With what looked to be about 200 people crammed into the small Parish Hall of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, all six mayoral candidates did their best to try and impress a room full of folks who probably already picked a candidate weeks ago.
At least that’s how it seemed from where we were sitting.
From the applause Lioneld Jordan immediately received upon opening his mouth to the grumbles and sighs that seemed to follow many of Mayor Coody’s words, tonight’s mayoral debate seemed more like a formality than anything else.
That’s not to say it was a total waste of time, though. In fact, at one point, Adam Fire Cat had the entire panel of potential mayors giggling. When asked if he thought it was right for a mayor to run for a third term after a $60 million cost overrun occurred on his watch, Fire Cat said, “No. But then again I wouldn’t run for more than one term anyway because after I became a politician, I wouldn’t even trust myself.”
It was Sami Sutton who stole the show, though, with by far and away the quote of the night. After expressing a negative opinion towards Fayetteville’s current sign ordinances, she had this to say, “Sure, small signs are pretty and all, but we’re losing money here. I mean, if you want to go to Cracker Barrel, you have to go to Springdale.”
If you weren’t there and want to put some faces to these names we’ve been throwing around for the last couple of months, we’d suggest tuning into the government channel sometime in the next few days. Otherwise, if you were to turn to the local news, you might be a little confused. Case in point: Check out the video below which clearly shows that someone at KHOG has no idea who is who.
Of course, keeping track of six candidates ain’t no easy task, y’all.
I went tonight and couldn’t hear a bloody thing. I think it’s awesome that so many people turned out (shit, i even saw some young faces), but I hope they turn the mics up next time.
reading from left to right:
Eilers: couldn’t get over how much he remind me of Nader, all hunched and mumbly…
Firecat: Pack it in, sir. It’s not funny anymore. Did you have to get signatures to get your name on the ballot? How did you? I hear you just walked up and down Dickson and got solicited drunks. Do you have any management experience beyond your personal finances? Weren’t you just a busboy at the Village Inn? And what happened to that old fella they used to call “Fire” there? Did he get to change his name, too? You know you can’t win this. Stop wasting our time.
Coody: when i was coming back inside after a necessary break, i ran into one of the professional cameramen leaving. asking how it sounded in there, he replied “haven’t you heard it before?”
a brief note to mr. kellams: excellent job sir. it’s nice to see you’re just as dulcet and charming as you are on air. kudos.
Clark: you were the only one they could hear in the back. and you sounded the most…political. and you deserve some credit for bringing up your troubles with the law. but not enough for my vote.
Jordan: congrats, sir. if you play your cards right, you could win this thing. the church warden had to tell the crowd to hold their applause because of the round you got just with your introduction. you sound nerdy, but trustworthy nerdy. i never want the slick guy running things. but speak up. sound off to that old lady in the back. she’ll get you elected. i didn’t stay till the end, but i hope you got the most applause.
Sutton: Sorry, princess, but playtime’s over. Read the questions to Mr. Firecat above and apply most of them to yourself. Also, you’ve still got college to go through. If you want to be president, then the journey will not be easy. College is too great a time to ruin by being mayor.
I’ll hope to see all of you at the next debate. I hope to see two of you in the crowd, not on the stage. Please.
I went to the debate tonight, and I’m glad I did. As it sits now, Jordan is my man. To me, he seems to have a good grip on the issues, an actual plan to resolve them, and he’s a man of the people. I like that.
I was previously torn between Jordan, Coody, and Eilers. Coody is kind of making me mad right now on the whole Nock issue. He’s really backing this Southpass thing and hoping we all just forget about the hotel snafu. As the old saying goes, ‘fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.’ If we let them have another project, it is our own fault when they screw us again. I wanted to like Eilers, he just didn’t say anything exciting.
