Bentonville to weigh 421-unit “The Thickets” development in west side growth corridor

Bentonville City Council was scheduled to consider a rezoning request tied to a 421-unit residential development called The Thickets, planned between Mill Dam Road and Nomad Road south of Regional Airport Boulevard. The proposal calls for the property to be rezoned from R-2 and R-3 to PRD, and it arrived before council with a 7-0 recommendation for approval from the Planning Commission.

According to the project materials, the development would span about 54.52 acres and include 281 single-family homes and 140 townhome units, for a total of 421 homes. The applicant says the project would also include private drives, parking, community spaces, stormwater features and a mix of neighborhood amenities as the area continues to transition from undeveloped land to residential growth.

The proposal had already been reviewed once by the Planning Commission in November 2025, when it was tabled after commissioners and nearby residents raised questions about the look of the homes, the placement of townhomes, and a proposed dog park next to a field with livestock. In its resubmission, the applicant revised the elevations, added pitched roofs and a brick wainscot, relocated the dog run and included more renderings for review.

City planning staff said the project generally aligns with Bentonville’s Walkable Neighborhood future land use designation and pointed to features such as alleys, sidewalks, a mix of housing types, open space and community amenities. The packet says the development plan includes 9.17 acres of open space, plus walking paths, a dog park, pickleball court and trails around stormwater ponds.

At the same time, the proposal leaves room for debate over how closely it fits the city’s PRD design intent. Staff said approval would hinge on whether the Planning Commission found the proposed materials and parking layout met PRD standards. The packet notes the project would provide off-street parking through driveways and townhome parking stalls, while the single-family homes would be built without garages.