A look at the effects of paid parking on Dickson Street HMR tax collections
A paid parking kiosk stands near the corner of Dickson Street and West Avenue in Fayetteville.
Photo: Todd Gill
Since beginning our regular HMR sales tax reports earlier this year, we’ve had several requests to publish a more specific report showing only the numbers from the Dickson Street area since the city’s paid parking program began in mid-August 2010.
The two-year-old program, which includes a system of kiosks, gated lots, on-street numbered parking spaces and residential parking boundaries, is responsible for a vastly different atmosphere in a roughly two-square-mile area around Dickson Street.
What people are after now is some information to help support or debunk the belief that paid parking is hurting Dickson Street businesses.
The self-reported HMR collections aren’t the best indicator of business activity since they only apply to hotel, motel and food purchases, and don’t include alcohol or retail sales. Sales tax numbers would provide better insight, but state law restricts sales tax data from being publicly linked to specific businesses.
City officials began tracking HMR figures in the Dickson Street area shortly after paid parking went into effect, and separated the data going back to September 2009 in order to provide some historical perspective. Paul Becker, the city’s finance director, provided that report to us last week and here is what we found:
- Of the 22 months since paid parking began in the Dickson Street area, 17 months showed an increase in HMR collections compared to the prior year.
- Dickson Street area HMR collections were up 9.4 percent since September 2010, compared to an 8 percent citywide increase during the same period.
- Dickson Street area HMR collections were up 11 percent in the first six months of this year compared to the first six months of 2011, and were up 17 percent compared to the first six months of 2010.
Included below is a graph reflecting HMR collections from September 2009 through August 2010, and for the same two following periods using all data available up to this point. A chart is also included with specific collection amounts.
For those who’d like to see the raw data, here is a link to the full report (PDF here).
Looking at the tax figures, it’s clear that collections have grown on Dickson Street since the implementation of paid parking, but there are still arguments on both sides of the issue.
Some will say the data proves that paid parking has had no overall negative effect on the businesses in the area. Others may contend that the numbers should be higher and are only an indication that the economy has improved or that the dramatic increase in enrollment at the University of Arkansas has boosted sales.
What do you think?
A&P Funds
Legislation created the Advertising and Promotion Commission in 1977 with the passage of the Hotel, Motel, Restaurant (HMR) tax in Fayetteville. The 2 percent tax is split equally between the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and the A&P Commission. The parks money is used for parks maintenance, operations and for capital improvements. The self-reported numbers do not include retail or liquor sales.
» See recent collection totals
» See full 2011 report (PDF)
» See full 2010 report (PDF)
By state legislation, all HMR funds shall be used:
1. for advertising and promoting the city and its environs
2. for the construction, reconstruction, equipment, improvement, maintenance, repair, and operation of a convention center
3. for the operation of tourist promotion facilities in the city
4. for personnel and agencies necessary to conduct the business of the A & P commission
HMR funds can also be used for:
1. for funding the arts
2. for operation of tourist-oriented facilities
3. for construction, reconstruction, repair, maintenance, improvement, equipping and operation of public recreation facilities and for the payment of bonds.
Taxes shall not be used for:
1. general capital improvements within the city
2. costs associated with general operation of the city
3. general subsidy of any civic group or chamber of commerce
Source: Arkansas Code / § 26-75-606 – Use of funds collected
I am all for paid parking, I think it is necessary in order to make the upgrades to the overall parking situation downtown, but I think those increases are due in a significant part to the price increases in the food and bev’s and not increased traffic. Maybe the city should do periodic traffic counts or surveys.
I also think that other factors like inflation can account for increase in revenue. But it is interesting that Dickson Street HMR was up 9.4% compared to 8% city wide. That seems to show that Dickson Street area is doing better compared to the rest of the city since paid parking implemented. Just from that figure alone I tend to side with paid parking has not hurt Dickson Street.
The same inflationary forces that raise prices on Dickson Street are at work all over town. If anything, one would expect Dickson Street restauranteurs and publicans to raise prices as little as possible, in order to offset the cost of parking for their customers– if paid parking is really the problem that people say it is. In any case, I would be very surprised if menu prices on Dickson Street have gone up an average of anywhere near 17% since the first half of 2010– or even 11% since last year.
RE “state law restricts sales tax data from being publicly linked to specific businesses”
Is separating sales tax data by area of the city too specific for the state? I don’t see how sales tax figures for the entire Dickson Street entertainment district link data to a specific business.
I doubt that the state tracks sales tax data for different parts of each city. Even if they do, unlike HMR tax figures, retail sales tax data for individual businesses are not obtainable under FOI.
This is correct. We can look at our own city’s hospitality tax numbers, but not sales tax numbers.
These reports include monthly HMR collection totals for every hotel, motel and restaurant in Fayetteville:
» See full 2011 report (PDF)
» See full 2010 report (PDF)
It would be a relatively simple matter for the state to aggregate sales tax information by area without disclosing individual information. In addition to providing a service to the municipalities that work to increase sales tax revenue for themselves and the state (as is the case here), the state would find the information directly useful in considering how state revenues are allocated for business development projects, state road and highway improvement projects, participation in municipal projects, and that sort of thing.