For me Clark, Firecat, and Sutton aren’t even in this race. Clark is a convicted felon, for stealing government money. Really? We’re going to trust this man with the city’s credit cards? Firecat is a dumbass who is wasting our time. If I were a college kid, I’d probably think it was awesome. Then again, he’s too old to be cool among their crowd too. Sutton was the ditzy blond who didn’t have a clue. When you watch the video, think, ‘I believe that US Americans are unable to do so…’ Same girl.
@Boggy: Turn up that hearing aid a bit next time. I could hear fine from two rows from the back.
Speaking of everyone having their mind made up, I had to endure the guy behind me heckling Coody under his breath the whole time. I was growing tired of hearing ‘bullcrap’ and ‘whatever’ being murmured every time Coody spoke…Turns out he’s my alderman (I think). Way to represent, bud.
Wow. Good reports, all. Thank you from the bottom of my soft, pink, candy-coated heart.
I think Jordan sounds pretty good as well. But, the Ron Paul supporter in me is looking for the Jordan conspiracy of supporters slamming the meeting and then attacking internet blogs, etc…
Its starting to look like the Renaissance/South Pass issue could be Coody’s Kohls. And we all know Kohls was Hanna’s Waterloo…
I think Fire Cat is just trying to get laid for once.
I think its funny that Sami thinks we could solve some of our problems by becoming more like Springdale.
Say What?!
Hey, thanks a lot for the report and follow-ups. I couldn’t make it and thought the ol’ DVR would save the day but… Please tell me that after Sammi’s gaffe, she at least shrunk into herself and repeated ‘I’m invisible, I’m invisible”.
yrfuneral- I think they said it’s going out on Sunday, as well.
Gracias amigo. Viva la Cracker Barrrel.
de nada, sir. I mean, damn, have you ever tried them biscuits?
DAMMIT!!1
Quote of the evening:”Fish also heal from the head down.” Soon to be former mayor Dan Coody
yeah that was just weird. and Jordan was talking about a dead fish, right?
just what kinds of powers does Mr. Coody have that he’s not let on to yet?
Well if Coody can heal a dead fish, I’ve got one in the back bedroom he’s welcome to take a stab at. There it is. I’m officially going to a mythological place with an extremely high room temperature. All for the sake of a laugh.
good lord man, extremely high is right!
let me guess, you’ve got hedberg’s new album playing in the background.
Wait, is Fayetteville supposed to be a dead fish or a cold fish?
Johnathan, your alderman was indeed representing-quite literally. Who wasn’t thinking bull crap and whatever when the mayor kept talking about how great HE is and throwing in his travels in Europe when it had no contextual relevance? Dan Coody is a loser.
i liked Sami’s suggestion that we should have a “fundraiser” to raise the 1.2 billion dollars needed for a light rail system.
You mean, like a bake sale? How about a bikini car wash? That’d probably do it.
Ugh. She was so embarrassing.
Yes she was in way over her head. But Coody made her look smart.
Lioneld really seems to have won this one. I thought the same exact thing about Eilers/Nader, except I kinda liked Nader. Plus, how can a mayor properly listen to the people if he’s got to ask to hear the question over and over again. Steve Clark and Fire Cat just frighten me, pure and simple. Sami Sutton is hilarious: “If the Walton Arts Center were to leave, we should just, like, keep the building and call it the Fayetteville Arts Center!” I would say that whoever encouraged her to run is cruel, but I don’t think she even noticed that people were laughing AT her, not WITH her.
You had to love Walt shifting in his seat (he’s pretty shifty anyway, that Walt) while Fire Cat explained that he was moved to file for mayor because someone had turned him and his roommates in for having too many cars at a party and got them kicked out of their house. Gee Walt, isn’t that precisely what you wanted everyone to do, narc on their neighbors for having too many vehicles? Was it you who fired up Fire Cat?
And at least Steve Clark acknowledged his past misdeeds instead of denying them and spinning them and trying to explain them away. Walt should own up to his as well without the equivocating excuses for attempting to pad his AEA expense account. Just because he wasn’t convicted doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a documented record of dishonesty.
