Bella Vista City Guide

For those living here, progress has provided a brand-new Public Safety Facility opening in early 2023, which will house our Police Department, Dispatch Center and District Court. A new fire training facility is well on its way and under construction just south of the state line off U.S. 71. Continued growth of the Fire Department finds us also in the search for the location of our next station, Station 5, in the southern part of the city. I am excited to join this city as its leader, aer serving on City Council for the last eight years, and to continue to celebrate the successes we have seen over the last few years. Being a part of that success is fulfilling for all those who work here, and we certainly have a high quality of employees driving this city day to day. e people who live here get to celebrate too in continued successes, with excellent services through our police, fire and streets departments. We are part of a growing and thriving area that is Northwest Arkansas, which has shown tremendous improvement over the last decade or so in things like school choice and the quality of medical services. e quality of life afforded to those who live in NWA, and in Bella Vista specifically, is top notch. Arguably the two most important aspects when it comes to choosing a place to call home are school choice and safety. We are right there at the top with both of those. My challenge as mayor for the next four years is to continue progress with a level of control on the growth, to responsibly maintain that relaxed and active lifestyle we love here. I see this city continuing to grow both on the residential and business side, and I will work to see that it doesn't outgrow our abilities to serve those who visit and live here. MAYOR continued from page 4 Welcome to Bella Vista, Arkansas, the heart of recreation and outdoor activities for Northwest Arkansas. e Bella Vista Property Owners Association oversees various amenities for all ages and recreational needs. We proudly offer our Members – and their Guests – five, 18-hole golf courses, two 9-hole courses and a large practice facility (all golfers are welcome); three recreational facilities (including fitness equipment, exercise classes and swimming pools), one of which is under renovation and will reopen in late 2023; and two shooting ranges (rifle/pistol range and trap/skeet range) and much more. With the picturesque Ozark Mountains as its backdrop, Bella Vista's walking and biking trails weave throughout the town's forests, streams, and waterfalls. Blowing Springs, Bella Vista's own RV Park and Campground, is the perfect place to spend days – or weeks – relaxing and taking in the natural beauty. We recently added the Gear Garden, a seasonal beer garden, that is a huge hit for park attendees and bikers on the trails. Seven scenic, private, stocked lakes offer outstanding fishing, boating and water sports. Bella Vista even features its own unique restaurants – the perfect places to entertain or relax with friends and family. Lakepoint Restaurant and Event Center offers casual, lakeside dining with tremendous views of Loch Lomond. One of a few event venues in the area, numerous weddings, anniversaries, corporate events and other celebrations have been held here as the facility can accommodate up to 300 people. BV's Bar and Grill opened in the Country Club for lunch and dinner serving casual fare in a sports-bar atmosphere. Our restaurants are open to the public and the food is outstanding. You don't have to take our word for it. National experts are paying attention to all Bella Vista has to offer: • Bella Vista was recently ranked one of America's Top 10 Best Healthy Places to Retire by U.S. News & World Report • One of the Top 25 best places for affordable homes by CNNMoney.com and Money Magazine. • Ranked one of the Best Places to Retire —- 4 years in a row by Forbes • PeopleForBikes ranked Bella Vista in the top 20 for America's Best Places for Bikes. ree cities in Northwest Arkansas made the Top 20 list • MSN.com ranked Northwest Arkansas as the best low-cost area in the nation in which to live and work, saying that "access to culture and the beauty of the surrounding mountains and lakes has helped land [NWA] the title of one of America's Most Livable Cities." • Forbes Magazine's annual list of the top 200 best metro areas for doing business placed Northwest Arkansas in its Top 10 of major metropolitan areas. Bella Vista truly offers something for everyone. We look forward to your visit – and possibly – your stay. A note from Tom Judson, C.O.O., Bella Vista Property Owners Association Photo courtesy of Quin Warsaw 6 | 2023 Bella Vista City Guide

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