Would that the state undertook useful, relatively simple projects that increased financial transparency and provided hard numbers to support allocations of tax dollars. Thing is, that might complicate things for politicians and Chamber of Commerce types who need to be sure that valuable projects and bids can be awarded to their buddies with a minimum of fuss.
A better way to measure if the growth is apropriate would be a side-by-side comparison of the numbers between the Dickson street area and the Uptown/Mall area. One should also include total HMR revenue growth numbers, as
It would not be fair to discount the fact that there are more locations collecting the HMR taxes than prior to the implementation of paid parking.
I believe, however, unless the alcohol, beer, and wine taxes can be broken down seperately, there will not be an accurate report giving the full scope of what has occurred on Dickson Street financially since 2006.
The report we received (PDF here) does include side-by-side percentage comparisons of the 10 districts for the past 12 months, but not individual numbers dating all the way back to the inception of paid parking.
Separating the addresses of each business from the annual HMR reports is a labor-intensive process, but it could be done for other areas of town.
These reports include monthly HMR collection totals for every hotel, motel and restaurant in Fayetteville:
» See full 2011 report (PDF)
» See full 2010 report (PDF)
Good points Sara. I know that eating/drinking on Dickson street is much more expensive now due to the cost of goods going up. (Just heard beer prices are going up next month thanks to the Monopoly called McBride Distributing.) Has anyone thought of interviewing the bar/restaurant owners and get their opinion on record? Nice job reporting Flyer. Dig a little deeper.
Nice work Todd.
I think business owners around Dickson and the Square should be more concerned about the huge pain in the rear it is for anyone living outside of central Fayetteville to get to central Fayetteville. How long does it take to get to Dickson Street from any given 540 exit? The bottleneck that exists south of Gregg and North only grew tighter as plans were scrapped to make Gregg a nice, continuous street from North to Dickson. Instead, the city did just the opposite, installing speed bumps on Gregg and Wilson Ave (to appease residents of the neighborhood) and never improving the dangerous, one-lane Frisco Ave (which provides the shortest route from North Gregg to Dickson). In fact, it only became more dangerous after the bike trail was built next to the railroad track, where the “new Gregg” was to be built. Just imagine the traffic around Maple, Wilson, Gregg, Lafayette, West Ave. once the new apartments are finished. Imagine it when they finally begin to renovate the Lafayette and Maple bridges. This only discourages the use of Gregg as a much needed north to south thoroughfare, which increases the traffic on College Ave and Garland.
Those who wish to enter Dickson from the Garland or Weddington exits have to battle the traffic of Maple, Leverett, or Arkansas Ave (not to mention the construction on Garland for the next few years). Those who try the MLK exit have to sit through multiple stop lights and navigate Hill Ave and Center St. Residents of north Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, etc. aren’t less likely to visit Dickson, Block area restaurants/shops because of parking, it is the amount of time it takes to get down here that is troublesome.
I would guess that many residents of central Fayetteville prefer fewer people visiting their neighborhoods. I live a block from Dickson and I would love to keep this all for ourselves. But for the business owners, making access easier for outsiders should be a priority.
If people really think it’s too much of a hassle to wind their way slowly through the nice neighborhoods around Wilson Park and Lafayette then they can geeeet out. I don’t want their beer money.
North-South travel especially has always been problematic for Fayetteville. Terrain, poor planning, and neighborhood self-absorption have conspired to reach this point.
U of A growth, Fayetteville High School expansion (rather than second campus), and downtown “enhancement” have all ignored simple issues of accessibility in South Fayetteville for nothing more than stretching at a difficult aesthetic. Much of our revenue lies at the end of a non-contiguous street network with challenging, parking-limited geography.
Getting to tax-collecting entertainment in Fayetteville is very clumsy, and addressing the problem is a game of “not it,” or more foolishly, “geeeet out.”
It’s not up to you to tell them to get out. It’s up to the businesses. You don’t make a living of those visitors so I really don’t think you have room to speak here.
How do you know?
It’s very difficult to draw conclusions without a proper counter-factual. It’s not enough to say that revenues are up. If revenues are up, the true question to ask is “would they have gone up even more in the absence of the paid parking.” And no one really knows (or can know) the answer to this question. Some indicators would say that revenues would have been on their way up over the last couple of years based upon the fact that University enrollment has increased by about 10% each year and because the economy has generally improved. For all we know, Dickson Street revenues may have gone up even more in the absence of paid parking.
I’ll say this, though. Any undergraduate majoring in finance or economics wouldn’t dare put out growth figures like this without adjusting for inflation, which can be done in seconds flat with the use of handy inflation calculators.
http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
By not adjusting for inflation, Paul Becker looks to have an agenda. Not surprising, but noteworthy.
Ingsoc makes some excellent points. There may be issues with the data and Mr. Becker.
Ingsoc ignores the fact that inflation occurs all over town, so greater growth in HMR tax revenue on Dickson Street versus the rest of town indicates better sales on Dickson Street, whether you account for inflation or not. However, according to the calculator he linked to, inflation in 2011 was 3.16%; inflation in 2012 has been 2.42%. The 5.65% of inflation overall is a far cry from the 17% increase in collections from 2010 to 2012.
