Highlights of the Fort Smith Board of Directors Meeting 5/3/22
The Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting held 5-3-22 (with Director Settle absent and Director Good attending remotely) started with the rezoning for 5300 Heather Ridge to allow for 43 undeveloped acres to be developed into the Treetops of Fort Smith housing development made up of a mix of single family dwellings, duplexes, row houses, and apartments.
Darrell Cunningham, who lives on Hardscrabble Way, spoke out against the rezoning saying that there is only one entry/exit point on 58th. He expressed his view that there needs to be a back entry in the event of an emergency like a natural disaster.
Fort Smith resident Jo Elsken spoke agreeing with Cunningham about emergency traffic concerns. She also expressed concern about established native trees saying that removal of trees leads to soil degradation that contributes to flooding. She suggested that the city involve foresters or maybe experts from the UAFS to look at the property and assess the effect of the development on older trees. She said that the city’s Unified Development Ordinance in general contributes to monoculture that is not good for the environment and encouraged the city to have a policy that encourages a diversity of plants. She also suggested that the city look into requiring developers to pay for infrastructure improvements made in response to their developments.
There was discussion from the Board and Jackson Goodwin and Mark Rouse who will be developing the property concerning the ingress and egress points. Planning Director Maggie Rice clarified that there are the two exit and entry points that are required by the UDO, one on Gary and one on Heather Ridge. She said that though both of those routes do empty out into 58th, they are far enough apart to allow people to get out in a disaster. Director Martin asked Director of Engineering Stan Snodgrass about the results of the traffic study conducted about the impact of the development that found that the traffic from the development would be in compliance with the standards set in the UDO. Snodgrass explained that traffic level of service is ranked in levels from A-F based on delay times. The study showed that currently the affected areas are ranked B or better and with the development will drop to a C or better. Mark Rouse added that they had explored the idea of another exit point but the terrain would be extremely steep and also the adjacent property owner where it would need to go is unwilling to sell just part of the property needed for the access.
Director Dawson asked about the sales price point for the single family Treetops houses. Mark Rouse described the planned houses as “vertical, modern, small footprint” 1800-2500 square ft houses with rooftop terraces overlooking the airport that are expected to be priced ranging from $420,000 to $600,000. He said that the development will have a Property Owners Association and will be well maintained and will likely raise property values in the surrounding neighborhood. He described the development as “upscale” and said that he predicts that 60% of the houses will be sold to buyers moving here in connection with the big new mission coming soon at the Ebbing air base. The development is about 3 minutes from the air base. Director Rego mentioned that as the son of a high ranking military officer, he believes that there is a market for that, saying that military officers “like to have unique statement type housing”. Mark Rouse mentioned that care is being taken to keep as many of the trees as possible and that a tree buffer also will remain around the property. He sees the trees as a crucial part of the aesthetic planned for “The Treetops”. He assured that they “won’t go in and clear all the trees”.
Director Morton expressed concern about the drainage including water running off the roofs of the homes on the top of the hill onto the apartments and duplexes at the bottom. Jackson Goodwin assured that they would be adhering to all engineering standards and putting in adequate storm drainage including gutters, curbs, ditches, and a detention pond all designed to stand up to a 100 year flood event. The drainage plan will actually result in the development having less water flowing out than the undeveloped site currently does. Mark Rouse added that some of the problems seen elsewhere in the city with drainage are in developments built 15 or 20 years ago when the requirements were less stringent than they currently are, like ones that didn’t even require detention ponds. Modern standards don’t allow for water to increase in flow downstream.
The Board voted unanimously to approve the rezoning.
The Board voted unanimously to approve a change to the Unified Development Ordinance that would send all appeals of Planning Commission decisions directly to a Board of Directors study session meeting for discussion first instead of straight of to a regular Board of Directors meeting to be voted on.
The Board voted unanimously to approve the distribution of $920,000 in federal grant funds through the Community Development Block Grant program and $420,000 in federal grant funds through the HOME investment partnership program of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Director Rego praised the federal grant funds going toward solutions to “long-term big picture challenges” . Director Morton called the projects selected for the funding “great projects”.
The Board voted unanimously in favor of the demolition of a dilapidated house at 7901 Joseph Street. Director of Building Services Jimmy detailed that the roof is gone and that the City has tried to work with the owner’s brother (the owner is in a nursing home) to repair the property but the issue has ended up in court 11 times already and the city has already spent $5000 in cleanup on the unmaintained property. The owner owes taxes and in all likelihood the property will be up for delinquent State tax auction next year. Neighbors have expressed an interest in buying the property.
Director Rego asked for an estimate on the cost to demolish the house. Deer answered $4000-$5000. Rego spoke about the efforts to try to be compassionate to owners but said there “comes a time and place where we have to enforce the laws that are on the books”. Director Morton called the demolition “perfectly appropriate” and mentioned that new development is already taking place on that street and nearby.
The Board voted unanimously to accept a bid from Forsgren for $1,490,722.50 for replacement of 20,275 linear feet of damaged sidewalks. Director Martin asked Director of Streets Matt Meeker about the disjointed look of the sections on the map. Meeker clarified that they are just replacing the sections that are damaged and that the connected sections are good enough to not need replaced. He said the plan “will make nice continuous sidewalks” Director Morton called the sidewalk plans “really great projects”.
In the Officials Forum section of the meeting, Director Morton reminded of the informational meeting to be held May 9th at 6pm at the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education concerning the May 24th vote on the .25% sales tax renewal for Parks and Fire, and the .75% sales tax renewal for Police and consent decree sewer work. Director Martin and Mayor McGill spoke up advocating for the renewal of the tax. Morton added that if the tax is not renewed, a 58% sewer rate increase will be needed to offset the absence of the tax revenue to fund the consent decree sewer work. Martin and Morton added that it is estimated that 50% of the sales tax is paid by residents of surrounding areas that come into Fort Smith, but the higher sewer rates would be paid for by just Fort Smith utility customers.
Director Dawson and Administrator Geffken reminded that the Levitt Amp free concert series is starting again for this summer on May 12.
Administrator Geffken updated that a conference call has been scheduled about the financial capability analysis requested by the Department of Justice as a part of the process to request more time to complete the Consent Decree work. Mayor McGill mentioned that on his recent trip to Washington DC, he met the head of the EPA and made connections toward working to try to talk to them “from a common sense level”. “Hopefully that will pay dividends,” McGill said.
Administrator Geffken updated that work began this week on clean up at the blighted abandoned property at 3600 Kinkead. He also said that he has spoken with Copper River Funding, the finance company associated with the property, and said that they agreed to pay for that cleanup. They asked that any plans to demolish the buildings be postponed as Copper River expects the property to be up for sale in June and that they still feel that the buildings have some value.
