Pocket parks--another part of NW Arkansas' quality of life equation

As my regular readers know, I write a lot about the high quality of life in NW Arkansas. And the reason is that there's a lot here to make living enjoyable. I have lived here for over 20 years now, and there's always some new idea or development to improve things and make life better for residents of the area. The newest manifestation of this tendency that I have become aware of is the recognition that pocket parks are an important part of the development strategies here.

The definition of pocket parks is as varied as the spaces they occupy and the amenities they offer. Some pocket parks are made up of paved ground with manufactured play stations for children. Other parks might offer natural green surfaces enhanced with tables and seating for picnicking or communing with nature. Perhaps a park might have a water feature such as a stream or a river bank. Some offer walking trails, pavilions, or zip lines.

Two things the parks have in common are the fact that the parks are small in size compared to what we generally think of as a park and that they generally serve pedestrians. Many of the parks do not offer parking for vehicles.

The parks provide opportunities for exercise, rest and reflection, recreation, and socialization. They enhance neighborhoods by providing comfortable and accessible places for neighbors to meet and engage in activities.

The parks serve the areas in which they are located. Often the park is custom made to provide solutions to local wants and needs. Some parks are built specifically with adults in mind and do not contain children’s playground apparatus.

In addition to some of these spaces within neighborhoods and subdivisions, Bentonville already has several:  Austin-Baggett Park, Enfield Park, Gilmore Park, Northwest A Street Park and Wildwood Park. Rogers lists 7 neighborhood parks on its parks webpage, and Springdale has one planned near Shiloh Square, adjacent to the Razorback Greenway. Many of the 35 parks and other natural spaces in Fayetteville can also be included in these definitions.

Pocket parks are not a new concept.  They started originally in inner cities like New York where there was little green space and have spread to suburban areas. There may be one located near you or soon coming to your area. Enjoy...

Crystal Bridges Museum to be Free To All – Forever

What a wonderful gift! The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville promises to be a premier destination for people from all walks of life and now, thanks to an endowment from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., it will be free to all visitors.

Northwest Arkansas is a remarkable place to live, but most of the cultural events have been centered in Fayetteville with concerts and other events associated with the University and the Walton Arts Center. Then Alice Walton, only daughter of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, announced plans to build a major art museum in Bentonville, Arkansas.

The grounds and exterior of the buildings are extraordinary. I’ve seen the plans and 3-D models and I look forward to seeing them come to life. Many of the acquisitions of American art made so far are formidable, and the collection continues to grow.

For some people, seeing the exterior is perhaps all they could afford. With that in mind, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., has announced a $20 million endowment to the museum, which will allow free admission to all visitors in perpetuity. Indeed, Wal-Mart’s $20 million gift is a gift to us all.

In addition to Ms. Walton’s personal backing, the Walton Family Foundation recently pledged an $800 million endowment for acquisitions, operations, and future capital improvements. That gift is probably one of the largest ever to an American museum.

So mark your calendars. The grand opening is scheduled for 11-11-11 (November 11, 2011.) I wouldn’t necessarily recommend trying to visit on opening day, but do plan to go at your convenience. It will be worth your time.

In an era where the arts nationwide have repeatedly hit the budget chopping block, a gift like this assures a continuing contribution to the quality of life of NW Arkansas. The museum will expand cultural and economic development not only in Bentonville but also throughout the area. What an opportunity for us all.

For more information about the endowment, click here. The Crystal Bridges website has more information about the building, grounds, collection and programs.

Fayetteville Square Has Free Wi-Fi Access for the First Day of Farmer’s Market

Today’s the day. Free Wi-Fi Internet access for Fayetteville Square. Cox Communications volunteered to install the transmitters necessary for the interconnected network. Plans were to have everything ready to coincide with the first day of Farmer’s Market today, Saturday, April 2.

I think this is terrific. Many other cities now have publicly sponsored hot spots. It’s nice to think of our quaint downtown Fayetteville Square keeping up with the technology that so many people rely on these days. It wasn’t too many years ago when something like this would have been laughed at as science fiction. Now Fayetteville can offer speedy connections to everyone: vacationers, students, and business people alike.

