zman9810

The best example of where that would have happened is the MLK Neighborhood market. From what I understand Walmart was ready to walk away from it if the rezoning hadn't went their way. The three examples of fast food places are good ones and those businesses will an economic impact but not nearly what a business such as a Neighborhood Market will. For the land along Van Asche to become a regional destination there needs to be as much flexibility in development plans as possible. It already has the lack of accessibility from I49 working against it. That is why I mention the Arvest park area. I realize that Springdale is a easy target to disparage(I've done it myself) but that area is already a regional destination with the NWA Naturals, plans for a new NWACC campus and the location of the Arkansas Childrens Hospital. With the ease of access off I49 and the street improvements happening now that area is going to explode in the next few years. While Springdale may not have the demographics of Fayetteville it does have a Fortune 500 company and resulting high per capita income close by. Any company employee that does a thorough job a vetting locations will discover these facts and if the tipping point is ease of development they will choose that area.

The City Council has legal advice from their own attorney that the rezoning should pass or they can be sued. If they don't follow that legal advice from their own employee why have a city attorney at all? The developer has dealt with City staff for decades now and he thinks he has a clear cut case if it comes to that. The impression I get is that City staff wants to have two separate processes that can be used to develop in the city but if the developer chooses the one the city staff doesn't like they will reject it. At this point the Planning Commission will back them up although I remember times in the past when they have not. The City Council has also rejected the staff arguments in the past and will likely do so this time if a compromise can't be reached. It may be better to have only form based planning - do away with any other process. The trouble there is it will discourage anyone from investing in the city. Investors will think, why not just go up the road to Springdale's new hot spot around Arvest Park? It has much better access off I49 and Springdale is much easier to work with. There have always been the anti-growth people in Fayetteville and this issue plays right into their hands. I've defended city staff in the past but lately they and some members of the City Council seem more interested in social engineering than in promoting growth and investment in the city.

I'm not debating the particulars of the zoning but whether the City is trying to break the promise made when the land was annexed. Changing the rules after the fact seems like it will lead to a lawsuit that the City will lose and cost money that could be better used elsewhere. I think most people would agree the newer way is better than buildings with huge parking lots in front of them. Hopefully a middle ground can be found.

The Washington Regional expansion across Appleby was resolved by moving the building location by 24 feet. That was easy. The Van Asche rezoning did not happen. It will be appealed to the City Council which should overturn the rejection if common sense prevails. When the acreage was annexed into the city the City agreed that it would be zoned commercial and not planned development. If the City Council wants any business or other government entity to take it at its word it will do as was agreed on. Spending money on a lawsuit in what seems to be a clear cut case isn't a wise use of tax money. Of course- it wouldn't be the first time the City has made such a move.

As was expected, Gov. Hutchinson's committee for coming up with ways to finance highway construction in the state came up with no good ideas on how to do so. The choice they came up with is to cut out funding for your grandmother's diabetes medication and spending tax payer money to fight the affordable healthcare act, environmental health in the state and the right for death row inmates to know where the drugs that are used to kill them are coming from. Good move on the Governor's part- it allows him escape responsibility and say these aren't his decisions; it is what he was advised to do. It seems that toll roads to finance projects such as I49 in western Arkansas are not even being considered. A toll road for that highway seems a perfect example where it would be feasible. It would be a direct route to the Gulf and an indirect route to Mexico. Much of the traffic that would come to use it would not be Arkansas taxpayers but cross country commercial traffic. The state would benefit from that and the country would benefit from the easy access that the route would provide. We need to elect leaders that look out for the common good in the state and not some political allegiance that only hurts the state. I know that this rant will upset some and covers more than the main concern but if we look at the end result of the political decisions made will they actually help the highway construction funding issue?

That will a huge improvement to that corner. Now if only we could get the next block down to do something.

I drove by there today and see why vertical is the way to go- those lots aren't very deep at all. I guess since that is the old landing strip with a street down the middle of it they wouldn't be deep. I'll be surprised if the neighbors don't complain about 4 stories.

I remember a while back someone had questioned why the State had not located a nature center in NWA. Well...somebody heard I guess. There are plans to locate a education and nature center in Springdale in the far north end of town just east of I49. It would be on 61 acres of land being transferred to the Game and Fish Commission . The G&F regional office may also be moved from the Beaver Dam location to the Springdale site. It would be a great addition to the area.