I spoke with Cat recently, and I think he knew he won’t likely be elected from the begining. He says he caught wind that Coody would bide his time and run again. He’s apparently there to spread the vote so then as to insure that there will be a runoff election. Afterwords, he might back whichever canidate isn’t Coody. That’s either insane or genius, but admittedly his humor is begining to grate.
Cracker Barrel? Hell, they got a Jose’s! Watch out Fayetteville!
I think I’d like to jump on the Lioneld Jordan bandwagon.
Anybody know where a total bastard can get a yard sign?
Wow. Way to step up, TB.
I’m holding off till I can shake the man’s hand and talk to him one-on-one.
Then I’ll get the biggest sign he has.
TB-Welcome! It’s a fun bandwagon to ride and there’s always room for more. You can get a Lioneld sign at the Farmer’s Market or through the website. We’ll happily deliver and install it for you if you’d like.
BCC-Come to the Market (Lioneld’s there from 7 until around 11 every Saturday) or to the Ward 4 meeting this Monday at 7, City Hall, Room 111, or to a subsequent debate. Lioneld is always happy to talk with anyone.
Y’all come!
I hope you like lots of meeting TB because that is what a Jordan administration will be. Meeting after meeting with no direction or resolution. First we have to throw out the 2025 plan because too many people don’t like what all the people that came to all those meetings came up with. Guess what, they never will when it’s in their backyard. Lioneld doesn’t have what it takes to stick to a plan. If your a nimby, he’s your man.
So who tickles your fancy, polecat?
And what’s going in my backyard by 2025?
ooooooh…
Now I am conflicted again.
I am not a Nimby.
I am anti-Lindsey apartments, and pro-weed.
I prefer the city not get involved in disrupting the local real estate market via subsidizing affordable housing.
I want more trees, a prettier College Avenue, Green-collar jobs and college bars on MLK.
Fayetteville is a democratic place, but I can understand where taking everyone’s wishes super seriously could hold us back.
I am for the smartest candidate with the best looking vision for our city.
I don’t care if they are a prick if they get stuff done that benefits us all in the long run.
A good leader is bound to piss some people off eventually.
Who should I vote for?
polecat, your really starting to make yourself look desperate now.
Saw a bumper sticker that said “Anybody but Coody”
Where can I get one?
So, polecat supports Dan Coody AND the 2025 plan. Hmmm. No problems with your man pushing the damnable SouthPass which is in direct conflict with 2025? Which one do you like better,pc? WTF do we need all of those new buildings so far from being infill that we have to annex it into the city when we have thousands of empty houses, apartments, and retail spots already.
Last night Coody pooh-poohed the possibility that the landfill could pose problems in the future. Said it was “just” household and construction waste. JUST? Nobody’s saying it was used for Nuclear One waste dumping but there has been some pretty nasty stuff found in dumps of the same description. Heavy metals, toxic carcinogenic chemicals and such. Coody and cohorts want to build a freakin’ park downstream from said dump. Smart move. I’m not gonna pay for it or the roads to access it or the fire station to serve it or the water and sewer connections. I’m not stupid enough to fall for this or for Coody.
Vote Lioneld Jordan.
He’s got BRAINS and he knows how to use ‘em.
Hey polecat, you should probably go ahead and tell your husband to get out of the race and save what self image he has left!
Bartender! I’ll have what ever TB’s having.
Sounds like a winning platform in a college town to me.
do you guys even have a heart? it takes a lot of guts to get in front of people and speak your mind and I am proud of our candidates, well except Eilers and Coody. I don’t want higher taxes and answer a question for once!! Otherwise, they did well. Maybe you should give them a chance before being evil, get to know them.
Wow, xoxo, that takes some skill. In the same breath you get on us for bashing the candidates, then go on to bash them yourself. I think the word of the minute is hypocrite.
xoxo, you are right! It does take a lot of guts!
Unfortunately, guts do not a mayoral candidate make. I prefer a platform. Not some guy who is running because his yard is a used car lot or some girl who thinks we need a fund raiser to come up with 1.2 billion for light rail.
xoxo:
No.