Just adds to the quality of life in Fayetteville.

New Outdoor Ice Skating Rink Opens in Bentonville

A beautiful new facility just opened in Bentonville’s Ernie G. Lawrence Plaza, just a block or so off the square. It includes an outdoor skating rink for winter and will be converted to an interactive water feature during warm months. What fun!

Ice skating is a wonderful activity for people of all ages. I grew up in Northern Minnesota-- hockey country--where I learned to skate on a rink like this. I spent many hours in the cold outdoors and it was exhilarating (but thank goodness also for warming shacks). I also tried my hand at ice hockey, even though it was a "boy sport" then.

For the most part, it doesn’t get cold enough here in NW Arkansas to find a safe outdoor venue for ice skating – until now. Bentonville’s latest contribution to quality of life now provides this opportunity to the public. Only $3 to skate and skates can be rented for only $2 more.

I’m still trying to figure out how they can keep the ice frozen when the temperature gets above freezing. The recent nippy days and nights are usually the exception rather than the rule, as it gets up to the 40s or even 50s during the day during our Arkansas winters. But if there is a secret formula for the ice, more power to the city of Bentonville.

The Jones Center for Families in Springdale has offered a big, beautiful indoor skating rink for the past 15 years and it is open year round. People can simply skate, learn figure skating, play in hockey leagues, or go curling. The rink provides fun for ages 4 to 104 (I don’t think anyone has reached maximum age yet!)

If you’ve never ice skated and would like to get inspired, here’s a great feature-length documentary for the whole family to watch.

Two More Awards Earned by NW Arkansas Communities

There are so many valid and varied reasons for the outstanding quality of life we enjoy in NW Arkansas. I’ve written many times about clean air, beautiful scenery, recreation opportunities, entertainment, and more that all of us more or less take for granted.

Now I’m pleased to note that the cities of Bentonville and Fayetteville have each been named a Volunteer Community of the Year. The award was given by the Office of Governor Mike Beebe. A total of 12 awards were given throughout the state.

It’s the second year in a row Fayetteville has earned the title. For Bentonville, it’s the first year (and I’m sure there will be more awards in the future.)

According to city of Bentonville, 12,000 volunteers worked in excess of 163,000 hours during 12 months ended August 31, 2010.

Fayetteville, with its much larger population, logged 38,000 volunteers who donated more than 500,000 hours.

Volunteers serve in a multitude of ways – on committees and boards, in libraries and schools, animal adoptions and shelters, recycling, community events, food pantries, and more.

Every one of these wonderful people deserves our thanks for helping to make our communities great places to live.

My hat is off to them. It’s nice to see them receive some official recognition.

Fayetteville does it again!

The Home Depot Foundation’s Sustainable Cities Institute has awarded the City of Fayetteville a half million dollars to increase long-term solutions for green planning and development. Fayetteville is one of only 2 cities nationwide out of 37 who applied to get the grant.

Initial plans are to build 40 ENERGY STAR-certified homes for low to moderate-income families in the Walker Park neighborhood. In addition to building to meet LEED standards, the design will maximize tree canopy conservation and will consider urban cooling eco-services. A section of the trail system will be extended to the neighborhood and a community garden is also included in the plan.

For more information, click here.

Bella Vista, Arkansas – In Top 10 Healthy Places to Retire

U.S. News and World Report editors have selected beautiful Bella Vista, Arkansas as one of the top 10 healthy places to retire.

Not long ago Bella Vista was a quiet little village nestled in the rolling hills of the Ozarks, just south of Missouri. Now it has grown up and become a city of more than 24,000 people with more arriving each year.

And why not? Add recreational facilities, lakes, golf, tennis, swimming and much more to natural beauty and clean air and the result is Bella Vista.

Homes are very affordable by anyone’s standards and neighborhoods are well maintained. If you are looking for your own piece of the good life, take a look at Bella Vista.

