FCRA sells Planters Road property, says no again to golf course donation

The Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority Board of Trustees dealt two blows to the City of Fort Smith in the span of 90 minutes at its board meeting Thursday (Oct. 19).

The board approved the sale of 28.8 acres between Planters Road and Massard Road for $172,800 to Sebastian County, essentially closing the door to any easy plans for a Planters Road extension. The board also chose to renew a lease to Deer Trails Country Club to run Deer Trails Golf Course for five years rather than agree to donate the land to the City of Fort Smith, who presented a donation agreement that would have legally bound the golf course to be operated as a golf course for 90 years. The FCRA will continue to list the golf course as for sale.

Sebastian County Judge Steve Hotz sent a letter to FCRA stating the county wished to purchase 28.8 acres of FCRA property that is sometimes referred to as the Planters Road extension property. The sale was on the FCRA board’s September agenda but was tabled while Dalton Person, FCRA attorney, researched if FCRA had the right to sell the property.

At the September FCRA board meeting, Fort Smith City Administrator Carl Geffken objected to the sale of the property to Sebastian County, and Jerry Canfield, attorney for Fort Smith, sent a memo regarding a 2001 agreement between FCRA and the Fort Smith that required the City to extend Planters Road and for FCRA to provide the right of way for such extension.

Hotz said at that meeting that it is the county’s belief that when the city built Chad Colley, it relinquished their request to the property as the right of way for the Planters Road extension.

“It is the County’s desire to acquire property to maintain continuity of Ben Geren Park, which consists of 1,229 acres total with 978 acres north of said property and 251 acres south of said property. … With purchase of this property, the citizens of the county will be able to enjoy the entirety of the park without the noise, disturbance and safety concerns of a road splitting our park in two, not to mention crossing several park trails,” Hotz said in the letter.

The Sebastian County Quorum Court also authorized Hotz to make the offer at its meeting Sept. 19.

At an Aug. 29 Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting, Director of Engineering Stan Snodgrass presented a proposal for a $16 million project that would complete the design for Planters Road east from its terminus adjacent to Gerdau Steel. The street would extend 7,200 feet to provide a direct route from Highway 45 to Massard Road. Snodgrass said there are floodplain and wetland issues along this corridor that will have to be addressed as part of the design.

Many objections were raised that night and the following weeks by groups who use the mountain bike and walking trails that would be affected, residents who live in the area and Sebastian County.

Geffken has said the Planters Road extension came from the direction of the board to make certain the city was spending the 1% sales tax for streets, roads and drainage. Geffken addressed the FCRA board Thursday, stating that the land has been mapped since nearly the very beginning to be used when and if necessary as a connector city street. He said the road, which the board of directors has made clear they do not want to look at anytime in the near future, would be a two-lane residential collector if anytime in the future it becomes a project.

Ben Geren Park Administrator Jay Randolph argued at the meeting on the county’s desire to have the property.

“A road extension would take everything that is good about our park and put it back to what it is those coming to our park are attempting to escape. The public and Sebastian County do not want a road as a buffer,” Randolph said.

FCRA attorney Dalton Person said Thursday he believes it is legal for FCRA to sell the land and added that Fort Smith could still approach the county regarding any extension of the road and work out a way to use a small section of the property for a road.

“I am personally vested in that park. I love it. … But I am also vested in Fort Smith. We are going to need more roads eventually, and we need to be able to work together on that. … I hope that when you do get to that point, you are able to come up with a solution that will work,” said FCRA Trustee Jason Turner.

Trustee Paul McCollom echoed that thought, stating that the road would be necessary in 15-20 years and the county and city should find a way to work together to  make it happen. The board approved the sale to Sebastian County by a vote of six to one, with McCollom voting against the sale.

GOLF COURSE
The FCRA board also voted to extend a lease to Deer Trails Country Club for Deer Trails Golf Course for five years with an option to renew for another five but to keep the golf course property listed for sale. The board voted five to two with McCollom and Trustee Janie Glover against the motion.

There has been much back and forth regarding the golf course over the past several months that included the City of Fort Smith requesting the property be donated to the city to be kept a golf course.

At its September board meeting, the FCRA board rejected an agreement from the city that was hoped would protect the future of the golf course at Chaffee crossing for 60 years because there was still concern the city would decide to turn the golf course into some form of recreational property. The FCRA board rejected a similar agreement with the city in August. That offer would have kept the golf course as a golf course for 40 years. In August, FCRA board members said they would agree to donating the property to Fort Smith if Fort Smith would make it obvious and certain the property would remain a golf course for 50 years.

Thursday, an agreement was proposed that would guarantee the golf course remain a golf course for 90 years. That proposal would guarantee the lease of the golf course to Deer Trails Country Club for 10 years with an option for another 10 years. If Deer Trails Country Club chose not to renew their lease or if the golf course was not producing a profit, the city could look for another operator or operate the golf course itself. The agreement also said the city had to operate it as a golf course for 90 years.

“With option A, we have 90 years guaranteed as a golf course, and a 10 year lease with option for another 10. It is a legally enforceable document that can be enforced. It removes the for sale sign from the golf course and provides us a much longer lease. And the city will be able to provide us with water,” said Randy Shock, a member of the Deer Trail Country Club board.

He said the other two options presented for a lease to the board were a five-year lease with the lease continuing even if the property is sold and an option for a lease extension if the owners agree. Option C, which is the option the board approved, allows for a five year extension of the lease, with a five-year option, but the lease will terminate if the property is sold.