What else?
Maybe you should look them up or consider their views or ask them questions before dismissing them. Don’t be a total jerk!
Sami? Is that you?
Couldn’t resist Googling yourself couldja?
Someone with no real life experience or wisdom believing they can effectively manage a city comprised largely of tax-paying. working adults is the height of arrogance if you ask me.
You call it gutsy. I call it foolish.
GFYAD.
Actually, no. I do want to meet her and “Fire cat” though and talk with them. Find out what they really have to say without a time limit. I could care less about Coody. The others would be interesting to meet though. Do you know of a way I could?
I don’t think they had much to say WITH a time limit…..
Neither one of those candidates have anything to offer me as a resident of the city.
“I do want to meet her and “Fire cat” though and talk with them. Find out what they really have to say without a time limit.”
-Seriously? Don’t encourage it. Neither are even remotely electable. In fact, when they do withdraw and throw their support to another candidate, the others will be sighing sweet relief. “Sutton now supports Coody”. Coody-”Oh fuck me, I’m done”.
xoxo, if you couldn’t tell from that debate that neither of them even have a clue, then you weren’t paying attention. It was pretty obvious to me that they did not prepare at all, or even know what our city’s issues are.
I bet you can find Sutton at the farmer’s market today, if you really want to talk to her. When you do, ask her what roll she has previously played in our local government. Has she ever even seen a counsel meeting? Does she know the issues addressed by the 2025 plan? I doubt it.
RE: SOUTH PASS
In defense of Coody, here is the deal on South Pass. Yes, its Nock. But as for the development as a whole, lets examine the merits.
1) The ONLY way that it does not fit with City Plan 2025 is because of its LOCATION, and vis a vis that location’s current relationship to the current boundary of Fayetteville. Well, LOCATION is only one of the priorities set forth in City Plan 2025
2) Its a hell of an investment into the city. Lets not forget that. Its a huge potential tax-generator.
3) Aside from its location as noted above, South Pass MEETS MANY OF THE GUIDELINES OF City Plan 2025. Its mixed use. Its walkable. It includes employment, housing, recreation, all in one development. It is planned as a high quality development. In a city plagued by Lindsey Apartment complexes, lets not look a gift-horse in the mouth here folks.
4) Its going to have a 200 acre park. Jesus, people, a 200 acre park. Perhaps a park where we could have REAL outdoor concerts. My God, can you imagine how awesome that would be?
Finally, to the first point. Our city is growing. Those who profess to want infill and infill only know nothing of the economics of development. Those folks, essentially, want NO development. Developers aren’t in the habit of just building shit for the hell of it. They build projects TO MAKE MONEY. Infill land is always more expensive to start with, and harder to work with. I support infill, but without a TON of incentivization, it doesn’t happen. HOW CAN YOU ANTI-COODY PEOPLE USE SOUTH PASS AS AN EXAMPLE, AND SAY YOU WANT INFILL, THEN CRUCIFY COODY FOR TRYING TO INCENTIVIZE THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE RENAISSANCE???? Answer me, dammit! You guys are playing both sides of the issue here. The reason you’re doing that is because you don’t really care. YOU JUST DON”T LIKE COODY, for whatever reason.
He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t with you guys. I just showed you, using your own logic.
Renaissance was a risk. The potential reward, a downtown high rise, high end hotel, however, was worth the risk IMO. It may still play out in our favor.
Dan Coody is an excellent leader, as evidenced by the rest of the candidates stealing large parts of his platform. He’s done a lot right, and I support the guy.
I really dont’ care about Coody so I won’t even use his name aagain.
What I care about is poor management and gambling with future tax dollars in an uncertain economy. The people who are currently doing the managing have made some pretty poor decisions. The Renaissence was the $5 blackjack table of risks. Southpass is the $1000 minimum game going on in the back room. Southpass is going to require 25 years and multiple phases of effective management to fulfill its promises. The people setting the chips on the table for this high stakes gamble will be long gone and free from any responsibility for the outcome.
