Fayetteville, Arkansas

[mcheiss]

I wonder how tall they will be?

[Mith242]

I wonder how tall they will be?

No idea, I somehow haven't heard anything about this project before.

[Mith242]

The process of getting a regional park to the southern edge of Fayetteville. I wish I hadn't left my paper at work so I had all the details at hand. I can't remember exactly how big it will be but I was thinking quite a bit. Seemed like it was around the 100 to 300 acres. While I am happy about having a park like this I'm not quite as ecstatic about how it came about. Basically these 300 acres was owned by one person who hadn't developed the land or anything. I'm not sure what happened but they came up for sale. The people in the surrounding area didn't want the area being developed so they kept bugging the city to buy the land. Their main incentive wasn't to get a park but to keep the land from being developed. It just irks me a bit to keep hearing about all these people who want development until it's near their home. Great when it happens to everyone else but them. But even if I'm not overly happy how the process came about, I think the result can be a nice thing.

[mcheiss]

The process of getting a regional park to the southern edge of Fayetteville. I wish I hadn't left my paper at work so I had all the details at hand. I can't remember exactly how big it will be but I was thinking quite a bit. Seemed like it was around the 100 to 300 acres. While I am happy about having a park like this I'm not quite as ecstatic about how it came about. Basically these 300 acres was owned by one person who hadn't developed the land or anything. I'm not sure what happened but they came up for sale. The people in the surrounding area didn't want the area being developed so they kept bugging the city to buy the land. Their main incentive wasn't to get a park but to keep the land from being developed. It just irks me a bit to keep hearing about all these people who want development until it's near their home. Great when it happens to everyone else but them. But even if I'm not overly happy how the process came about, I think the result can be a nice thing.

Wow, that's a big park, do you know what's supposed to be included in it?

[Mith242]

Wow, that's a big park, do you know what's supposed to be included in it?

I think a lot of it will remain undeveloped or perhaps there will be trails and such. I'm pretty sure they are going to put in some sports complexes. Nothing like what is being talked about in Springdale though, nothing major. I remember putting in some soccer fields and such, baseball I would imagine. Maybe even the type of place where local schools could have some events and such. Seems like I have heard of some schools over the border in Oklahoma already coming over to northwest Arkansas to similar places because of the facilities.

[mcheiss]

I think a lot of it will remain undeveloped or perhaps there will be trails and such. I'm pretty sure they are going to put in some sports complexes. Nothing like what is being talked about in Springdale though, nothing major. I remember putting in some soccer fields and such, baseball I would imagine. Maybe even the type of place where local schools could have some events and such. Seems like I have heard of some schools over the border in Oklahoma already coming over to northwest Arkansas to similar places because of the facilities.

That adds a lot of tax dollars into the local economy. Fort Smith is planning something like this, although they are having trouble getting the money for it.

[Mith242]

That adds a lot of tax dollars into the local economy. Fort Smith is planning something like this, although they are having trouble getting the money for it.

Well the process is still going on. But I got the impression the money has been put together and the land is about to be bought.

[mcheiss]

Well the process is still going on. But I got the impression the money has been put together and the land is about to be bought.

I hope so.

Fort Smith has had a lot of strikes on it's economy it the past year. This could help their local economy out a lot in the long run.

[Mith242]

I once again forgot my paper on more of the details on the regional park. But I'll eventually try to post some more details when I can. I'm just enjoying our cooler weather now.

[mcheiss]

I once again forgot my paper on more of the details on the regional park. But I'll eventually try to post some more details when I can. I'm just enjoying our cooler weather now.

Yes, it does feel more like fall right now. I was hoping for some rain to help cool it down some more and even help with our dumb water restrictions in Rogers.

[Mith242]

Yes, it does feel more like fall right now. I was hoping for some rain to help cool it down some more and even help with our dumb water restrictions in Rogers.

I was also hoping some more rain might help the fall foliage but it might be too late for that anyway. A lot of trees I've been seeing aren't looking so great. Either drab colors or they're just dropping their leaves almost immediately. This area has been one of the drier areas of the state. But I don't think it gets noticed as much because we don't have as much agriculture up here and we also average less than the rest of the state too.

[mcheiss]

I was also hoping some more rain might help the fall foliage but it might be too late for that anyway. A lot of trees I've been seeing aren't looking so great. Either drab colors or they're just dropping their leaves almost immediately. This area has been one of the drier areas of the state. But I don't think it gets noticed as much because we don't have as much agriculture up here and we also average less than the rest of the state too.

Yeah, it's like that up here in Benton County. Although, some places like near the Rogers Public Library have some beautiful maples with orange and yellow leafs.

[Mith242]

Yeah, it's like that up here in Benton County. Although, some places like near the Rogers Public Library have some beautiful maples with orange and yellow leafs.

I saw some nice red maples along Block and near the Square. But most others I've seen aren't looking so great. Even trees I look forward to every year for having nice foliage haven't been faring too well this fall.

[mcheiss]

I saw some nice red maples along Block and near the Square. But most others I've seen aren't looking so great. Even trees I look forward to every year for having nice foliage haven't been faring too well this fall.