I hope Ft Smith doesn't hang its hopes on I49 being built to Texarkana. I bet it will be decades before that happens if ever. The committee that is studying highway funding seems have a lack of good ideas and the federal government can only eek out short term bills for highway funding. I agree that toll roads need to be strongly considered but there is such a backlash against any new revenue sources in the state that they don't seem likely. Didn't really mean to bash FTSM but I know from anecdotal evidence that there are former Whirlpool/ supplier employees that have given up on finding full time employment. They see training for a new line of work as a waste of time. Its a sad but true situation for some.

Didn't the city say they could only have right turn access out of their lot on to Mt. Comfort? I was thinking that was what killed their plans.

We'll have to see what happens when a hot new club/store opens next to a long time established business and causes it to close because its customers can't park close and won't or can't walk to it. I wonder of Kit Williams didn't give a better alternative that the Council should have listened to. How long before Petty lets it be known he wants to be the next mayor? or has it already happened?

The drawback that FTSM has is that modern manufacturing processes require much higher skill levels than in the past. Most the workers that lost their jobs due to the Whirlpool departure don't have the skill sets to fill the positions that possible employers would have. Too many people want a job that they can just walk in off the street with a high school diploma or even not that and make a middle class wage. The FTSM area is the center of a much larger job market that is very rural in nature and that is a major hindrance in moving forward.

I'm surprised it took them this long to move. It is a business decision that that any owner would make. The idea of loyalty doesn't apply when a business is doing what it needs to do to survive. TV news is a business that has become hard to make it in.

Interesting ideas- I think the Fulbright/Hwy112 interchange redo will actually stretch further north and make it so any Van Asche connection will not be possible. I guess the design could be reworked to include one although that would move the project back.

Not enough room. It's too close to the Fulbright interchange per federal rules. That's why an extension of Joyce Blvd to a new interchange with I49 is needed IMO. At one time there was a plan for this but I haven't seen anything further about it.

No, this is subdivision size. I saw the strip mall and another building further down from it under construction ,also. I don't if it has been mentioned but the Sam's Club construction has been put off until 2016 in that same area. Meanwhile the Sam's Furniture is getting underway closer to I49.

I bet its the townhomes- I think the Tuscany lots would be further northwest. This development has access on 412 and is surrounded by commercial.

There is a large new development going in north of Hwy 412 and just west of Jones Road in west Springdale. It could even be in Tontitown- I'm not sure where the actually boundary is in that area. Its big enough to be a residential subdivision. I haven't seen anything in the local media about it- anyone heard anything?

The latest Skyline report showed vacancy rates at all time lows for rentals in NWA. I think developers and lenders learned their lessons during the downturn and we won't see the bubble like the mid 2000's

Looks like I was too optimistic- the parking requirements regs weren't changed Tuesday after all. Seems there needs to be more discussion. I suspect the strong support by developers caught the City by surprise and they are giving it second thoughts. If developers are for it the City couldn't want it, could they? ha RE: TRB It would be great if Malco would put a IMAX, etc in Fayetteville but I imagine it would go at the Pinnacle location and not Fayetteville if they put it in NWA.

Now that Fayetteville has deregulated parking requirements in town I wonder if they will allow retail development in front of stores like Kohl's and Target. The Malco Cinema even has parking area that is rarely used. It would be like what Wal Mart already does. Seems like a good use of vacant space that would be infill development in sync with Fayetteville's goals.

Wow- I think I touched a nerve. I notice you had to launch into a personal attack on me instead of only on the subject. I won't stoop to your level, though. I do stand by my statements and will add that anyone who has lived in Fayetteville knows that Cross Church is not welcomed by many more than the 53% who voted FOR. I also know that their leadership is vindictive enough to change their plans for that reason. On to less controversial news...... There is a 4.3 acre lot under contract at the Van Asche cul-de-sac. That seems to large a lot for a restaurant and there isn't the traffic counts for retail development there. Maybe another hotel is in the works there?

I don't gamble but if I did I would bet no Cross Church attendees were in the 53% that voted FOR Tuesday. I would also bet that none of that 53% welcomes the Cross Church brand in Fayetteville. It wouldn't surprise me to see a change in plans as punishment for Fayetteville's sinful ways.

Wonder if Cross Church will change their plans for a new Fayetteville campus after Tuesday's vote? They made the original announcement just after the first vote earlier in the year.

Is this the Women's Center building? I thought it was going in as a separate building across the creek