Look very carefully at what really will happen the first few years. If the developer/government partnership parts paths (as has already been done once) what will the rest of us be stuck with?
Its too big of a gamble for my wallet.
Figures,TB. Only Bastards and dimwits will vote for Coody. Birds of a feather and all that.
A 200 acre park downhill and downstream from a freakin’ landfill. Wow, what a boon for our community. That we will pay to develop and maintain and they will use to jack up their property value and sales and rental prices. Traffic is bad enough over here as it stands and these guys are offering zilch in the way of alleviating or mediating the impact their frickin’ ONLY for profit development will force on the rest of us. There is NO demand for this development and NO market for it. There is NO community benefit. Nada. They have less than zero credibility.
I’m not buying and I’m not paying.
TB – While I don’t share your conviction of support enough to vote for Coody again, I do think he’s being handed an undeserved alarmist’ ass slammimg.
“Those who profess to want infill and infill only know nothing of the economics of development. Those folks, essentially, want NO development. ”
-Agree 1000%
“lets not look a gift-horse in the mouth here folks.”
-Agreed again. Please build that baby in my neck of the woods. Build it right on top of Joe Dickson’s grave for all I care.
“He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t with you guys”
-True and probably reason #1 he’ll not be re-elected.
Unabashed Nimdy:
Your use of the words “over here” say it all.
You don’t want a development in your backyard. Fine. The rest is just rationalization.
I’d take a quality mixed-use development like South Pass in my neck of the woods any day of the year.
If you live in the South Pass area, YOU WILL BE DEVELOPED. This city and metro is going to continue to grow. The only question about your developed is will it be quality development. South Pass is a GREAT development.
If you want to live in the country, move to Winslow.
Brilliant,TB. WTF do you think NIMBY means. So because my life will be dramatically directly affected by this boondoggle I have no say? Up yours.
You’re not funny anymore.
We have been following the lively debate on this thread, but we are puzzled as to why it seems to be carried only by partisans for Dan Coody and Lioneld Jordan. Surely the supporters of other candidates have arguments to make for their favorites, but they have not weighed in very often.
We would guess that this blogs readership is a younger demographic, so where are the props for Fire Cat and Sami? Walt Eilers received a huge number of votes on the Flyer’s survey of who was most impressive in the first round of interviews, but there are almost no posts suggesting that he smoked the opposition in the debate or even reinforcing the points he might have scored. Steve Clark undoubtedly has some support among the voters, but you wouldn’t guess that from the comments here.
Does anyone else find this an interesting phenomenon or have an explanation as to why it is shaping up as a two-way race in the blogosphere? We are curious. Really.
unabashed nimby: Yeah I get your name. So your input is limited to your own fucking little “poor me” view on the the election. Your opinion is completely about YOU. Since that doesn’t impact ME of any of the other 70,000 residents of this city, forgive me and the rest of us IF WE DON’T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOUR SELF-CENTERED OPINION. Go climb Kessler Mountain. Then, jump off.
Jonah:
I don’t consider myself a Coody partisan. I’ve never met the man. I see his faults, but I also see what he done for our city. The Steve Clark supporters are welcome to comment as much as anybody else.
They just don’t.
I wouldn’t vote for Coody even if he promised not to screw up Fayetteville any more than he already has. (His word is worthless.) The only reason it hasn’t been worse is that some of his cronies have already gone bankrupt and some members of Council had the balls to stop some of his idiocy.
So you’d rather see red dirt and apartment buildings when you drive into town instead of a mountain in its natural state? You ARE an asshole. Figures you are for Coody.
unabashed nimby:
Sure, I’d love it Fayetteville stopped growing. I am a realist. Address this thing called reality. You live within 2 miles of Fayetteville. Development is coming your way, like it or not.
When my home was built in 1936, it was out in the country. It is now surrounded by the city.
