Jeremy Pate (right), the city’s development services director, discusses the Garland Avenue widening project.
Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer
Mayor Lioneld Jordan’s second Town Hall Meeting of the year was held Monday night at St. James Missionary Baptist Church in Fayetteville.
About 25 people attended the event to hear various department directors discuss what’s been happening in the city over the past few months.
Matt Mihalevich – Trails Coordinator
Trails coordinator Matt Mihalevich provided an update on several ongoing and upcoming trails projects in the city including the 2.3-mile Meadow Valley Trail that connects Scull Creek Trail to Mt. Comfort Road. Mihalevich said if all goes according to plan, construction at Meadow Valley Trail will be completed in August.
Mihalevich said the planned traffic signal at the intersection of North Street and Scull Creek Trail will be up and running by June 13, and a second public input session to discuss possible crossings at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the Frisco Trail extension is set for 4 p.m. Thursday, June 7 at the Fayetteville Senior Activity and Wellness Center.
Jeff Coles – Assistant Transportation Manager
Jeff Coles, the city’s assistant transportation manager, discussed some of his department’s ongoing projects including sidewalk construction on the south side of Prospect Street between Gregg and Frisco avenues which will help connect Wilson Park with Scull Creek Trail.
Sidewalks are also being constructed on the north side of Mission Boulevard, east of Highway 265, which will connect Starr Drive to Covington Park Boulevard.
Coles said other upcoming sidewalk projects this year include work on Center Street from College Avenue to the square, and College Avenue from Center to Mountain streets.
Jeremy Pate – Development Services Director
Sitting in for city engineer Chris Brown Monday night was Jeremy Pate, the city’s development services director. Pate gave a brief overview of some projects that are underway or will begin this year including widenings on Crossover Road, Garland Avenue, Huntsville Road and I-540.
“All corners of Fayetteville are being affected right now by road projects,” Pate said, “so be aware of that.”
Pate also mentioned the trio of projects designed to address traffic problems in north Fayetteville which include a modern roundabout at Futrall Drive and Northhills Boulevard, a “flyover” that will connect northbound College Avenue traffic to the westbound lanes of the Fulbright Expressway, and an extension and widening project on Van Asche Drive between North Gregg and Hall avenues.
Paul Becker – Finance Director
Finance director Paul Becker gave a brief update on the financial status of the city. Becker said that even after increasing city workers’ wages for the first time since 2009, an increase in city revenues from things like sales taxes and building permits is expected to account for about $10 million in reserves by the end of the year.
In other words, after keeping a 60-day reserve of about $5.7 million, the city will still have over $4 million in free reserves.
“That’s stronger than necessary, but we’re still in a volatile national economy,” said Becker.
He said since nobody really knows what will happen, the city will do best by preparing to go in whatever direction the economy goes.
David Jurgens – Utilities Director
David Jurgens, who also serves as project manager for the planned downtown parking deck, went over some questions he said have been vocalized recently including whether the city needs more downtown parking at all.
Jurgens said in 2011, there were 208 times in which all city-owned lots were completely full.
“I’ve personally experienced three times in the last two months where I went down to that area on weeknights and every gated lot was completely full,” he said. “So there is a need right now.”
Jurgens said a 2005 study commissioned by the city and the University of Arkansas identified the need for 1,200 additional parking spaces once planned developments and an expanded Walton Arts Center were complete.
“Without the Walton Arts Center expansion, the city would still need 800 parking spaces,” said Jurgens.
And while not all of the other planned projects came to pass, Jurgens noted two large-scale developments currently underway within two blocks of the center of the entertainment district – Sterling Frisco and Eco Downtown, both of which, however, are set to include their own parking decks.
Connie Edmonston – Parks & Recreation Director
Parks and Recreation director Connie Edmonston mentioned a handful of activities and programs now available for residents including a new 38-space community garden at Walker Park, a fall kickball league, the Gulley Park concert series and the recent opening of the Wilson Park pool.
Sue Butler – Life Safety Education Specialist
Sue Butler, the city’s safety eduction specialist, gave a fire safety presentation and discussed the Arkansas FireWise program.
Public Comment
Two residents – Jade Terminella and Scott Harper – spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting and urged Mayor Jordan and city staff to commit more funding to help speed up the process of reducing the Fayetteville Animal Shelter’s euthanasia rate. Both are members of a local group called No-Kill Fayetteville that aims to reduce the euthanasia rate to 10 percent or less.
Shelter officials said recent efforts have reduced the rate from 35 percent in 2011 to about 23 percent this year, but both Terminella and Harper said they want to see faster progress.
Harper suggested the city add a checkbox to monthly utility bills that would allow residents the option of donating $1 to the no-kill program.
