Chaffee Trust approves land sale for supermarket, duplexes

story by Aric Mitchell
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The Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority (FCRA) agreed to a number of new land developments at Thursday afternoon’s meeting. Five measures passed unanimously following Committee Review on March 10.

The largest was an offer from Massard I-49 Properties LLC, to purchase 20 acres at Massard and Chad Colley for the development of a large box supermarket. Attached to this anchor attraction would be a number of out-parcels as yet to be determined.

Massard I-49’s offer was for $550,000, though FCRA is granting a credit of $100,000 for utility construction upon closing (estimated for May 10, 2011). The plan itself would begin inside of two years thereafter.

In addition to this proposed sale, FCRA also approved a $150,000 offer from buyer Mike Tankersley for five acres devoted to housing development. As with the Massard I-49 development, a utility credit will be granted upon closing, this time for $50,000, lowering the overall cost to $20,000 per acre.

While the details on Tankersley’s development are not yet clear, the agreement allows for an apartment complex or a series of duplexes or other means devoted to multi-family housing. The projected closing date for this sale is June 6, 2011. The new property will be located just southeast of the proposed fire station on Massard Blvd.

The Concord Baptist Association’s offer to purchase 6 acres for construction of a new church within the next two years was also approved. Unlike the previous two offers, FCRA will be responsible for bringing water and sewer utilities to the site in exchange for a $90,000 purchase price. Closing is set to occur in the next 30 days. The church will be located approximately 450 feet west of Massard Road on Chad Colley Blvd. Concord Baptist also has the option to purchase an additional four acres on the back of the church site at the same price per acre for a period of one year, and they carry right of first refusal on the four acres for a period of four years following their option.

In other news the Learning Fields at Chaffee Crossing, the group responsible for a number of demonstration gardens in the area, received a land donation of 4.6 acres from the trust. Executive Director Ivy Owen recommended FCRA approval of the land located west of Mahogany and east of Little Vache Grasse Creek based on the aforementioned gardens as well as renovation work that Learning Fields accomplished on the Army walking trail and a building onsite.

In contrast the Flight Masters Model Airplane Club’s request for a 12-acre deed and an 18-acre lease was rebutted by FCRA with an offer to lease all 30 acres for the next five years. If accepted, Flight Masters new location would be just northwest of the Barling sewer lagoons.

Also Thursday night it was announced that the McClure Amphitheater would be ready for public use by the first of June.

“We’ve already had a number of reservation requests, particularly for the Air Show later in the year. We haven’t granted any at this time — it’s 60-65% finished — but we’re really excited about how this is going to look when the renovation is complete,” Owen said.

Additional ongoing revenue streams such as the newly christened William O. Darby RV Community and five miles of rail improvements (to be completed within a month’s time) were also announced.

On a lighter note Owen wanted to invite the public to the third annual Elvis Haircut Day at the Fort Chaffee Barbershop Museum on March 25, the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s historic buzz cut that occurred at Fort Chaffee 53 years ago. The celebration will feature Elvis tribute artist Jerry Page, Elvis Karaoke, an Elvis look alike contest, and a poodle skirt competition. The event will occur from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

“The National Archives will also be presenting the museum with a handwritten letter from a Montana woman that was recently discovered, addressed directly to President Eisenhower. In it, the woman asked that Elvis not be drafted, but if so, she said, ‘please don’t cut his sideburns,’” Owen said.

The next meeting of the FCRA will be on April 21.