You can kick and scream and wail and wish it all away, but the only way to be in the countryside in this metro is to actually move out into the country.
You aren’t the first homowner to lose your little piece of country, oh so convenient to the city, and you won’t be the last.
The only question that remains to be answered is will the development be quality, or will it be Cracker Barrell and Lindsey apartments.
Do you think Jordan is going to save you?
HAHAHAHAHA.. You are in for a rude awakening.
The very fact that at this moment, there are strip malls being built, unopposed on our city’s fringe, proves to me that the OH GOD ITS SPRAWL AND ITS VIOLATING CITY PLAN 2025 when applied to developments like South Pass is an argument from a tiny minority.
Where is the outrage for the strip malls on Hwy 62? There is none.
No, the outrage is saved for when it affects YOU.
So stop quoting what you believe the stated goals of CityPlan 2025 to be as support for ousting Coody. It doesnt’ fly.
You can watch Thursday’s debate online here: http://accessfayetteville.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=206
“Does anyone else find this an interesting phenomenon or have an explanation as to why it is shaping up as a two-way race in the blogosphere? We are curious. Really.”
I would imagine that those two candidates made a concerted effort to have supporters be active online.
I’m not sure who I am going to support. I have narrowed it to Coody, Clark or Eilers. Fire Cat and whatshername aren’t serious. Jordan seems to pretty much want to be Coody but with a different approach (and one that is inherently flawed for an executive position).
To me, it is a twofold decision. Have I become convinced that Coody’s approach doesn’t work? If not, he gets my vote. So the others have to convince me that it isn’t working. They haven’t sealed that deal, although I have seen nothing to convince me that Rogers and the other Benton county areas aren’t going to keep siphoning off our business opportunities and our consumers. So I can be convinced that a change is needed.
If I become convinced that Coody needs to be replaced, then I need more from Clark and Eilers on why their vision is better. Walt scored some points with me when I talked with him one-on-one at the Farmers Market, but I’m still on the fence.
“Sure, I’d love it Fayetteville stopped growing”
Why?
“We would guess that this blogs readership is a younger demographic”
Oh would you? What tipped you off, the winged horse/hog/unicorn at the top or the fact that we say “fuck” more than your readership? AND USE CAPS A LOT MORE!!!!
Where are the “propers” for Mr. Cat (his middle name’s Fire, so’s I’m not using it anymore) and Ms. Sutton? If I may paraphrase- These people may be young, but they’re not stupid. And, shit, they may not be that young. I mean, Total Bastard seems like he’s sixty. And drunk.
I’m gonna go call my grandpa.
DEAD WRONG,TB!
You said:”Where is the outrage for the strip malls on Hwy 62? There is none.” Ask the developers of the latest one at Camelia and MLK if they had an easy road to approval. A neighborhood activist collected close to 200 signatures opposing it, ABC initially denied the developers’ license, they had to appeal that denial. The same activist drove to Little Rock for the hearing armed with the petition and letters written and signed by 6 of 8 of our aldermen opposing the strip mall w/ liqour store abutting a subdivison populated primarily by young families. The mayor promised to look into it and call the activist back but FAILED TO FOLLOW THROUGH. The developer had to hire Jerry Rose to defend him and won in the end despite the protests of neighbors.
Then there was Bill Lazenby trying to get a variance and change his zoning to C2 for his hovel on Old Farmington and MLK, DENIED due to neighborhood opposition.
Others have not been protested because the zoning has existed to allow them and the neighborhoods haven’t always been warned of plans. The Camelia development had their required signage stuck in high weeds in the middle of the lot, hard to see from the roads.
It won’t be so simple to push things through on MLK anymore and I can tell you the residents are sick of being hornswaggled and ready to fight.
Get your facts straight.
Sorry beg to differ.
Well good fucking work on that. The fewer strip malls, the better.
I’m sorry our bastard mayor tried to fuck all the families and young children over.
