Paradigm Co. Seeks Fill Permit

The Paradigm Co., developers of the 140-acre, mixed-use Park West project at the intersection of U.S. Highway 112 and Interstate 540 in Fayetteville has applied to the Arkansas Department of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fill a little more than 3 acres of wetlands on the property.
Paradigm applied to the COE on Feb. 7 and the 25-day public comment period was unofficially extended to March 14. The permit process typically takes 90 to 120 days. Comments are gathered and evaluations are taken from the local, state and federal levels. This information is submitted to the applicant, who may then suggest ways to mitigate impact.
The application submitted by Paradigm offers to mitigate impact on the wetlands by restoring and enhancing upper areas of the stream channels, avoiding the forested borders of the streams and transferring 1,620 feet along the western stream to the City of Fayetteville for preservation.
The Park West project affects two streams, Wilson Springs and Clabber Creek, wetlands and possibly the Arkansas darter fish, a candidate for the threatened species list. The opinions of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as well as the standards of the Clean Water Act will all affect the chances for approval of the permit.
Next door to Park West sits the 289-acre Springwoods development owned by Haynes Ltd. of Rogers. The developers donated more than 100 acres of Springwoods’ wetlands to a charitable trust controlled by the Audubon Society at the end of 2006. The nonprofit plans to protect and preserve the area and eventually use it as an educational spot.