For more information:

http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/best-places-to-retire/2008/09/18/americas-best-healthy-places-to-retire.html

Search for homes:

http://www.nwarkansashomesearch.com/
http://www.findfayettevillehomes.com/

No Matter How You Look at it, NW Arkansas is a Great Place to Live!

As the days start getting a little cooler and we move into fall, one of my favorite times of year,
I thought I’d mention that NW Arkansas has been selected yet again as being in the top-ten best places to live, raise a family, work, and retire. Kiplinger Magazine recently published two articles highlighting Fayetteville and the surrounding area.

Of course, Kiplinger isn’t the only authority on the subject. U.S. News & World Report, Sperling’s Best Places, Forbes and others have all placed NW Arkansas in the top ten of their recent surveys. My family and I moved here 15 years ago and we continue to be glad we did.

NW Arkansas has a great reputation, and rightfully so.

Housing is very affordable. Cost of living is low compared to most places. On a scale where 100 is considered ‘average’ for the country, NW Arkansas comes in at a very respectable 90.

Air is clear and clean. The natural beauty of the Ozarks is everywhere. There’s a big push to go ‘green.’ The area is attracting businesses and industries that are not only non-polluting but that also are in the sustainability business. (Think consulting, water purification, packaging, electronics and lighting.)

The climate is moderate during all four seasons. Springtime is gorgeous with flowering dogwoods and redbuds everywhere. Summer is not bad by most standards. As I write this (in mid-August) my windows are open and a gentle breeze is coming in. Autumn is more beautiful here than outsiders imagine. Gold and red leaves color the rolling hillsides, some years more spectacular than others. Winters are generally mild - some snow that usually doesn’t hang around more than a few days. I grew up in northern Minnesota where temperatures of minus 30 degrees are common so I think it’s positively balmy here. I have friends who moved here in 2004 and they have yet to pick up a snow shovel. Of course there are days in summer that I wish were cooler and winter days I wish were warmer, but I’ve said that no matter where I lived.)

Even in these tough times, the economy continues to expand. Unemployment is low, falling one half a percentage point to 4.5% in Arkansas for July 2008. That’s the lowest level since April 2001, according to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Health care availability is excellent and quality is high.

People are friendly and polite.

The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville offers all types of sporting events and free classes to people over age 65.

Sports and recreational activities abound. There’s Beaver Lake with more than 400 miles of shoreline for swimming, boating, and fishing. There are festivals such as Bikes, Blues and BBQ, farmers’ markets, world-class golf, polo, minor-league baseball and many more activities every weekend.

Broadway shows and major stars appear regularly at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville.

But mainly it’s the beauty of the Ozarks coupled with affordable housing that makes NW Arkansas so appealing.

Prices have come down in the past year making housing even more affordable. At the present time, you can buy a brand new 3 bedroom, 2 bath, brick home for less than $150,000. There are previously owned homes for less. Just about anything you’ve dreamed about is available at great prices.

Go to my website http://www.judyluna.com/ and click on “Search for Homes” to do your own search. As always, if I can be of help, don’t hesitate to call me at (479) 966-0435.

Two notes worth mentioning:
The Chamber of Commerce did not ask me to write this article !
The population figure of 419,455 mentioned at http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2008/05/2008-best-cities-fayetteville.html includes all of Washington, Benton, and Carroll counties in NW Arkansas plus McDonald County in SW Missouri. The actual population of the City of Fayetteville is approximately 68,000.

For more information:

http://www.judyluna.com/

http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2008/07/real-estate-prices-in-our-best-cities-2008.html?kipad_id=47 (where you can compare housing costs in different price ranges)

http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2008/05/2008-best-cities-fayetteville.html

http://www.arkansas.com/city-listings/city_detail.aspx?city=War+Eagle

Clean Up or Pay Up

Bella Vista is the latest city in Northwest Arkansas to pass an ordinance to control unsightly and unsanitary conditions. (Bella Vista became a city only 18 months ago – before that the property owners association enforced similar rules.)

Bella Vista’s recent action means all NW Arkansas cities now have laws on the books that cover such things as front yards that have been taken over by weeds, junk, or inoperable vehicles.