Does anybody know where Clark was going on the opening statement of his last question about what his first priority would be if he was elected? something about not rocking with the grateful dead?
Steve Clark doesn’t like the Grateful Dead but Coody does? Is that what the priority comment meant? Is that a reference to drug use?
And Mr. Bastard. I know the people who fought off the selfish neighbor who preferred an extra giant yard not owned by him to the nice building that houses Ye Olde King Pizza. Don’t you like that taste of Olde Fayetteville? Isn’t that more important to most people than one couple losing their pasture view? They could have bought the land, but AHTD changed the best use of that land not long after the road was blazed by the Butterfield Coaches in about 1840. We taxpayers have made it a five lane road and increased the value of the adjoining land.
I could get 200 signatures in any neighborhood against any development. It’s the “I Got Mine, you fuck off” attitude. Also, people are so fucking stupid you can scare them by telling them about the dangers of Dihydrous Oxide. A lot of people died from it during Hurricane Ike.
Sardon:
Fuck. I don’t know what to even THINK anymore!! Ahhh!!
You may have noticed that I’ve changed my name so as to be taken more “seriously”.
Thats the other side of the issue. Thanks for pointing it out. For every NIMBY, there’s a landowner who has certain rights attached to their property.
There HAS to be some middle ground, not just people interested in squashing development, period.
Thats why I like Coody. He sees both sides. Including the “evil” business, money-making side. You know, the part that actually pays for all the trails and parks etc.
If development is attractive, respectful of the neighborhoods adjoining, complies with the spirit and the letter of the notification requirements,and there is some actual NEED and DEMAND for the buildings, if it meets design standards and zoning, will not threaten existing structures or other surrounding land with uncontrolled runoff and erosion, if it is compatible with the use in the area, does not place significant added demands on public safety and does not cause undue traffic burden or infrastructure costs passed along to taxpayers you likely won’t find 200 people to oppose it. In other words I and a multiutde of others are dog tired of paying to subsidize objectionable developments in order to maximize the profits of the few.
But it eludes me why anyone would be building more retail or residential buildings in the immediate vicinity of a multitude of vacant buildings and unused paved parking lots. I’m also baffled that financial institutions or investors would fund such gambles. We’ve got some seriously ugly development sitting empty and useless in the place of natural beauty spots. It’s sad.
“Sure, I’d love it Fayetteville stopped growing”
I am really interested in the answer to this.
Is this to what you believe Coody’s vision would lead? If so, in what manner?
beg to differ:
Yeah like that one that has a Comet cleaners in it and nothing else over by Lowes and Wal-Mart. Okay, I said I wouldn’t post anymore but I CAN’T STOP MySELF. To forgive is divine, remember that.
The outlying areas of town don’t have the same kind of design standards that the city has put on the downtown core. Correct me if I am wrong.
I would like to see some consistency in that respect, too.
What good is it if we make downtown look better and better while we grow a generic crappy surrounding landscape?
To labor a point again, I don’t see what is planned for South Pass in this same light. Every rendering of the plan I have seen shows well-designed buildings, mixed uses, and quality materials. Heck, I even like Lindsey’s Town Gateway or whatever it is called, I just hate the location.
I think Coody sees the development of South Pass like that as well. It appears to be high quality. The parcel will develop in the next 10 years, might as well have it develop quality.
I hated it when the city approved Lindsey’s The Links project on Wedington. It needed to be looked at closer. Still, some of the changes we got by Lindsey were an improvement. Better than rubber stamping crap like they do in Springdale.
There has to be a happy medium. While I think everyone would prefer higher designed structures, Fayetteville doesn’t have an employment base and income levels to support a lot of very high end development. Quality takes money to build, which translates into higher rents for businesses and residents. We aren’t there yet.
In order to get there, we need to develop more industry with better jobs and higher incomes. Of course, if we were to get there, we could have higher-quality structures being built, but then people would complain more about the cost of living in Fayetteville. Either way, someone is not going to be happy.