Both Jordan and the city’s community services director Yolanda Fields said they’ll consider all suggestions, and noted that they expect the rate to drop even further after a new Washington County animal shelter is opened later this year.
The parking deck rationale is again, very weak.
“I’ve personally been down there a few times recently when it was all full” etc etc..
Well, I’ve personally been down there a few times recently and parked for free, and there was plenty of un-used pay parking. Does my experience invalidate the need for a parking deck? Then why is Jurgens’ anecdote acceptable?
And the two new large scale projects will have their own parking garages included. How are those two projects supposed to justify the need for a city parking garage?
Reading that portion of the article really just underscores that the city is forging ahead, oblivious to reality. They’ll say whatever they can to justify building a garage NOW without regard to logic.
I am a bit tired of hearing about the 2005 study. We need a current, comprehensive reevaluation of both our parking needs and the financial impact of the paid parking program! We care! We want to make informed decisions!
Did anyone happen to see John Stewart last night……”Polish that turd!!!!!”
So taxpayers need to fund the parking for large scale developments Sterling Frisco and Eco Downtown? What kind of welfare is that?
The projects mentioned have their own garages, and so they will probably decrease public parking demand.
No one even goes to these things, because we no what they are going to say. Not many folks agree with them but they are going to do it anyway. November can’t get here fast enough.
We are being taxed to park on or near Dickson St. to fund a parking structure for what was thought to be an expansion to a 2200 seat theater that will not be built here.
From the 05 Study:
“The parking forecasts assume that the proposed developments on Dickson street, which are currently conceptual, are completed and occupied around the time the deck is open, and the proposed 2,500 seat performing arts theater is successful. It also assumed that no other decks or significant surface lots are built to service the area (except those associated with residential development).”
Further in the study: Fayetteville uses approximately 55% of its downtown parking capacity during peak parking hours. However, it used 100% of its “prime” parking, which is defined as parking on the corner of Dickson and West.
Several things have happened since the ’05 study.
1. Several new decks with public parking and private paid parking areas have opened.
2. A paid parking system has been implemented.
3. There will be no WAC expansion on Dickson.
4. The economic climate has changed.
Since each of these factors significantly affect parking need, the study is now fundamentally invalid. What it does illustrate is that there is a difference in “parking on Dickson” and “parking in the city lot across the street from the WAC”.
I would give Jurgens the benefit of the doubt, but I think if you ask him about his “208 days” you’ll find that that’s the number of days the paid parking system showed that the WAC lot had as many customers as it had spaces, NOT the number of days the paid parking system was full, or much less the private lots, spaces, and parking decks on Dickson were full. Seven million dollars so the WAC patrons don’t walk a block or city parking doesn’t miss a buck is irresponsible.
If the city would just allow the WAC to control the big lot and the south lot during their big shows, they wouldn’t even have to walk. I don’t mean making them rent the lot but turning it over to them. The public built those lots for the WAC with the bond money voted in for that purpose. Why is the city making it difficult for them to use them as they were intended? According to the study, 280 spaces for every 1000 seats would provide parking for sold out crowds. Those 2 lots would cover that. need.
The study does not say we need 800 more spaces. That number does appear in the study on page 13 table 4. If you look at Table 3 on page 12 you will see that the need for 800 additional spaces is based on the assumed completion of 450,000 sq ft( that is equal to 5 times the size of the WAC lot) of retail /office space, and 30 hotel rooms. The only development that has occurred on any of the 7 sites that went into this calculation is the Dickson. They built all their own parking and it is half empty.
Table 2 on page 6 shows we had an excess of 857 sub prime and peripheral spots in 2005. I can’t think of a whole lot that has changed since 2005. So when are we going to have a real public discussion about the need for this garage? Are we just going to proceed regardless of reality?
Coody is right. In lieu of an actual, legitimate, up-to-date study, we get anecdotal evidence from a guy who has been downtown a few times recently, and reference to two new projects which could just as easily cause a net decrease for downtown parking demand.
This is how a leaderless organization functions.
Hey, I’m not calling anyone a liar, but the two city lots on Spring between Block and East are absolutely NOT full 208 days a year. Neither are the ones behind Hugo’s and KNWA. I own a business there. I am there every day. Sometimes several times a day. And that’s just not true. Does Block Avenue and the Square count as Downtown? I can ALWAYS find a place to park. No matter what shows are playing, what event is at the WAC, or what Hog game is in town. I may walk a block or two, but I have never left downtown because I couldn’t find a space.
