Photo: Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer
FAYETTEVILLE — Adventure Subaru will soon add a new auxiliary building on the west side of town.
Planning Commissioners earlier this month voted 7-0 to approve large-scale development plans for a 35,321-square-foot annex center on Foxglove Drive, which is less than one mile from the dealership’s main campus on Henbest Drive.
The 4.38-acre property is across the street from the Crain Hyundai and Volkswagen dealership and about a quarter of a mile north of the land where the Lewis Ford owners plan to relocate their dealership from North College Avenue.
Adventure Subaru owner David Nelms said as his dealership continues to grow, the company needs the new facility to store parts, for shipping and receiving purposes, and for its cleaning and detailing operations.
“We’re running out of space,” said Nelms.
Exterior elevation drawings / Courtesy City of Fayetteville
Another purpose for the annex, Nelms said, is to keep transport truck traffic away from the main campus so that all shipping and receiving can take place at the new facility.
Since the new building won’t include any customer access, the development plans don’t include a prominent entrance facing Foxglove, as typically required by city code. Commissioners said because of the nature of the building, they were fine with that variance. Another request to waive cross access to the adjacent properties was also approved since the Nelms family owns those lots.
The Nelms family actually owns all of the undeveloped parcels on the north and west sides of Foxglove Drive, which it purchased from Springwoods Investments for $4 million in 2019, according to Washington County property records. The Springwoods property was once owned by the city, but was sold for private development in 2003. As part of that plan, over 120 nearby acres were set aside as protected wetland which is now owned by the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust.
Other developments on the properties since then include Sam’s Club, Vold Vision, and several residential subdivisions.
City planners said the new Adventure Subaru building will include 5 feet of green space along Foxglove, as well as a 6-foot sidewalk, street lights and street trees.
Property Map
Development Plan
Plans by Jorgensen & Associates / Courtesy City of Fayetteville