Also note that if you factor in inflation, Dickson Street performs even better in relation to the rest of Fayetteville, first six months of 2012 over first six months of 2010– 17.5 percent better without factoring in inflation, 60% better when inflation is factored in (using figures in the article above).
I don’t have a problem with paid parking. I do have a problem with the pretense for it though. The paid parking was in theory to make us look more attractive as a site for the WAC expansion. The attractive part was we were doing something proactive in what was perceived as a parking problem. No WAC expansion, no problem. The current administration said we’ve always had a parking problem and we’re going to build a deck.
I don’t believe we build a parking structure into more prosperity. A park would attract more people than a parking deck. People moaned about not having bump outs on Center when eating in a park would be even more pleasant than any extra wide sidewalk.
What does Mr. Coody think about these numbers? Inquiring minds want to know.
Note Mr. Coody does not object to paid parking or a parking structure, just in the way they have or will be implemented.
It may also be interesting to note that purveyors of fine food and drink collect HMR taxes only on food and beer & wine sales. HMR taxes are not collected on liquor sales. The City does collect an extra tax on mixed drink sales, but it’s not HMR.
I wonder what the numbers would look like if those tax collections were also included, since a lot of the sales that occur in the “Entertainment District” are sales of liquor.
jmo
The UA has undergone a massive enrollment expansion in the last three years. All of those incoming freshmen have to eat somewhere. They happen to eat around the Dickson are because it’s convenient and out of duress rather than the incredible offerings near campus. Two thousand extra people in town, all concentrated near the UA, might contribute to these numbers alone.
What is the overall feeling of the visitors to Dickson Street? Oscar Wilde said a cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. O.K. let’s agree HM R taxes are up. To say the parking system that was put in place two years ago has had no impact on the entertainment district places no value on how people now feel about Fayetteville and Dickson Street. Cars still use Block Ave, so the design must be just fine! Arrests are up, so the war on drugs must be working!
But too many people feel like something fundamental has changed about how Fayetteville feels and it’s not for the better. How do you put a price tag on that? The overwhelming feedback I get is that people understand paying for parking. That’s not the problem. It is the system that was installed that they hate. Clearly, it is designed as a revenue generator and not as a way to manage parking to support businesses and be convenient to visitors.
I am so tired of hearing politicians talk about the bad design on Block Avenue, and the terribly awful super complicated parking in downtown, it’s bad PR. If you’d quit talking about it all the time, the image would change. I dont hear business owners talking about how complicated it is, you see friendly signs on doors reminding you how to park properly. While I’ll admit that our parking has some issues, (three different parking systems spread out through a tiny downtown district!?), this is not a case of “any publicity is good publicity”, this is a case of bad PR! I know it’s an election year, and you guys are picking each other apart, but you’re scaring people off from our precious downtown! It’s crazy!
The business owners I deal with says the Block Street parking sucks!!!
Im a business owner on Block who admits that our parking system is wonky, at best. But it’s just metered parking, like it’s always been on Block. $.25 an hour. Straight up. There a re a few business owners on Block who are very vocal,about not likening the system, but I’d venture to say that most of them don’t mind what’s there. It’s always been the way it is now, without that weird first block of back-in parking.
I’m with BW. What I do have an issue with, is that two blocks south of us, on the square, it’s free two hour parking. Two blocks north of us, it is free until two, then paid through the kiosks, and we’re paid from 8-6, then free on weekends and evenings. It’s super confusing to have three very different paid parking systems and to train customers to think of Block as a separate parking system. That needs to be worked on, for sure.
I appreciate Dan Coody regularly posting on the Flyer. Matthew Petty as well. They are winning my vote every time they post. Even when I disagree with them, I respect their willingness to speak up in a public/recorded format.
Like Hannah, I have first hand experience watching Block’s transformation .
Initially, at the South end of Block, the meters were placed with their ‘footprint’ smack-dab-in-the-middle of each pair of parking spaces. When you parked your car, you had a meter directly in front of your driver side door. So you would get out, pay that meter and walk off. Unfortunately, that meter was for the car to your left. Your meter was at your passenger side door. People regularly would hop out, H-A-P-P-I-L-Y pay the meter only to return to a parking ticket. ‘I’ll never come down here again’ was heard more than a few times.
There has ALWAYS been meters on Block. PAID PARKING WAS NOT THE PROBLEM: Moving the meters 2 feet over to trick people was the problem.
Dan Coody’s assessment that ‘the system that was… [c]learly… designed as a revenue generator and not as a way to manage parking to support businesses and be convenient to visitors” is 100% accurate. Anyone who doesn’t see that or does not agree with that does not understand what is going on.
“If you’d quit talking about it all the time, the image would change.” – Not True. Houndstooth, Swift’s Jewelry, IM Spa, Sound Warehouse and ESPECIALLY Feather Your Nest talked about it allll the time and they got the meters moved back to their original (non-screw-you-over) spots.
“I dont hear business owners talking about how complicated it is” – You are not listening and/or are out of touch with the business owners concerned.
“you see friendly signs on doors reminding you how to park” – No biz owner wants to post signs they shouldn’t have to, window space is precious real estate for making sales, not friendly signs.
“this is a case of bad PR!” – is it? Do outta-towners read the comments on the Flyer? If I was an outsider, I would be impressed at having a few politicians engaged in an ongoing conversation with business owners, residents, etc. that any one in the community could jump in on at any point.
