Guide to the DC: Downtown Core District in Bentonville

The DC: Downtown Core district in Bentonville serves as the high-density urban heart of the municipality, allowing for 100% lot coverage and building heights up to 80 feet. To support a pedestrian-oriented environment, Bentonville exempts ground-floor commercial spaces under 3,000 square feet from parking requirements and mandates zero-foot setbacks for non-residential street fronts.

Purpose of the DC: Downtown Core District

The primary purpose of the DC: Downtown Core district is to maintain and expand the pedestrian-oriented character of the Bentonville Square and its surrounding corridors, specifically extending along SW A Street to Highway 102 [Section 401.8-B(a)(1)]. The district is designed to foster an urban environment characterized by vertical mixed-use structures where buildings are spaced closely together or attached to one another [Section 401.8-B(a)(1)].

General Character and Design

The DC: Downtown Core district in Bentonville emphasizes a physical form that promotes retail and entertainment venues. The "vertical mixed-use" model is a defining trait, typically featuring commercial or retail operations on the first floor with office or residential units on the upper floors [Section 401.8-B(a)(1)].

Development in the DC: Downtown Core district is governed by standards that ensure high-density infill:

Pedestrian Focus: Buildings are encouraged to be street-facing with minimal gaps to create a continuous urban fabric.
Mixed-Use Flexibility: Both horizontal and vertical mixing of uses are permitted, though the core area specifically targets vertical integration [Section 401.8-B(a)(1)].
Encroachments: To enhance the streetscape, Bentonville allows architectural elements like canopies, awnings, and balconies to encroach into the public right-of-way, provided they maintain an 8-foot vertical clearance [Section 401.8-B(f)].

Permitted Land Uses

Bentonville allows a wide array of high-intensity uses by right in the DC: Downtown Core district to ensure a vibrant 24-hour environment.

Residential Uses

Condominiums and Multi-family dwellings [Section 401.05].
Two-family dwellings [Section 401.05].
Group homes [Section 401.05].
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) [Section 401.05].

Civic and Recreational Uses

Museums, Libraries, and Community Centers [Section 401.05].
Cultural and Broadcasting Studios [Section 401.05].
Religious Facilities [Section 401.05].
Parks (Mini, Neighborhood, and Community) [Section 401.05].
Arenas, Auditoriums, and Outdoor Music Venues (the latter two require a Conditional Use Permit) [Section 401.05].

Commercial and Service Uses

Retail: General retail, artisan shops, bakeries, pharmacies, and liquor sales (packaged beer/wine/spirits) [Section 401.05].
Food and Drink: Restaurants, bars, lounges, taverns, microbreweries, and sidewalk cafes [Section 401.05].
Services: Professional offices, financial institutions (ATMs), hotels/motels, bed and breakfasts, and medical clinics/doctor offices [Section 401.05].
Vending: Outdoor vendors and mobile food vendors [Section 401.05].

Development Standards

The following tables outline the specific technical requirements for development within the DC: Downtown Core district of Bentonville.

Lot and Area Standards

Category	Requirement
Minimum Lot Area	None
Maximum Lot Area	None
Minimum Lot Width	None
Maximum Lot Width	None
Maximum Lot Coverage	100%

[Section 401.03 Table]

Setback Requirements

Building Type	Front Yard (Min/Max)	Side Yard	Rear Yard
Residential	0' / 20'	0'	0'
Non-Residential	0' / 0'	0'	0'

Note: Side setbacks are not applicable in the DC: Downtown Core when a common wall is proposed or present [Section 401.8-B(d)].

Height Standards

Minimum Height	Maximum Height
20 feet	80 feet

[Section 401.8-B(e)]

Off-Street Parking Requirements

In the DC: Downtown Core district, Bentonville scales parking requirements based on the floor level and the size of the use to encourage density.

Location / Use Type	Parking Space Requirement
First Floor (Uses < 3,000 sq. ft.)	None
First Floor (Uses > 3,000 sq. ft.)	1 space per 500 sq. ft.
Upper Floors (Residential)	1 space per unit
Upper Floors (Other Uses)	1 space per 1,000 sq. ft.

[Section 501.06(d)(1)]

Sections Cited

Section 401.03: Calculations and Measurements (Tables)
Section 401.05: Table of Uses for Zoning Districts
Section 401.8-B: Downtown (D) Districts Regulations
Section 501.06: Number of Off-Street Parking Spaces Required