I must say though that Fayetteville's Foilage is the best in NWA. It far outdoes Rogers and Bentonville. You guys often win awards for you great foilage.

[Mith242]

I must say though that Fayetteville's Foilage is the best in NWA. It far outdoes Rogers and Bentonville. You guys often win awards for you great foilage.

I think it is better just because we have older more established neighborhoods compared to the younger and smaller cities that make up the rest of the metro.

[mcheiss]

I think it is better just because we have older more established neighborhoods compared to the younger and smaller cities that make up the rest of the metro.

There's some nice foilage in Rogers in the downtown area. Some of those homes over there are around 80 years old.

That's one thing I realize whenever I go to Fayetteville. The Foilage is nice around the square and all parts of downtown.

[Mith242]

There's some nice foilage in Rogers in the downtown area. Some of those homes over there are around 80 years old.

That's one thing I realize whenever I go to Fayetteville. The Foilage is nice around the square and all parts of downtown.

Yeah Fayetteville has kept a lot of vegetation and those areas also have some nice big old trees also.

[Mith242]

Okay I have some more details on the regional park here in Fayetteville. It will consist of around 200 acres. Apparently they had been some more land but some of it will end up having some degree of development on it. I was under the impression it was all forested land but apparently some of it is 'rolling pasture'. Nothing is set on what all of the land will be used for but some of the things that have been talked about are, anumber of soccer fields, baseball and softball fields, tennis and volleyball courts and some recreational trails. Although 200 acres sounds like a lot to me it won't be the city's largest park. Most of Lake Fayetteville and Lake Sequoyah apparently are considered city park land. Lake Fayetteville having 900 acres and Lake Sequoyah having 1,400 acres. Maybe this also explains why I haven't really seen too much development around these lakes.

[Mith242]

One more Fayetteville development I have to mention. The westside sewer plant has been approved. It will cost around $62 Mil and should be finished in 2008. This has been a bit of a mess for a while for those of you who don't know. The cuty has been needing another sewer plant for a while. Voters apporved measures in 2001 for a new sewer plant. It was estimated then to cost around $40 Mil. But after some snags and some fighting on where it would finally be the city wasn't getting any bids that were anywhere close to what they had predicted. So eventually the city had to cut back on some aspects of the plant just to get it where it is now.

[mcheiss]

One more Fayetteville development I have to mention. The westside sewer plant has been approved. It will cost around $62 Mil and should be finished in 2008. This has been a bit of a mess for a while for those of you who don't know. The cuty has been needing another sewer plant for a while. Voters apporved measures in 2001 for a new sewer plant. It was estimated then to cost around $40 Mil. But after some snags and some fighting on where it would finally be the city wasn't getting any bids that were anywhere close to what they had predicted. So eventually the city had to cut back on some aspects of the plant just to get it where it is now.

How is the city going to pay for that?

[Mith242]

How is the city going to pay for that?

There was a vote of raising taxes. Ironically this was done back in 2001 and now it's just getting getting off the drawing board.

[mcheiss]

Hey Mith, I heard about another development in Fayetteville.

Looks like they want to put a second Autozone in Fayetteville on 6th street and Oak Road.

[Mith242]

I read a recent article in the paper about Fayetteville and it reminded me that Fayetteville actually has someone in charge of overseeing the urban forests in the city limits. You don't really here about that type of stuff too much, at least not around in this area. But anyway the Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association recently got a grant and is looking to make a more widespread effect in the city. All of this started a couple of years ago when the city bought around 70 acres of forested land on Mt Sequoyah from the Methodist retreat. It was decided to preserve the land as a natural woodland park and urban forest. They're hoping to spread beyond the Mt Sequoyah area and help preserve other urban forest in the city and also get more people involved in the process.

[Aporkalypse]

I read a recent article in the paper about Fayetteville and it reminded me that Fayetteville actually has someone in charge of overseeing the urban forests in the city limits. You don't really here about that type of stuff too much, at least not around in this area. But anyway the Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association recently got a grant and is looking to make a more widespread effect in the city. All of this started a couple of years ago when the city bought around 70 acres of forested land on Mt Sequoyah from the Methodist retreat. It was decided to preserve the land as a natural woodland park and urban forest. They're hoping to spread beyond the Mt Sequoyah area and help preserve other urban forest in the city and also get more people involved in the process.

Little Rock hired an "urban forester" a few years ago and I think there is now a second one.

Interesting idea, I guess. Both cities require lots of greenery with new developments which is why you see a big difference between developments in these cities vs say, Springdale, where you can build a sea of asphalt at will. Little Rock also outlawed clear cutting.

[Mith242]

Little Rock hired an "urban forester" a few years ago and I think there is now a second one.

Interesting idea, I guess. Both cities require lots of greenery with new developments which is why you see a big difference between developments in these cities vs say, Springdale, where you can build a sea of asphalt at will. Little Rock also outlawed clear cutting.

I hadn't realized Little Rock had one too but I guess I'm not too surprised. I would think it will certainly help the city be a nicer place in the future.