“you’re scaring people off from our precious downtown! It’s crazy!” – Politicians posting on the flyer is scaring people off? Something is definitely crazy here, just not sure if it’s the politicians (for once).
I moved away just over 3 years ago before paid parking was implemented. I get back to Fayetteville a few times and year and usually head out to Dickson Street at least once per trip. Honestly, I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. Free until 2PM, $0.50/hr until 5 and $1/hr afterwards. That’s so cheap. The lots and payment structure seems totally reasonable to me and I haven’t encountered any issues whatsoever. Plus, I seem to have a heck of a lot easier time parking now than before when it was free… and all the stores, restaurants and bars I visit don’t seem to be any less packed than before. As a long-time Fayettevillian and now F-Ville ex-pat, I actually like the paid parking setup.
never been a problem for me either. Lunch parking is free, that’s great, and the evening prices are reasonable. Now, if you want to park on campus, well, that’s a whole different story.
Dan
What businesses have died because of parking? Joses is doing quite well and Crawford food was the problem. Can you discuss something other than parking? I has a very rude person come to my door today asking for me to support you. They told us you were against paid parking on Dickson. Also spoke about some other issues. Have you smoked marijuana in the last 5 years?
What people don’t realize is that years ago Coody had a similar parking plan to what we have now but he wanted $40 a ticket and his parking deck would have been millions more!!!
Coody – You say “how it should have been” and “how it needs to be” but where were you the entire year the paid parking plan was going down and opened for discussion? Don’t bother answering because you have already told us “you were out of town”. That must have been some trip! But, of course we all know it is election year and you need some sort of platform to stand on. So why not the paid parking?! You can’t attack Mayor Jordan over finances because numbers don’t lie.
By the way, now that you are on here Coody, could you tell me who the person in the red car was that took my “Lioneld Jordan for Mayor” sign out of my yard Saturday??
Thank goodness that year long trip Coody took during the paid parking discussion wasn’t on the taxpayer’s dime this time!
About those “taxpayer funded ski trips and foreign vacations…You should also know the moon is made of green cheese and politicians you support never lie to you. Again, Lioneld needs to review his campaign pledge. But you believe what Lioneld wants you to believe. Mission accomplished.
There should be a study on how well gullible people fact check.
How is it I have been answering questions, making comments, and making myself completely available to people, even meanies like you guys, and Lioneld never says a word, and you’re completely happy with that? Democracy is in trouble.
What did he say about Dan Coody in his ad? You were the one who said you went to the ski resort and 2 trips to France.
Mayor Jordan has a job and is too busy running a city to get into discussions on blogs. Everybody and their dog knows they can go speak with him.
Quit playing the victim card.
Mr. Coody, Mayor Jordan has this thing called a job that he takes seriously and works hard at doing right. He also has integrity, as evidenced in the pledge you love to deride and by which he is abiding. I don’t see him spamming your campaign FB page as you have his. Or making polling calls questioning your “sophistication” level. You show up in a campaign year and bad-mouth and attempt to bring down our town whereas Lioneld has steadily spent the last 12 years working to build it up. Desperate much?
You should try decaf. My plan could not have been more different. $40. a ticket was never an option.The deck I supported was going to be built by Signet/Haskell on their own dime and completely hidden by income and tax producing liner buildings. If you knew anything about municipal finance I would debate you. And that last line? You’re kidding, right?
With your anger, willingness to believe whatever you’re told, and your accusations, I fully expect you to support someone other than me. Of course, according to Lioneld’s campaign pledge, he will have to disavow you.
You should try humble pie.
I beg to differ. I am sure there are documents out there proving that your plan was similar but more aggressive. But seriously, why did you not make any of the meetings throughout the year?
Mayor Jordan has done an excellent job at reducing our debt (that was created during your term) during a time the entire economy was falling. I do not believe lies. I am voting to re-elect Mayor Jordan because I believe in facts, numbers and statistics.
And no I am not kidding. My “Lioneld Jordan for Mayor” sign was taken early Saturday morning by someone in the passenger seat of a red car.
Jordan reminds me of John L
Dan
Do you support republicans?
I believe some citizens in Fayetteville are Republicans and there are some who are Democrats, Green Partiers, Libertarians, Socialists, etc. Which would you have the mayor of Fayetteville exclude? And to what extent? I happen to be a Democrat, contrary to the latest whisper campaign. I just happen to have an objective view of unions. They are neither all good nor all bad and, like any other institution made up of people, that all depends on their leadership. Again, Lioneld should review his campaign pledge.
recallcoody.com
Coody – a man who has lost more friends in the last 4 years and continues to lose them
Do you find it strange that Lioneld has a great working relationship with the council, city staff, employees, and citizens of all walks of life? What happened to your relationships with the current council?
RE recallcoody.com– The guy who ran (runs?) that site (and its companion, fayettevilletrash.com) appears to be something of a crank with an axe to grind. Apparently he had some legal problems with the city over a flashing sign, starting in 2000. He lost a lawsuit pertaining to the matter in 2002, as well as a later appeal. fayettevilletrash.com doesn’t contribute anything to the conversation, either, and his business web site is pretty rudimentary, too.