With the number of unsold, unoccupied homes increasing the number of complaints has also gone up. No one wants to live next door or even a few houses down the street from an eyesore. It’s not just a matter of aesthetics; overgrown yards become havens for insects, rodents and slithery creatures that few people want around.

Cities usually enforce their regulations beginning with a warning letter that states a time limit to correct the problem. Citations and fines come after that. Sometimes a city will have the necessary work done and bill the property owner. The final straw is a lien placed on the property.

For more information:
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/05/28/news/052908bzbvregulate.txt

Walton Arts Center - Grow or Go?

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the future of the Walton Arts Center on Dickson Street in Fayetteville. Has it outgrown its current facility? Can it be enlarged? If a larger facility is needed, will it be in Fayetteville or possibly Benton County?

Along with those questions, the lack of sufficient parking spaces in Fayetteville inevitably surfaces. The city often talks about the need to build a parking garage on the site of the WAC’s current parking lot.

Parking has been a major problem in Fayetteville as long as I can remember.

WAC opened in 1992 and since then has hosted myriad performances such as Broadway shows, YoYo Ma, Bill Cosby, ballet, musicals, ad infinitum.

Fayetteville and Washington County residents have been huge supporters of WAC – there’s no argument about that fact. But, so have Benton County residents and businesses. Attendance at WAC is nearly equal between residents of the two counties, which would indicate WAC would be successful in either county.

Individual contributors are fairly evenly split between the two counties. However, donations by Benton County’s many corporations outpace Washington County donations by a 3-1 margin.

The City of Fayetteville and University of Arkansas jointly own WAC and the city considers it a jewel. WAC was a major impetus in revitalizing run-down Dickson Street and Fayetteville does not want to lose the Walton Arts Center. The University of Arkansas performs multiple shows and concerts in it each year and prefers to have it remain near their campus.

Given all that, there is no doubt that Rogers or Bentonville would be more than happy to see a new, larger WAC more to their area. They have land available with easy access to I-540 and they understand, as does Fayetteville, the economic benefits of a regional arts center.

The first of three feasibility studies has been completed and results indicate NW Arkansas could support a facility of approximately 2,500 seats. The current facility has only 1,200 seats. That makes it much too small for large shows that must sell many tickets to be financially feasible.

Enlarging WAC at its current site would be difficult – but not impossible.

Meanwhile, WAC’s board says it is not planning to move and will make no decisions until after the studies have been completed later this year. No matter whether they choose to grow or go, fund raising would be the next logical step.

So, while all the studies and plans are completed, the subject of a parking garage remains on the table.

Here’s my take on the situation: If, perish the thought, a new and larger WAC is built outside of Fayetteville, the current facility will still be there undoubtedly hosting events that require a concert hall of its size. Additionally, something is always happening on Dickson Street. Parking is a problem now and as the city continues to grow, more parking will be needed.

Let’s not talk the parking garage to death; let’s get started building it.

For more information:

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/12/04/news/120507fzwac.txt

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/12/07/opinion/120807editorial.txt

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/02/09/news/021008azwac.txt

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/03/18/news/031908rzrogersplan.txt

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/03/27/opinion/032808editorial.txt

http://www.nwarktimes.com/adg/News/219737

Professional Baseball in NW Arkansas

Play Ball! That’s a phrase many baseball fans have been waiting to hear. At 6:00 p.m. Thursday, April 10, the familiar phrase will be heard at the brand new Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Arkansas.

Things have progressed right on schedule since voters narrowly approved spending $50 million in 2006 to buy land and build a ballpark on empty land near I-540.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals will call the new stadium home. They are the Double A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and will be playing in the Texas League.

Tickets to home games are almost impossible to buy because sales have been so brisk. Indeed, everyone in NW Arkansas wants the Naturals to be successful. The other cities of NW Arkansas are happy to have the ballpark near their cities. It is another amenity that enhances quality of life for the entire area – just as Fayetteville’s Walton Arts Center does and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will do when in opens in 2010 in Bentonville.