Many times proponents (or salesmen) of paid parking systems will reference the metric of the number of parking lot users in a day vs. the total number of parking spaces. So, for example, if there are 400 parking spaces in a lot, and there are 400 cars that use that lot in a day, then it is “full” that day. However, unless these are residential lots, this is usually a misleading metric. Especially in retail or commercial areas, you may have several people use the same spot throughout the day. So that same 400 car lot may service 800 vehicles, but still never have more than 200 cars in the lot at any one point in time. Its just a way to play the numbers.
I’m not saying that’s what was done here (I would hope not), but I know for a fact that they’re not out there counting empty lot spaces every day. The paid parking system can keep track of how many users they have in certain lots vs. the total number of spaces.
To be full 208 days a year, the main lot would have to be full every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday night for the entire year (52×4=208). I just don’t think that is happening. It must mean something other than what we are taking it to mean. It makes no sense.
And according to the study (page 6):
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/359373-2005-dickson-street-parking-deck-feasibility-study.html
Block Street and the Square are NOT considered part of the downtown Dickson area and will not be serviced by the parking deck.
Block and the Square not being part of the district is a separate problem with promoting downtown Fayetteville. But in this instance, considering they’re all pretty much within 4 blocks of eachother, maybe they should try directing traffic to the empty lots in that area. A couple of signs would direct out of towners South of Dickson. Hey, you know what? I’ll paint them. For free. And install them. Poof. Lack of parking problem solved.
If the parking garage doesn’t make sense then why does the City keep pushing for it? Because someone in city hall had to walk an extra block?
Dear “informed” voter, I assume you have read the ’05 MAB study. If you still want to spend a total of over $10 million on a new deck and lock in place this existing paid parking program you are certainly welcome to your opinion. I also assume you have seen the drawing of the proposed deck and think it is appropriate for our downtown. Please tell us what “info” you think is “fabricated”. As far as trying to get the results I wanted, when I think of College Ave., the Trails program, the Senior Center, Public Library, Square overhaul, sustainability effort, Dickson St.. trees and infrastructure improvements, improved public safety system, etc. I think you may have a point. If I get elected again, I will try to get the results I want again. Such as a parking program that makes sense and is much less punitive, a more attractive, walkable downtown, and small start-up tech park, new police station, aggressive spay/neuter program, a plan for the student population boom, complete the economic development plan that died in ’09, a very cool plan for all the asphalt around the WAC, etc. If you want to keep Fayetteville in the holding pattern it’s in now, I am probably not your candidate.
Parking garage update. There will be an update at the end of the city council agenda next Tuesday. Public input is not generally allowed at agenda sessions. Will this be the final input from the council before the mayor moves ahead and sells bonds? Will the public be allowed to ask some of the very pertinent questions that have been posted on this site before we commit over 10 million dollars of citizen’s money? Could the Flyer find out and let us know? Thanks.
I believe Mr. Jurgens gives regular parking deck updates during agenda-setting sessions and this appears to be another one of those.
As for a public discussion about the bonds, the council members already voted in November to authorize the mayor to issue them. There were no public comments during that discussion and it was a unanimous decision.
The estimated timeline for the project shows bonds being issued sometime around August, but technically, with council approval already in the bag, that could happen at any moment.
Unless you are just interested in being on television, you can always send your questions and opinions in writing.
I have a hard time trusting the department director’s validity that Dickson street is full 208 days of the year . Dont forget the big drop off on Dickson street during the couple of weeks during Christmas holiday vacation period for December and January and also durig the summer time when the students are gone it becomes less crowded . So basically they are building are parking deck for for 6 and a half months or 7 months if their stats are correct if it is 208 days that it is full on Dickson Street. What a waste of tax dollars that could go to creating jobs and making sure that businesess stay on Dickson street or even Fayetteville.
Bentonville,Springdale and Rogers are probably laughing at Fayetteville right now on how instead of trying to attract more businesses to come to fayetteville, we are wasting our tax dollars for a parking garage that Dickson street doesnt need.
Remind me again why we cant vote on the parking garage or the paid paid parking on Dickson street to help fund the parking garage.
You did vote on it. You voted in the mayor and city council members to make decisions for 4 years (maybe not you personally, but the majority did). You have the option to change the decision makers after each term or keep them. That is what happened in 2008; people wanted to change the decision makers in Fayetteville (at least some of them). There is a similar system at work at the state and national levels; we call it a representative democracy. If all decisions are to be voted on by the public, there is no need to have a mayor/city council/state representatives/congress/president.
Mayor Jordan said he would never implement paid parking on Dickson St and then after the election turned right around and did exactly that. It kind of blows a hole in your representative democracy theory. It would be nice if the mayor could at least hold a special meeting where the only subject is the paid parking program and this parking deck. I hate watching meetings where questions are asked and there is no real feedback or answers to honest questions. There has never been any real outreach to the public on this issue, just council meetings where mostly people with vested interests show up. I hear there was a meeting for the Dickson Street business owners on a St. Patrick’s day evening when the owners needed to be at work. Now that’s being serious about getting input.