That website is years out of date, contains mostly unsubstantiated claims, and looks like a penis enlargement site designed by a 1990s high school student. In other words, it ain’t screaming “credibility” to me.
And FWIW, I’m still undecided who I’m supporting in the mayoral contest. I’m just not using your web site and its “information” to help me make my decision.
But what if, by chance, that penis enlargement site designed by a 1990s high school student actually had the secret to penis enlargement. Wouldn’t you feel foolish???
Why would I feel foolish? Part of making a persuasive argument is framing it in a way that’s actually persuasive and credible. If you look and sound uninformed, you’re not persuasive — unless of course, you’re speaking to others just as uninformed as you are.
“Part of making a persuasive argument is framing it in a way that’s actually persuasive.” So all this time my strategem of condescending pretense as a means of persuasion has been misguided? Now I feel foolish. Thanks!
Comment removed. See our policy.
Why are the rates different for the square vs Dickson?????
Dickson is the night time party zone where people will pay higher rates.
How did this turn into Coody-bashing? Is this really what the Flyer comment sections are for? A politician is a politician is a politician.
PS- I still hate the paid parking.
C’mon, now. Jordan supporters would never bash anyone or call anyone names.
In my experience, generally, the creative AND business-savvy people who are seeking to make Fayetteville a more beautiful, more vibrant place seem to support Dan Coody. The people who renovate and restore historic homes around town into fantastic pieces of public art, etc. A segment of disgruntled city workers who wish they could unionize support Jordan, as well as NIMBYs who never want anything else built in Fayetteville also seem to largely support Jordan.
That is my perception based on the people I know around town.
I know a few hundred or so folks around town (supporters of Jordan and supporters of Coody) and this generalization is perposterous.
This and other comment sections seem to be a place for Coody and Jordan supporters to bash each others’ candidate. There is no way to stop the campaigns from trying to use and abuse the Flyer for free propaganda, but the practice is juvenile and makes me less likely to read the Flyer. The candidates have websites and Facebook pages to make their points for anyone interested, so I wish both would just go away.
Freakin’ word, man. I posted a comment several weeks ago about Coody’s incessant agenda-pimping. I am so sick of it. He is using the Flyer as free advertising and it’s disgusting, unethical and an abuse of the Flyer’s editorial policy. I think all candidates should be barred from using this during an election year. Coody lost our vote through his constant Flyer tirades.
They have as much right as you to post here, and frankly they have a lot more credibility than “blarrgh” when they use their real names on here, and you hide behind an alias nickname to bash them. People in a Democracy need to hear more from candidates & elected officials, not less. It’s unbelievable that you seem to be against certain people posting their opinions and would censor political discussion on a local news commenting website. If you don’t like their comments, you can reply to the substance, and you can choose to vote against them. Trying to censor their right to comment is crazy-talk, blarrgh. Their postings here put us readers in a better position to decide our votes, than if they were silent and people didn’t hear their statements and see their personality through Flyer comments and other forms of online speech.
The Comments on here by political people are compatible with the Flyer commenting policy. Read the policy again. It’s posted right here in this thread. The Comment policy affects this, the “editorial policy” is irrelevant because Comments are not written by the Editors/Staff here.
In conclusion, if you disagree with them then vote against them, or reply about what substantive points you disagree with, rather than trying to censor their speech. Please stop acting like your Comments are more valuable on here than others’.
blargh,
really? think about it.
O and Vandelay — While Coody’s comments are not currently in violation of Flyer commenting policy, I sincerely hope that this policy changes. I am not against certain people expressing their opinions and i’m not against political discussion. However, Coody’s comments in an election year are shilling. He is posting purely out of self-interest (to get re-elected) and not in the interest of furthering discourse.
Coody should get a website, or use his own Facebook page, public appearances, door-to-door appearances, etc to further his agenda. I actually agree with Coody on many points and think he’s a fine candidate. I just strongly object to him hijacking threads and using the Flyer in this manner. It’s just bad manners.
I don’t think my comments are more valuable, and I think Petty and Coody’s comments are VERY valuable, but Coody uses the Flyer commenting board in an abusive way. Imagine, if you will, that I ran a restaurant and wanted people to come eat at Chez Blarrrgh. As such, I would post casually on the Flyer but also always manage to slide in that Chez Blarrrgh is having a special on Blarrrghburgers, etc.
Commenting for self-interest and profit is considered a faux-pas on most comment boards, and in polite society. If Coody is able to separate his campaigning from his comments, I’m always happy and interested in his thoughts and ideas, especially on sustainability.
Nobody is censoring anything, Coody has many platforms at his disposal with which to communicate his ideas. I’m just asking him to reconsider his strategy of turning so many threads into an opportunity for him to campaign.
That is inane.
Whats up with the parking rally Sunday? Anyone hear?
And what did you say your name was O?
I will totally vouch for “o.” In addition to being a vowel, “o” can be traced back fourteen generations.
Parking rally?
Parking rally is cancelled. Sorry for confusion
Confused… was that “O” as in “Oprah” or “0″ as in “Zero”?
We’d get a pretty good mayor if we could combine the finer qualities of both candidates—Coody’s more progressive ideas (if he only didn’t sell out when pressured by monied interests) and Jordan’s more mannered, less egotistical way with people (if only he had better advisers in the creative thinking department).
