Gambrill, planning director, said Benton County has been contacted about similar business plans at three or four other locations, but none have gone before the board. Gambrill said, to his knowledge, there's been no public comment on such businesses possibly locating in Benton County.

"We'll find out for the first time in a public venue how the citizens feel about this," Gambrill said.

The board approved plans for a Carroll Electric Cooperative emergency response center near Lowell in the public hearing portion of its meeting Wednesday.

The plans call for a 19,300 square-foot building, with future expansion of up to 10,000 square feet also indicated. The center would house administrative offices for two or three employees and have indoor bays for truck storage. Outdoor storage would be provided for power poles, transformers and other supplies, along with a fueling station.

Neighbors asked about lighting on the facility, traffic during construction and after the facility opens and the location of the fuelling station. The board asked additional screening be placed between the building and neighbors to the northwest.

The board, on Aug. 16, also approved a permit for the Cool Water Music Festival, scheduled for Sept. 8 and Sept. 9 at 11506 N. Arkansas 59 near Gravette. The property includes 245 acres, but the festival is planned to use only 95 acres. The board reviewed plans for ingress and egress, parking, on-site camping and other details of the festival.

Medical marijuana

Plans for a medical marijuana cultivation operation will be on the agenda for the Benton County Planning Board's Sept. 6 meeting. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. in the Quorum Courtroom in the County Administration Building, 215 E. Central Ave. in Bentonville.

Source: Staff report

General News on 08/30/2017