ROGERS, Ark. — Plans for a glamping campground on Beaver Lake cause concern for people who live nearby.
The project is called “Contentment at Beaver Lake." The proposal went in front of the Benton County Planning Board earlier this month but was tabled. It's now on the agenda for September’s meeting. Among the concerns from neighbors are the possibility of environmental issues and the amount of traffic it could bring to what they describe as a quiet area.
Developers plan to build "Contentment at Beaver Lake" on Shockley Place Road, near Hobbs State Park. Since the last Benton County Planning Board Meeting, the developers have scaled down the project from potentially having space for a thousand campers down to 200. Their proposal calls for 40 glamping tents and a dozen luxury wagons on 35 acres off the shore of the lake.
“This project is a long way from being compatible with our neighborhood. For me, that’s a big deal, that’s why I have a giant sign in front of my mailbox that says stop and sign the petition,” said Hank Barnes.
Hank Barnes lives near the proposed site. He says he and many of his neighbors moved here for the serenity. Now, he's started a petition against the project.
Neighbor Bruce Gabbard says he’s concerned about how this could affect response times for fire and EMS since the responding department is volunteer. He’s also concerned that if developers dig a well and use a lot of water, it might deplete the water table that everyone else has to use.
“I want it paused to the point where they can address these issues, tell the public, tell the citizens how they are going to deal with the infrastructure issues, get environmental impact studies to prove there isn’t going to be an issue with the water table, sewage or the wildlife cavern system,” said Gabbard.
The other issue they are concerned with is sewage. G.A. Sayre says developers should have to tie into county water.
“Within three miles, a major water intake valve for Benton County water is in the lake, so everyone should be concerned about this. I don’t want to stop this, this is progress, this is neat, however, the scrutiny on this needs to be extra extra strong,” said Sayre.
Developers of the project, Gene and Candia Nicholas say the glamping units will be equipped with heating and cooling units and full bathrooms. There will also be a basecamp and luxury pool which they say will provide a place for guests to gather and enjoy the beautiful views and the surrounding countryside.
“We love everything about Northwest Arkansas, especially Beaver Lake. This project has been a dream of ours for many years. Over the past four years, we have traveled to many national parks to hike, explore, and take in the great outdoors. Our project will offer a glamping experience to those wanting to try something a little different in Northwest Arkansas,” said Gene and Candia Nicholas.
This project will go in front of the Benton County Planning Board on Sept. 7.