Coody has an unfortunate reputation for being hard to work for— tyrannical, too image-conscious, thin-skinned, vindictive, lots of negative gossiping, the ends justify the means. There was much tension within the City staff when he was mayor, to the point that it often affected morale and the quality of work there.
Jordan at least can be candid about his own strengths and weaknesses–seems to understand that he needs people around him to fill things out—but maybe isn’t so good at choosing those people, doesn’t sort through their hype very well, may tend to sit back and mistakenly think things are being handled well enough by others, then defends them against criticism as if they were his union brothers instead of employees paid by the taxpaying public.
Coody on the other hand seems to think he has it all–the brains, the big ideas, the leadership thing–to the point of becoming seriously inflated when he’s in power. Then he blames others for his own mistakes or lack of ability and creates a toxic environment among his staff and alienates the people who used to support his political ambitions.
I always think it must not be an easy job, being the guy where the buck is supposed to stop—but they always want another term.
Elegantly stated, promo’d-out. It is a tough choice when both candidates have good qualities to offer, and as a recent Fayetteville transplant I know Mr. Coody did some great things here in years past. And some not-so-great things. Ditto Mayor Jordan; nobody is perfect. But when one candidate is so thoroughly obsessive about his campaign that I cross the street to avoid him, I’m not likely to vote for him. Mayor Jordan is a statesman, carries the office with humility and seems accessible to all people. Mr. Coody is a politician and exudes a BMOC identity that foretells an entirely self-serving agenda. I’ll take the statesman over the politician every time.
That is why I liked Coody as Mayor and Jordan on Council. You got a yen and yang. But when Jordan picked a real winner of a Chief of Staff, arrgggg!
I’m ready to see a debate between the two. Personalities aside what will be the best for all. I can see comparisons with the Hogs football.
From what I heard Petrino was a real ass but he could coach. Then that fell apart and Jeff Long took John L. Smith because he was nice and could get along.
The first public Mayoral candidate forum will be held on Wednesday 9/26 in City Hall Room 219 at 7:00p. It is produced and sponsored by the League of Women Voters. It will be recorded, and telecast by The Government Channel several times during the month of October, as well as being available online.
“Coody has an unfortunate reputation for being hard to work for— tyrannical, too image-conscious, thin-skinned, vindictive, lots of negative gossiping, the ends justify the means. There was much tension within the City staff when he was mayor, to the point that it often affected morale and the quality of work there.”
Saying it affected morale and the quality of work is putting it mildly. That extends to his interactions with people outside the City staff as well. And it’s not just being hard to work for. We can also add unrealistic, selfish, egotistical, power-hungry, intolerant, condescending, dissembling, and dismissive. These are really NOT the traits I would want in a Mayor.
Since the police and firefighters are protected by civil service, they can safely speak up about it without fear of losing their jobs. I wonder how many other City staff members are against Mr. Coody being Mayor again, but are just not being vocal for fear of losing their jobs if he gets elected. It says a lot when the two largest groups of city staff are supporting Mr. Jordan.
Looking at it that way, it’s really not a difficult choice.
jmo
When did it come out the firemen were having affairs in the parking deck of the Underwood building? If I recall corectly Tony Johnson was the scapegoat of that fiasco. And wasn’t there a exodus of employees about a year ago from the city, employees hired by the previous administration? The first hire by the current administration continues to plague the headlines of newspapres for non-payment of taxes and loans.
So it seems Dickson Revenues are up besides the parking difficulties? Perhaps the business that are doing a good job are keeping the numbers positive. Farrell’s seems to be busy all the time. Bordinos is busy. Grubs is Grubs. Jose’s is back to what it used to be when Fennel owned it. Do a good job and people will go through some inconvenience to find you.
Exodus? John Coleman left for a better paying position. Karen Minkel went on FMLA to have a baby, came back part time for a while, and then went to the Walton Foundation for a position she apparently felt fit better with her new family. Dara Sanders got a better paying and more advanced position in her field in Shreveport, where she is originally from. Who else? And no one was laid off or furloughed during the worst part of the recession.
As for the ‘fiasco’ regarding the situation with the firefighters, I will take offense for them regarding your implication that many are sneaking off to have affairs in buildings. There are many, many great people who work for the Fire Department, and put their lives on the line to protect your life and property (assuming you live in Fayetteville). I am confident there is much, much more to that entire situation that we in the general public will never know. As for Mr. Johnson’s role in it, I can’t address that, but he WAS the Chief and I imagine if he had handled the situation more appropriately, he would have kept his job.
Yes, Mr. Marr has had his share of personal issues.
I’m not saying I agree with everything Mr. Jordan has done, or continues to do. If you have seen my posts in the past you will already know this. I only say that he is better than his opponent, as described above.
jmo
I am not sure commenting at this time is a good idea, but there is an important perspective that hasn’t been brought up yet. I’d like to take a [brief] break from the political theme of the comments thus far to point out what I see as a key takeaway of these tax figures.
