Walton-backed company takes over Bella Vista design standards
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Walton-backed company Blue Crane now runs the committee that decides whether you can paint your Bella Vista home hot pink.
State of play: When Steuart and Tom Walton's real estate company purchased land from Cooper Communities last year, it also purchased developer rights for most of the city and now runs the Architectural Control Committee, Bella Vista's communications director Cassi Lapp explained.
- The committee is still in operation. Residents may check its policies and procedures here.
Context: Bella Vista is notorious for its strict design standards, like banning white fences and requiring homes to be painted "earth tone" colors, thanks to the committee.
- "No updates or changes to share at the moment," Runway Group spokesperson Jack Pate told Axios. Blue Crane is the real estate arm of the Waltons' Runway Group holding company.
What they're saying: "The developer rights were acquired as part of our comprehensive land acquisition in Bella Vista. These rights enable us to work more effectively with the POA, city, and community stakeholders as we develop plans that align with Bella Vista's tradition of connecting people to nature through outdoor recreation," according to a statement from Runway to Axios.
Flashback: Blue Crane announced in May 2024 that it had purchased about 2,700 acres in Bella Vista and Benton County, following a March deal for 54 acres for $34 million that included Sugar Creek Shopping Center. Axios later reported the company paid Cooper Communities $15.5 million for a 1,941-acre chunk of that land in north Bella Vista.
- Walton Enterprises, which represents the larger family's investments, owns more than 62 acres in south-central Bella Vista that includes the historic Wonderland Cave.
The latest: "We don't have development plans for the 2,700 acres," Pate told Axios in a statement. "As we've shared, our focus will be on outdoor recreation, hospitality, and real estate investments that honor Bella Vista's tradition of connecting people to nature. We're committed to involving the community and will share more details when they develop."
Go deeper:
Bella Vista mountain bike park aims to be cultural hub
Bella Vista moves forward despite growing pains
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say that Blue Crane has no updates or changes to share at the moment (not that no changes are planned). It has also been corrected to reflect that the Architectural Control Committee (not Blue Crane, its new owner) maintains design standards.