C-1 Neighborhood Commercial District Setback Standards in Bentonville

In the City of Bentonville, the C-1 Neighborhood Commercial district requires a front setback of 50 feet if parking is provided in the front of the structure or 20 feet if no parking is located in the front. Side setbacks for the C-1 Neighborhood Commercial district are set at 7 feet when adjacent to non-residential districts and 15 feet when adjacent to residential districts, while rear setbacks range from 20 to 25 feet depending on the adjacent zoning. These requirements are established to ensure that development in the City of Bentonville remains compatible with the surrounding neighborhood character [Section 401.08].

Minimum Setback Requirements for C-1 Neighborhood Commercial

The City of Bentonville defines a setback as the required distance between every structure and any lot line on the lot where it is located [Section 201.02]. For the C-1 Neighborhood Commercial district, the specific minimum distances are determined by the location of parking and the zoning of neighboring properties.

Boundary Type	Condition or Adjacency	Minimum Setback Requirement
Front	Parking located in front	50 feet
Front	No parking located in front	20 feet
Side	Adjacent to a non-residential district	7 feet
Side	Adjacent to a residential district	15 feet
Rear	Adjacent to a non-residential district	20 feet
Rear	Adjacent to a residential district	25 feet

[Section 401.08(c)(1)]

Additional Setback Considerations in Bentonville

Height-Related Setback Increases

In the City of Bentonville, the maximum building height for the C-1 Neighborhood Commercial district is 40 feet [Section 401.08(d)(1)]. However, if a structure exceeds this maximum height, the required setbacks must be increased. Specifically, any structure exceeding 40 feet must be set back an additional one foot for every one foot of height in excess of the standard limit [Section 401.08(d)(2)].

Permitted Encroachments

Bentonville regulations allow certain architectural features to project into the required setbacks of the C-1 Neighborhood Commercial district. These include:

Eaves, sills, cornices, or ornamental features: May project up to 18 inches into any required setback.
Bay windows and chimneys: May encroach up to 2 feet into any required setback, but must remain at least 3 feet away from side or rear property lines.
Awnings: May extend up to 6 feet into a required setback but must be no closer than 2 feet from the curb of any street or property line.

[Section 401.04(h) and Section 401.04(i)]

Sight Distance Requirements

Regardless of the standard setback numbers, the City of Bentonville prohibits any building, structure, or sign from being located in a manner that creates an obstruction in areas required to be kept clear for sight distance, as determined by the city engineer [Section 401.04(g)].

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