I’ll start by saying what a few people have already said: these numbers don’t lead us to conclude much about the effects of paid parking. However, I do think it is safe to infer that the Dickson St economy is thriving. Because it was thriving before paid parking and it continues to thrive now, I think it is safe to say that paid parking isn’t killing Dickson St and that paid parking isn’t having a positive impact either. It’s probably neutral, but that isn’t my point. If you’re like me, you never expected paid parking to improve the Dickson St economy directly; that would be an absurd line of thinking. I’ve said before and I’ll say it again that paid parking is part of a long-game strategy to justify replacing the Walton Arts Center lot with mixed-use redevelopment and open-air civic space. But I digress.
I only reiterate those points to frame what I think is really important: we should be asking what makes the Dickson St economy thrive. The answer isn’t parking spaces! It says something that downtown Fayetteville is the only place in Northwest Arkansas with a parking problem that is so awesome people are still willing to drive to it. If we figure out the reason, we can make sure Dickson St keeps growing and we can take that strategy to other streets and neighborhoods to create new nodes of economic activity. If we figure out that reason, we can have a generational economic strategy instead of deliberating ad nauseam over isolated tactics like parking policy, event infrastructure, or A&P funding doctrine (all of which are important, but nonetheless inadequate strategies for sustained economic health).
So what does make downtown thrive? I believe the correct answer to that question is people drive the economy, not parking spaces, bike lanes, a particular kind of park, a big event, or anything else. When folks have pointed out the increased enrollment at the University, they are alluding to this point, but I want to make it directly:
The key to ensuring a thriving downtown is making sure there are more opportunities for people to live there. Compared to the economic effect of more downtown living space, everything else is marginal, even parking.
” paid parking is part of a long-game strategy to justify replacing the Walton Arts Center lot with mixed-use redevelopment and open-air civic space”???
I thought paid parking was the strategy to keep the WAC, not replace it? Why are we giving WAC a cut of the parking revenues, if we want to get rid of them?
“The key to ensuring a thriving downtown is making sure there are more opportunities for people to live there.”
Why? Both attempts to provide large scale housing in the Dickson Street area have gone through bankruptcy and/or foreclosure; are too expensive for lower- to middle-class residents to afford; and provide limited parking to their residents. So now we have two huge mostly-empty buildings taking up space that could have been used for business that people might frequent — even if they had to drive and pay to park to do it. We’ve mostly just provided condos for the rich folk from Little Rock to camp out during football weekends, haven’t we?
The term “Walton Arts Center lot” refers to the parking lot on the southwest corner of Dickson St and West Ave, not the property on which the Walton Arts Center rests.
As to your other point, I think assuming that what has already been attempted is the only way of doing medium-density housing is a mistake. High-scale condos don’t work in Fayetteville now and likely won’t be viable for a long time yet. The developers who built those buildings misjudged the market in a big way.
Decisions on what to build and where were made by investors and bankers who thought they knew the market but didn’t. The City also has some responsibility for granting all the variances to allow the Legacy and Underwood condo developers to do those empty edifices, and we were saved from the Divinity by two local citizens who fought the city in court. Either the city’s downtown master plan was ignored, or it was based on a faulty vision disconnected from reality. Having an artist sketch a utopian picture is nice for politicians and developers selling the projects, but the city and the go-go developers gave us something else. We can do better, and I think Alderman Petty is on the right track.
I completely missed the word “lot” in your statement. My bad. This is the first I’ve heard of your “long-game strategy”. I approve.
As for the downtown housing idea … I’m skeptical, but I’ll try to keep an open mind. Piggybacking on to FML’s comment, doesn’t the city have some responsibility for the “misjudgment” related to those two buildings?
I believe those two buildings were approved before the Masterplan was adopted and before the height limits we adopted.. I agree with Matthew that we need a strategy that will allow us to develop the Walton Art Center lot, but I don’t agree that the path we are on is in the best long term interest of the city or the entertainment district. I don’t think it is wise to sacrifice a valuable piece of land for a city owned parking garage. Why is it we can’t take the time to develop a plan for all the city owned land around the art center before locking in a piecemeal approach? Why not start with the adopted master plan and invite the public into the process to design something we can all get behind.
The current passion for infill at any price, the favored development strategy of every pseudo-green candidate and ex-prof around, is ruining any sense of small town atmosphere we have left. With an autocratic university over-admitting students, expanding in a way that destroys what’s left of our nice old neighborhoods and driving the type of over-scaled ugly infill projects we see on south School and on Maple, soon there will be no other identity possible for Fayetteville other than that of binge-drinking, pig-obsessed eaters of poptarts (ala food network’s culinary assessment of us this summer). Lowest common denominator–the one mathematical concept the UA has obviously managed to successfully instill.
Well there’s a big bah-humbug! If Fayetteville isn’t growing and changing it will only stagnate and then we would see an inevitable decline. Alderman Petty’s comments above are well taken.
There are three kinds of small towns: the kind that very few people live in, the kind that covers a small area with relatively low population density, and the kind with small-town inhabitants.
Fayetteville will never again have few inhabitants, and thanks to the sprawl that dominated its development since about 1950, it will never again be geographically small. Unfortunately, Fayetteville still has the opportunity to have a small-town attitude.
While there are too many people spread over too great an area for the core of Fayetteville– the Square and Dickson Street– to serve the entire population, it is still possible for the core of Fayetteville to develop the gravity and self-sufficiency of a proper small town. However, sufficient population density (other than University students) is needed in order to make that happen.