Staff note: It should be noted that there were four paid parking public meetings held in 2009 on March 17, March 31, April 1, and April 19. Also, there were three more meetings held in 2010 (July 29, Aug. 5, and Aug. 12) to discuss changes that were requested.
George/Jamie, can you refer me to a document or news article supporting your claim that Mr. Jordan said during his campaign he “would never implement paid parking on Dickson St,” or did you just make that up?
Just to clarify Yolanda’s comment about the 23% euthanasia rate she was refering to. That low number she gave was not a fair comparison as they are just now entering their busiest time of the year and they are busting at the seams right now. They can easily reach euthanasia rates near 50% during this time of the year, so I hate to think she was trying to mislead folks………. but!
No, I didn’t make it up, I heard him say it in a debate. Don’t know if it made it into a news article, can’t access the archives. Maybe David Franks can, doesn’t he work for the paper. I think it was at a school. Why does it matter to you? Are you part of his campaign?
Looking at the Flyer staff note about those meetings, All but two were scheduled during working hours, so the low turnout should have been expected. The two meetings that were scheduled after business hours were for (1) Dickson Street business owners on St. Patrick’s Day, probably a bad time for them to come to a meeting, and (2) for residents to discuss the residential parking program. For a program with such a significant long-term impact as this parking program, it may have been a good idea to try a little harder to encourage public engagement.
These tax dollars could actually go to keeping business instead losing them in Fayetteville especially Dickson street. Nobody cares about the WAC to begin with anyways so why not just have all of their acts at the University of Arkansas and use their parking decks that would save alot more money instead wasting millions of dollars on A parking deck that we dont need in order to watch Marry Poppins at the WAC!!!
I wonder if Mayor Jordan will start building the parking deck when people least expect it just like how he did the paid parking by implementing the parking meters on Dickson street on a random August night without much warning really .
RIP .. Piano Bar NO thanks to the paid parking on Dickson street ruined a famous bar that parents and the rest of the family could actually go to and enjoy.
RE “RIP .. Piano Bar NO thanks to the paid parking on Dickson street ruined a famous bar”
According to the owners of Willy D’s Piano Bar, they closed the bar in order to move to a larger space. Instead of officially going out of business, they still, as far as I know, maintain that it will reopen on Dickson Street. And if paid parking were an issue, why did the same people expand Fix Ultra Lounge into the old Willy D’s location?
http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2012/04/04/willy-ds-piano-bar-owner-hopes-to-re-open-this-summer/
But don’t let facts intrude on the nice rant you have going.
I’d also like to hear a candidate or city official address what seems to be a rapidly deteriorating violent crime situation in Fayetteville.
I know we’d all prefer to pretend like it isn’t happening, or that these are “isolated incidents” that don’t reflect the real Fayetteville, but this town seems to be spiraling down quickly in the crime department. I think we’d be better off if we addressed this now rather than pretending nothing is happening. We have a drive-by or shooting seemingly every single week these days. Remember how foreign the idea of a drive-by in Fayetteville would have seemed just a few years back?
Since January 1 2012, there have been five assaults with a deadly weapon. That’s hardly once a week., and one of these was a stabbing.
If you want to ring alarms, there have been 65 sexual assaults in the same timeframe, most around the immediate vicinity of the UA. Just like every single college town, ever.
There have been 500 property-related crimes in same timeframe.
Just thought we should use actual information instead of opinion.
Or, in the past 18 days, there have been three shootings. That’s one every six days.
Take it however you will.
Well, by God, we have some incompetent criminals as only one of these people managed to hit the target. I move for better firearms training for all Fayettevillians, to improve this embarrassing statistic.
Want to avoid violent crime? Stay away from drug activity. The average law-abiding person has an infinitely small chance of being shot or shot at.
Yeah, its great that they haven’t killed anyone yet. That makes all the bullets flying around town easier to stomach.
I guess you’re in the “lets pretend it isn’t happenin” camp.
But seriously: you’re only using the facts that support your theory instead of all the facts. If you look at the murder rate in New York City for September of 2001, it’s pretty high. There is always more crime during hot summer months. Please cite and/or post references to actual things that happened in Fayetteville and put those numbers in contest and I would be happy to support your assertion.
I’m way more worried about getting shot by the cops around here than I am about the roving bands of violent criminals that Henny Penny…. er… gluteus is talking about.
In the past five minutes I’ve stubbed my toe once on a crumbling sidewalk. The infrastructure crisis is overwhelming!