There have been various comments made that the ballpark will improve Springdale’s image, currently known as a ‘blue-collar’ town. Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with being a blue-collar town. It’s the working men and women who make this country the success it is.

The city fathers aren’t so much concerned with image as they are in making a financial success of the entire project. Commercial development must occur to provide increased sales tax revenue. Retail stores, hotels and restaurants, office space, and other entertainment venues are all seen as serious possibilities to replace pastures where cattle now graze.

To prepare for that, the city has been rezoning agricultural land near the park to commercial.

The city has spent more than $3 million to build water and sewer lines in the area so as be ready for future development.

They have also been working on building new roads and widening some existing roads. The ballpark is just a short distance from I-540 but as of today, the only access is by 56th Street, which is a two-lane road.

In the not too distant future, the new John Tyson Parkway will open, hopefully with an exit directly off I-540. The parkway will be the major east-west corridor across the southern part of Springdale.

With opening day just a day or so away, I would have to say the City of Springdale deserves appause for bringing this project in on time. It’s a very attractive asset to the community.

For more information:

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/04/05/news/040608azstadiumfut.txt

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/04/04/opinion/040508editorial.txt

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/04/05/news/040608azstadiumfinance.txt

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/04/01/sports/040208bbmnaturalnts.txt

http://www.nwarktimes.com/adg/News/222083

http://www.nwarktimes.com/adg/News/221889

Fayetteville’s Sales Tax Rate Increase and Extension

What do sewers, roads, and trails have in common? You guessed it, money! Lots of money.

Fayetteville voters went to the polls September 12th and voted to increase city sales tax by ¼ of 1%. They also voted to extend of the number of years before an existing ¾ of 1% sales tax will end. Thus, starting January 1, 2007, state, county and city sales tax on most purchases in Fayetteville will total 9¼% for the next 12 years. Hotel, motel and restaurant tax is an additional 2% on purchases of that type.

For those who haven’t lived here for several years, here is a brief summary of where we are on the sewer project, and how we got here-----

Back in the 1990s, city leaders realized that unprecedented growth would necessitate an improved wastewater treatment system. In 2000, city officials estimated $60 million to $90 million would be needed to cover sewer plant improvements.

In 2001, city administrators estimated $125 million was needed for the sewer project. Voters agreed and passed an increase of ¾ of 1% sales tax. The project was expected to be complete by September 2006. If everything went as planned, the bonds would have been paid off in 2013 and the increased sales tax increase would have ceased.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. By 2003, estimates had escalated to $140 million and completion was scheduled for 2007.

By 2005, fingers started pointing in all directions. Virtually everyone and everything imaginable were blamed for the cost overruns and delays. The engineers and designers, project directors, mayor, city staff, hurricanes Katrina and Rita, war in Iraq, China’s increasing demands for raw materials and energy – all were blamed. Some said it was no one’s fault - it was just that the original plan and cost estimates were “overly optimistic.”

Fast forward to 2006. Voters were told they would have to pay to complete the sewer project one way or another. They had two choices: (1) vote to increase and extend the sales tax or (2) pay considerably higher sewer fees each month for a much longer number of years.

Voters (the ones who vote anyway) are intelligent people. It was easy to see that approving the sales tax was the better choice. Everyone visiting the city would help residents pay for the sewers. Each time a visitor patronized a restaurant, spent a night at a motel, bought a gift, or shopped for groceries, money would roll in to the city coffers.

Again, I am saddened by the thousands of registered voters who did not take the time to make their voices heard. Roughly 83% of voters did NOT vote! But, I digress. Back to the subject of sewers.

The increase in sales tax revenue will be used to (hopefully) complete the sewer project. I have to say “hopefully” because at this point, no one can be certain about total costs. Some portions of the project have not even gone out to bid.

In addition to the $42 million sales tax increase that will be used to repay sewer bonds, voters approved additional expenditures for street improvements and trails. $66 million will help widen roads and reconfigure some extremely congested intersections. It will take several years for the planned improvements to be completed and I say the sooner the better.

And lastly, voters approved spending $2 million to improve hiking/biking trails. This is another example of what gives Fayetteville high rankings for quality of life.