As long as infill development fits the scale of the Fayetteville core– and Underwood Plaza, the Legacy Building and Sterling Frisco have already exceeded it– the core will still retain its small-town feel. (Of course, small towns can have unusually large or tall buildings.)
The automobile is the driving force (Ha!) behind the end of the traditional neighborhood. Will it be possible to turn North College into a series of areas that are analogous to neighborhoods? A shopping center is not a neighborhood (although shopping centers have been designed to serve as neighborhood centers– see Hancock Center in Austin), but f it is possible, Fayetteville might be the city that figures out how to do it.
What!? Dammit, Austin again!?
More downtown living space…. Where is “downtown”? Regardless, I do not believe you can show evidence that “more downtown living space”, however modish or attractive the concept, has done anything to reduce the residential sprawl, the strip malls, the cars, the trucks, the road building. You’ve read that it should. The mantra’s been recited by quasi upscale greenish urban planners and architects for decades. But where is the evidence? In our type of economy, growth is powered by speculation not by need. So putting more new stuff in downtown does not necessarily mean that we reduce the amount of new stuff (needed or not) on the fringes. I can see that Ward 2 representatives must focus on the charms of Ward 2. But why does the city as a whole put so much planning effort into “downtown” and give its blessing to randomness and waste of resources elsewhere?
Planning. The planning is subpar in this town. Its ruled by what people in positions of authority see on a day to day basis. College to Archibald Yell transition which was probably ok at the time is dangerous with modern vehicles and forget about pedestrians in that area.
Wedington west of I-540, horrid! Where was the planning there?
Any pedestrian crossing of I-540 is very unfriendly.
If we need a parking deck why isn’t there a long term plan for something of this nature? Can’t we have a 5, 10 15 and 20 year plan?
Block street overplanned, too many cooks in the kitchen there! Besides planning we need a leader with vision, not a meek leader either, one with a huge ego so he can be called out and humbled. It’s the vision that is missing, and the b—- to express it.
There is a vision. Fayetteville has adopted a Master Plan which is available on the city’s website.
They have found 2d plans over 10000 years old on cave walls. I’m talking about vision.
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.”
FSF
Hello Martine, thanks for bringing up this perspective. It’s one that I’ve heard before in academic circles. Why haven’t “new urbanist” planning efforts resulted in a reduction in sprawl? It’s a great question.
I think you answered it yourself. As good as the City Plan 2030 or Downtown Master Plans may be, there are still 9 decision makers and entire institutions contributing to the day to day decisions of how a city grows. Frankly, until everyone is committed to reducing sprawl, sprawl still happens. Right now we are seeing both kinds of city growth: sprawl is happening and so is “more downtown living space.” We are seeing both kinds precisely because we have people pushing for both kinds of growth.
What if I flipped your logic and asked “Why hasn’t sprawling development prevented the growth of more central neighborhoods?” Whether sprawl still exists or not, it isn’t the measure we use to examine more urban development patterns.
M. Petty – But when someone who lives downtown feels cramped by unanticipated and massive buildings and people next door, they’re asked to understand that it’s for the sake of a downtown that is so “livable” it will put the brakes on sprawl. You yourself might never have said or implied this, but it’s been heard ad nauseam over the past decade at least. I’d be happier with your acknowledgement of competitive opinions in planning decisions if people and entities who profess they’d like to discourage sprawl would actively discourage it by acting (voting?) against sprawl projects, e.g. projects that require additional road expansion, more driving to get from downtown to the new “there” (wherever), more paving, and less potential or mitigation of harsh future realities associated with climate, water availability, etc. in the future. Despite pockets of sanity in our “vision”, the end result is catch-as-catch-can. We’ve got a plan but no guiding thought. It’s all-American, but we may someday regret the loss of land for small farms or for fleeting tastes of wild spaces.
I absolutely agree. Just one month ago the Council voted to extend sewer service to a subdivision outside of the city limits. I was the lone ‘no’ vote.
Vote in candidates who recognize sprawl and will do what it takes to stop it. But don’t use the existence of sprawl or the “All-American” condition of our local government to conclude that complete neighborhoods are failures. Change in development patterns takes a generation to manifest, and it is a collective change as much as it is political.
Lets not forget that 2010 and 2011 were our best seasons for Arkansas football in a long time which will make more people want to go out to Dickson street even more. But if you look at the summer months it hasnt done much and has actually gone down for June and July .Many people have told me that work on Dickson street also notice that the month of May also slows down drastically after graduation and semester finals are over with . Also dont forget that this past winter felt almost like spring with warmer temperatures and very little if any winter weather like snow or ice to contend with at all made people want to go out even more during the winter which helped out December ,Jan,February and March compared to 2011 and 2010 horrible cold weather and snow storms . The only months that had big jump consective years are in August ,September and October,November during the heart of Razorback football and the UofA students coming back to the UofA hanging out a night during the fall semester. You can also notice that the months that are during summer and Christmas break the numbers are basically the same around $1800 which leads to think this is primarly from student growth from the young Uof A students spending all of their parents money on Dickson street not worring about paid parking and the economy getting better somewhat . Which is largely making the summer and somewhat christmas holiday months very slow and very pointless for a Parking garage or paid parking.