🧨 Fireworks Stand Gets Annual Green Light Near Wishing Springs Art Gallery

The summer spark is officially back in Bella Vista.

At its May 1 work session, the Bella Vista Planning Commission reviewed and recommended approval for a temporary conditional use permit allowing a seasonal fireworks stand at 8862 W. McNelly Road, right next to the Wishing Springs Art Gallery. The applicant, Meramec Specialty Group, has operated a stand at the site nearly every year since 2014.

The stand will be open from June 22 to July 5, operating from 7 a.m. to midnight, and will occupy a 40-by-80-foot tent. City planners noted that the proposed use complies with all applicable zoning requirements under the C-3 Central Business District, including minimum setback distances and structure height. There were no public comments or opposition submitted ahead of the meeting.

Interestingly, the parcel is also designated in the city’s Future Land Use Plan as part of a park or open space zone, which puts it at the crossroads of Bella Vista’s expanding commercial corridor and its long-term conservation ambitions.