For more information:

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2006/09/12/columns/brenda_blagg/01blagg.txt
http://www.nwanews.com/story.php?paper=adg§ion=News&storyid=166459

Condo Mania in NW Arkansas--How Many is Too Many?

The debate has now been settled over whether the Divinity Hotel and Condos project can become reality. The newly-approved Divinity development has roused much controversy because of its size and scale in comparison to existing buildings in central Fayetteville. Its plans call for 30 condos and 137 hotel rooms above commercial space and restaurants.

A few years ago there wasn't a condo for sale in Fayetteville but that changed rapidly as developers began turning everything available into condos in central Fayetteville.

With the new mixed-use zoning plan expected to be approved soon, city planners anticipate turning Fayetteville into a "real city" with shops and commercial entities on the first floors of some of the new construction buildings, with condos upstairs.

There is already one large building under construction behind Dickson Street, and many older buildings have been already turned into condos, including the UArk Bowl, St. Joseph's Catholic Church and School, and others in the Dickson Street area.

Thanks in part to tax incremental financing (TIF), the abandoned Mountain Inn has been demolished and a new building has been approved for the site, conforming to the city's new guidelines. It will be known as the Renaissance building and its 18 stories will house a Marriott Hotel and condos.

The 9-story Lofts at Underwood Plaza is another new condo project located right on the square in Fayetteville. And the Legacy building is already underway, bringing 37 new condos to the Dickson Street area.

In addition, an apartment complex behind the NW Arkansas Mall (formerly Bristol Gardens, now called the Reserve at Steele Crossing) has gone through a condo-conversion and sales are underway. And there are new condos on Zion Road east of the mall for sale.

The problem is that land prices, especially in town, have risen so high that these condos are undoubtedly for an affluent group of people. The latest project to come before city planners calls for 20 condos, retail space and parking on a piece of land that is less than 1 acre in size. The land and existing building, which will be demolished, sold this year for $980,000.

Condos currently on the market in central Fayetteville are listed at close to $200 per square foot—certainly not for the average working person. Granted, many retirees who might be downsizing may have the money to pay these prices, as may some young, well-paid professionals who want to be within walking distance of restaurants and nightlife on Dickson Street.

I'm not arguing with the concept proposed by the planning commission--a vibrant center city where commercial entities are within walking distance. It's just that it seems that no one has asked the question, "will there be too many condos as a result"? Can Fayetteville's population absorb this large number of expensive multi-family units downtown?

A similar pattern is occurring in Benton County. Many condo complexes are being constructed in Rogers, and a development calling for three 15-story condos has been proposed for the shores of Beaver Lake. Much opposition has occurred for this project, leading to a question about what kind of development should occur near the lake.

A lesson could be learned from the folks in the Lake Tahoe area back in the 70s and 80s as lakefront condos proliferated. The pristine natural beauty was destroyed in some places due to lakefront condo complexes.

If you are concerned about condos, building heights, lakefront development or any other aspect of life in NW Arkansas, I urge you to make your voice heard. Stay informed, go to meetings, and take a stand. Your opinion counts.

For more information:

http://www.nwarktimes.com/nwat/News/42328/

http://www.nwarktimes.com/nwat/News/41377/

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Business_Matters/153398/

http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/42544/

http://www.nwarktimes.com/nwat/News/42366/

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2006/07/01/news/01bzcondosuit.txt

http://www.gill-law.com/assets/pdfs/Article_TIF%20Financing%2007%2008%2004.pdf#search='mountaininnfayetteville'

GROWTH - Outward or Upward?

OUTWARD GROWTH is the current norm along the Interstate 540 corridor in Benton and Washington counties, and this worries some city planners and elected officials. They want to see developers build upward, filling in existing city space with denser developments such as multistory apartments.

Dense, upward development leads to more people living per square mile, less cost to the cities to provide water, roads and other services, and less need for outward development of rural land, said Steve Luoni, director of the Community Design Center in the School of Architecture of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

But people have been slow to embrace UPWARD GROWTH according to Fayetteville’s Senior Planner Jeremy Pate, “It’s going to take a while to slow down outward development. People want to live at the end of a cul-de-sac.”