In summary, higher design standards, more regulation, more impact fees, the higher it costs to build in Fayetteville. Either the builders go somewhere else, or they must charge more for rent or for sale on the properties built. Higher design standards correlate directly with higher property values, and in the end, a more exclusive and costlier community in which to live and do business.
As a property owner, I don’t exactly hate the idea of Fayetteville property values rising, or of Fayetteville becoming more exclusive. Why should I care? I already own a home here. Plus, I’m a bastard.
Obviously, to your point, a lot of development has happened in Fayetteville that hasn’t either sold or leased out. Well, unless we want to restrict that kind of development further, its basically left to the free market. We can restrict it, but our city becomes more exclusive…Developers get into business to make money. Not everyone in development is smart, nor do they wind up successful.
Its all so circuitous. 1) Make devleopers follow stricter rules. 2) Development becomes more expensive 3) Rents go up. 4) Fayetteville becomes more attractive and exclusive 5) Developers want to do more business in Fayetteville. 6) A segment of the city cries foul about how expensive it is in Fayetteville and demands change.
Unless we go back and “unzone” a whole lot of property in our city, I don’t really know what the solution is to prevent development on the fringes altogether. CityPlan2025 is brand new. Some of these developer people have owned commercially zoned undeveloped land for decades. A lot of it is “use by right” and unless the city wants to be sued, they can’t just outright say no. Regardless of how little sense the development makes to the people in the neighborhood.
I do think we could do better with some of our design standards, though.
Gerry:
I just express that as a person who loves Fayetteville and doesn’t necessarily think bigger is better. I don’t think its realisitic. Just a nostalgic point of view.
No, I don’t think Fayetteville staying as it is now or as it was 10 years ago is part of the Coody vision. I don’t think he’ll turn us into Springdale, either.
I love Fayetteville, too.
But avoiding growth leads, in almost every case, to decay. It starts in the loss of businesses, and jobs, and then leads to the loss of shopping and dining options, and inevitably to losses in property values, a shrinking tax base, declining schools, and a host of other ills.
I also think it is a false to say that if we grow, then we become Springdale. I would argue that it would take quite a bit of neglect on behalf of the local government to allow that to happen.
Steady, coordinated, well-planned growth is the answer. Keep the best of Fayetteville, but bring in more so that we have even more options, more jobs, more cultural events, increasing property values.
Hell, we can see it starting to happen. Some of it is just the result of a rough national economy. But a lot of it has to do with Rogers, not Springdale, providing an atmosphere more conducive to growth. It comes at a cost to us.
There’s growth, and then there’s cancerous growth. The difference between the two is regulation in the interest of health.
Gerry and Arkansawyer: I agree with you both. A certain amount of growth is necessary for the city to remain healthy and vibrant.
Again, thats why I like Coody. He seeks positive growth opportunities for our city, and tries to harness it to make our city better, not just bigger.
I see Coody as a midpoint between Jordan and Clark and I still think he is what we need.
Jordan’s profession to be everybody’s advocate sounds nice, but it isn’t realistic. If every NIMBY gets their way, we will stagnate. My viewpoint isn’t complicated by development issues. I live right smack in the middle of the city, near commercial, near apartments, near industrial, and near schools. I like our neighborhood, and we’re all developed up. NIMBYism is kept to a minimum here.
Lioneld has the endorsements of… The Sierra Club, The Firefighters, and The Fraternal Order of Police! This man is unstoppable and he obviously has the backing to prove it!
VOTE LIONELD JORDAN FOR MAYOR!
He also has a funny name and talks like a total backwoods redneck.
VOTE LIONELD JORDAN FOR MAYOR!
good lord, GL, calm down. you’re doing Lioneld no favors by coming here and screaming. repeatedly.
perhaps this is your aim, but if you do want him to win, it would behoove you not to act like a jackass.
I apoligize.
[...] out of its contract and instead, set up shop in Springdale. This of course led to the Flyer’s favorite quote of the mayoral debate last [...]