At County Planning Commission Meeting, Proposed Bentonville Protection Facility Tabled and Comprehensive Plan Evaluated

“The community input is huge on this, for the public hearing, because a lot can change in that,” said Sheriff Crystal Cline, addressing the Warren County Planning Commission on the evening of Wednesday, November 13, at a meeting that began at 7 p.m. in the Warren County Government Center at 220 North Commerce Avenue. She referenced an application from the Sheriff’s Office for a conditional use permit to establish a firearms protection facility at the transfer station in Bentonville. This issue has been a hot item at multiple government meetings over the past four months as concerned Bentonville residents have attended to express their views about how this development would affect them. Sitting in an audience that was composed in part of just such people, Cline said: “I didn’t want it on the agenda tonight. Other people are pushing forward on this. I would like to put a hold on this application. And if we look at ESA Lane, I understand that that has to be another application submitted with the plans or another property in the county.”

Warren County Planning Commission preps for their monthly regular meeting at the Warren County Government Center on Wednesday, November 13. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh.

With a few variations, the Bentonville residents who live within the vicinity of the proposed facility expressed many of the concerns that they have presented over the past four months. Above all, has the Sheriff’s Office exhausted every alternative possibility? This decision would impact their daily life as they deal with the noise pollution that the facility would generate in addition to the noise pollution they already tolerate in connection with the transfer station. One resident informed the commission that a child who has seizures provoked by noise lives within earshot of the proposed facility; closely related to this concern, one gentleman who practices child therapy is confident that he would not be able to continue his practice in that neighborhood if this development occurred. Other concerns include but are not limited to the potential accumulation of lead in the ground from the bullets and the safety concerns inherent to the proposed facility’s proximity to the Baggarly property.

Commissioner Kaylee Richardson expressed that she thought it might be wise to expedite the denial of the application instead of merely putting it on hold while other possibilities are explored. Given the conditions, in her eyes, the location of the facility at the transfer station is a non-option. But she joined her fellow commissioners in voting unanimously to table the application on an indefinite basis until the Sheriff approaches them again. Of course, the planning commission is a point in the road when a recommendation is forwarded to the board of supervisors; it is not the final say, and the public will have further recourse to a democratic process at such a time. As Sheriff Cline exchanged hugs and kind words with members of the audience, it was clear that she takes their concerns seriously and is doing everything she can to find a viable alternative, whether at ESA Lane, where firearms are already incorporated or somewhere else in the county. At a liaison meeting of town and county, Town Manager Joe Waltz mentioned his discussions with Sheriff Cline and their mutual vision for a facility that could meet the needs of both town and county; however, that vision lies in the future, and the Sheriff is addressing an immediate concern since much-needed training currently demands travel that is time-consuming and cost-ineffective.

Earlier in the evening, Planner Kelly Wahl made a bullet-point presentation to the commissioners on the newly crystallized comprehensive plan prior to a public hearing on that issue. The plan came under fire, friendly and otherwise, from members of the community, many of whom applauded the staff for their accomplishment but largely expressed concerns about the potential for irresponsible growth. Specifically, accessory dwelling units on property zoned agricultural could be a back door to what many call “Fairfaxing Front Royal” or “Loudouning the valley” as the pristine beauty of Warren County succumbs to urban sprawl. School Board member Melanie Salins expressed her frustration with how recently the plan in its final form became available to the public online and how one week simply is not enough time to absorb and reflect upon such a voluminous document. She had already detected errors of fact pertaining to the schools and beseeched the commissioners to table the issue until the new year.

Departing from the formula of two loaves of encouragement sandwiching a slice of criticism, one gentleman reiterated loudly the frustration with the document’s size considering its availability on short notice and complained that the document was not compatible with many phones and, therefore, would not open. He also cited Nancy Pelosi’s “We have to pass it to find out what’s in it” and noted that he hopes Warren County does not become “a communist hellhole.” Chances are, Fox from Wanted would enjoy training Matthew Purdy for the fraternity. The Royal Examiner can testify to Purdy’s presence at numerous government meetings, displaying energy that could easily be adapted to jumping off overpasses onto moving trains and curving bullets.

Responding to all frustrations with the document’s late-hour appearance, Planning Director Matt Wendling explained that much of the content of the plan dates to its 2013 iteration and that the effort to update it began in 2018, although that effort was slowed down by COVID-19. For the past year, surveys have been conducted to give the public the opportunity to get involved. The Royal Examiner can testify that the working drafts of each chapter were available online, making reporting easy as the commissioners conducted their work sessions transparently, even as they moved slowly and methodically through each portion of the text.

In the end, the commission chose to postpone its recommendation on the plan to the supervisors and, in December, vote on whether to advertise for another public hearing in January. This will give staff the time they need to revisit the plan with public input taken into consideration. After assessing a proposed gas station and discussing an “adult business” whose existence they cannot deny but who nevertheless they can regulate, commission matters were addressed, and the meeting adjourned.

Click here to watch the Warren County Planning Commission Meeting of November 13, 2024.