Developers say they are building houses outward from the cities instead of upward with denser apartments and condominiums because that’s what people want and that’s where they can make a profit. They built 36,201 new housing units in the four major cities from 1990 to 2004. About 63 percent of those were single-family dwellings, according to statistics from the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission.

“Primarily, that’s what the market demands. People don’t want ‘up’ — not around here,” said Gary Brandon, who is building several subdivisions on the western edge of the I-540 corridor, including one of 117 acres between Lowell and Cave Springs and another of 54 acres on the outskirts of Tontitown. “They’re not that keen on condos yet.”

Kathy Deck, associate director of the UA Center for Business and Economic Research, said the growing population will continue to demand homes on the outskirts of town. Condos will not appeal to families until the price of gasoline becomes too high or traffic becomes too congested to commute from outlying communities, she said.

Richard Alexander, a developer of condominiums and mixed-use buildings in central Fayetteville, would agree. He said his market is based on the downtown location of the projects and will appeal to people because they won’t have to drive to go shopping or to the university. “There is that niche looking for a lack of a commute,” said Alexander.

Even though cities are spreading, some officials say the finite supply of land and market forces eventually will make upward growth the norm in Northwest Arkansas. “Our land space is dwindling,” said Rogers Alderman Mark Kruger. “At some point we will run out of space, and up will be the only way to go.”

For more information: http://nwanews.com/adg/News/147079/

New Books Tout Fayetteville as Great Place to Live

Career Press has recently published two books that add Fayetteville as one of the best places to live in America. "50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family" by Kathleen Shaput and "50 Fabulous Places to Retire in America" by Mary and Arthur Griffith, join a long line of such books and articles featured in Forbes, USA Today and others. Shaput and the Griffiths studied factors such as quality of life, safety, dining options, entertainment opportunities, medical facilities, accessibility and services for seniors, crime rate, education, public safety, taxes, real estate, and educational opportunities.

Listings for each community include information such as potential drawbacks, climate charts, tax rates, and real estate averages. Contacts for utility companies, newspapers, chambers of commerce, and a listing of activities and services for seniors are also included.

Fayetteville and NW Arkansas have long appeared on “best places to live” lists in various publications. However, with the increased urbanization, paralyzing traffic jams due to lagging infrastructure, and escalating home prices, the quality of life touted in these articles may be disappearing. Growth is great for the economy, but the increasing cost of living here (like sales taxes of over 9%) may make this area a “not so great” place to live in the near future.

Source: Northwest Arkansas Times, February 9, 2006

Higher Prices--what do the numbers mean?

Viewing the rising prices of homes in NW Arkansas communities in the previous post, it is obvious that buyers in the coming months will face a shortage of less expensive homes and much higher prices for the homes already on the market.

A couple of other observations are also in order. It used to be that Fayetteville was the most expensive community in the area. That is changing. Bentonville now has the highest average- price and median-price homes on the market, with Fayetteville in second place and Rogers close behind.

It appears that Springdale, Bella Vista and Siloam Springs have more affordable homes on the market, but even there, prices for homes currently listed are significantly higher than what has been available in the past.

Part of the problem is that builders are not constructing so-called "starter" homes any more. The ability to purchase a new home for under $100,000 is a thing of the past. Land and development prices have skyrocketed, so what builders are doing is making a larger home and charging more money for it. Older existing homes on the low end are becoming smaller and shabbier for higher prices as well.

Since salaries are not keeping pace with the price of homes, fewer people will be able to purchase homes in the future. Owning one's place of residence may be a luxury that fewer and fewer people in NW Arkansas can afford.

One of the attractive features of Northwest Arkansas, which has made it the featured subject of "quality of life" magazine articles in the past has been the modest cost of living, along with physical beauty and a small-town ambience with all of the conveniences of living in a large urban area. This is disappearing with the exploding urbanization and higher housing costs (not to mention the high sales taxes of the NW Arkansas communities). Is this what we want?