Chaffee Authority sees draft of new reuse plan
by April 9, 2009 4:51 pm 66 views
The Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority hopes to review by its May board meeting a new reuse plan for the approximately 5,300 remaining developable acres at Chaffee Crossing.
A reuse plan was drafted and approved when the about 7,000 acres was first transferred to the FCRA in 1997. That plan has not been updated.
David Roberts and Steven Beam with Rogers-based Crafton Tull Sparks presented a draft plan with about 20% of the remaining land for residential (single-family and multifamily) with a mix of residential-commercial-office space buffering the residential areas from the expected route of Interstate 49 and industrial areas.
The general consensus among FCRA members was support of the draft, but they encouraged Roberts and Beam to incorporate school district boundaries into the proposed new land uses, and to consider creating a “checklist” to help the FCRA match future development requests with the land reuse goals.
“We do need to be consistent with our application of these standards,” noted FCRA Director Ivy Owen.
The FCRA board was particular pleased with a “village” concept toward land use so that residents are conveniently close to appropriate retail-office (grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, doctors offices, etc.) areas.
FCRA board member Galen Hunter, with MAHG Architects in Fort Smith, said the first draft of the Crafton Tull Sparks plan was “well thought out,” with the village concept being a “potential drawing point” to individuals and businesses considering a move to the Fort Smith area.
Fort Smith Assistant City Administrator Ray Gosack said the draft looked reasonable and noted the the village concept “blends well with the city’s (Unified Development Ordinance) plan.”
Owen encouraged FCRA board members to bring their suggestions and ideas to the April 16 board meeting for further discussion. Crafton Tull Sparks would then incorporate consensus changes into the plan for presentation to the board for approval at the May meeting.
“I don’t want to drag this out,” Owen said.