Audubon Arkansas talking partnership with springwoods
Posted on Thursday, December 8, 2005
Negotiations are ongoing between Audubon Arkansas and Haynes Limited regarding ownership of the planned preservation site within the springwoods development.
The two sides have spent several months working out preliminary details about the partnership. What remains to be determined is how soon Audubon Arkansas can receive approval from the national organization and take possession of the land in relation to when the developers want to transfer it, state director Kenneth Smith said. "The time frame is the single most important issue,"Smith said. "It's how rapid can Audubon as an organization move forward. We still have to go through all of our board review and approval processes and get all that done."
About 128 acres make up the conservation lot, which will be utilized as a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers compensatory mitigation site.
Covenants of the property stated the corps of engineers must approve any removal, destruction or mowing of vegetation in the preservation lot. The corps of engineers also must authorize activities planned there, excluding hunting and fishing activities permitted by state, local or Audubon laws and regulations.
Audubon Arkansas officials toured the property Oct. 21 with National Audubon Society President and Chief Executive Officer John Flicker.
The project excited Flicker, and he encouraged the state organization to continue working with developer Collins Haynes toward bringing it into fruition, Smith said.
Haynes Limited doesn't have a target date by which a deal must be reached, Hunter Haynes said. The firm has received a document containing Audubon's wishes for the property and has been working through those needs, he said.
Items brought up in October included Audubon officials continuing to identify funding needs, mitigation requirements and the impact of commercial development surrounding the site, in addi- tion to encouraging neighboring residential areas to takes measures to minimize their impact.
Such steps could include maximizing greenspace, discouraging the use of invasive species in landscaping designs and reducing the amount of artificial fertilizers and pesticides.
Construction is under way in other portions of springwoods. Two sections of single-family residential lots are being created on the west side of the property off Dean Solomon Road, along with a multifamily subdivision.
A commercial site will front Shiloh Drive and Interstate 540, while another will include Sam's Club off Arkansas 112 and adjacent business sites.
The covenant recommends buildings feature eco-roofs to reduce the need for downspouts, apply energy efficiency practices and install living wastewater treatment systems for sewage from one or more buildings.
It also addresses outdoor lighting, which is to be deflected toward the ground and must exclude blinking, flashing and animated lights and lights on towers.
The springwoods property formerly was known as the Wilson Springs Business Park. The city of Fayetteville sold it in May 2003 to Haynes Limited for $5.2 million after the land went undeveloped for several years.
Collins Haynes soon approached Audubon Arkansas about preserving the site, which the organization had identified in the past as an ideal location for a Northwest Arkansas regional center.
Preliminary designs include such a facility just off Shiloh Drive that would also serve as an entrance into the conservation area, but only time will tell whether it becomes reality. "Audubon has spent a lot of money and a tremendous amount of time since 2003,"Smith said. "We've been involved in every step of the way, and that has consumed a lot of time, effort and resources, so we have a lot invested in this as well."
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