Guide to the Municipal Airport Overlay District in Bentonville

The Municipal Airport Overlay District in the City of Bentonville establishes four distinct zones with stringent height limitations and safety regulations to prevent hazards to air navigation. All proposed developments within this overlay require approval from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Bentonville Airport Manager, while noise-sensitive uses like schools and hospitals must achieve a minimum 30-decibel sound attenuation and grant an avigation easement to the City of Bentonville.

Purpose and Approval Process

The primary intent of the Municipal Airport Overlay District is to prevent the creation of air navigation hazards, eliminate or mitigate existing hazards, and provide for the proper marking and lighting of obstructions [Sec 401.12(a)].

In addition to standard City of Bentonville zoning procedures, all developments within the Municipal Airport Overlay District must undergo review and receive approval from:

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); and
The Bentonville Airport Manager (or a designated representative) [Sec 401.12(b)].

Definition of Airport Zones

The Municipal Airport Overlay District is divided into four specific zones based on their relationship to the airport's runways and approach surfaces.

Zone	Name	Description
Zone A	Runway Approach Zone	Inner edge coincides with the primary surface (500 feet wide); expands uniformly to 3,500 feet at a distance of 10,000 feet from the primary surface.
Zone B	Transitional Zone	The area situated beneath the transitional surfaces.
Zone C	Horizontal Zone	Established by a swinging arc of 10,000-foot radii from the center of each end of the primary surface.
Zone D	Conical Zone	Commences at the periphery of the Horizontal Zone and extends outward for a horizontal distance of 4,000 feet.

[Sec 401.12(d)]

Height Limitations

The City of Bentonville prohibits the erection of any structure or the growth of any tree in the Municipal Airport Overlay District that exceeds the specific height limits of its respective zone. However, the code generally does not prohibit structures or trees up to 50 feet above the surface of the land unless they explicitly violate the sloping requirements of a specific zone [Sec 401.12(e)].

Zone	Height Limitation Standard
Zone A	Slopes 34 feet outward for each 1 foot upward, starting from the end of and at the same elevation as the primary surface.
Zone B	Slopes 7 feet outward for each 1 foot upward; capped at 150 feet above the airport elevation (1,296 feet above mean sea level).
Zone C	Fixed at 150 feet above the airport elevation (1,446 feet above mean sea level).
Zone D	Slopes 20 feet outward for each 1 foot upward, beginning at the periphery of the Horizontal Zone; capped at 350 feet above the airport elevation.

[Sec 401.12(e)]

Use Restrictions and Navigation Safety

The City of Bentonville enforces specific use restrictions within the Municipal Airport Overlay District to ensure the safety of pilots and aircraft. Landowners are prohibited from using land or water in a manner that:

Creates electrical interference with navigational signals or radio communication between the airport and aircraft.
Makes it difficult for pilots to distinguish between airport lights and other lights.
Results in glare that impairs the vision of pilots.
Impairs visibility in the vicinity of the airport through smoke or other obscured phenomena.
Creates bird strike hazards.
Otherwise interferes with the landing, takeoff, or maneuvering of aircraft [Sec 401.12(f)(1)].

Additionally, owners of any existing nonconforming structure or tree must permit the City of Bentonville to install and maintain markers and lights at the city's expense to indicate the presence of an obstruction [Sec 401.12(f)(2)].

Noise Sensitive Uses and Sound Attenuation

The Municipal Airport Overlay District allows for residential uses and places of public gathering (such as schools, hospitals, and religious facilities), provided they meet specific soundproofing standards. These developments must be sound-attenuated to achieve a minimum 30-decibel noise reduction from outdoor levels to indoor levels [Sec 401.12(f)(3)].

Furthermore, any applicant seeking a building permit for these uses must:

Grant an avigation easement to the City of Bentonville.
Include a plat notification regarding the airport's proximity on all recorded plats [Sec 401.12(f)(3)].

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