Ruskin Heights

[Mith242]

The Brooks-Hummel 14 acres are a subject for some other forum. Yes, the homes around Lake Lucille are old-school (70-90s) elite. For years I've wanted to walk the area north of Lake Lucille/east of Evelyn Hills but always thought I would be trespassing. If this area was incorporated into Fayetteville's trail/green space inventory... it would NOT be an error. I hope the issue finds a successful, public solution. Good infill is expected; conservation of special places is Fayetteville.

URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/47317/

From what I have heard this does sound like a nice area to preserve. But I am a bit worried that people might want to preserve everything. I hate to sound like I'm against green space, but I'd just rather see development well inside the city and not pushed to the edges or outside of it. Although you'd think there should be plenty or areas for infill or redevelopment just along College Ave.

[strmchsr77]

From what I have heard this does sound like a nice area to preserve. But I am a bit worried that people might want to preserve everything. I hate to sound like I'm against green space, but I'd just rather see development well inside the city and not pushed to the edges or outside of it. Although you'd think there should be plenty or areas for infill or redevelopment just along College Ave.

I really think that they are doing too much preserving. If you continue to take large chunks of open land that is in the middle of the city and make it unavailable for infill, you just cause more spawl and make the real estate prices climb more. I don't mind a certain amount of park space or even forested areas in town but it seems like all Fayetteville does.

[Ruskin]

From what I have heard this does sound like a nice area to preserve. But I am a bit worried that people might want to preserve everything. I hate to sound like I'm against green space, but I'd just rather see development well inside the city and not pushed to the edges or outside of it. Although you'd think there should be plenty or areas for infill or redevelopment just along College Ave.

Infill is extremely difficult financially any way you slice it. Combine the much higher land cost for an infill project with a guranteed regulatory fight vs. a much reduced chance of regulatory hurdles in greenfield locations, and you can see why so few developers choose to take on residential infill projects. It costs less and is easier to do a greenfield project despite Goals 1 and 2 of City Plan 2025.

It is even more difficult if you are trying to revitalize a blighted, but developed area. For instance, if you wanted to redevelop a portion of South Fayetteville in an area with crumbling rent homes, you would still pay $75,000+ per house plus demolition. Those homes MAY be on 1/4 of an acre, are usually on a much smaller piece. So, at a minimum you are talking $300,000/acre plus demolition in what is by definition a less desirable location. By comparision, this land price is a multiple of the land price of Ruskin Heights, which may be in the most attractive location for a decent sized block left in Fayetteville.

[cocothief]

Infill is extremely difficult financially any way you slice it. Combine the much higher land cost for an infill project with a guranteed regulatory fight vs. a much reduced chance of regulatory hurdles in greenfield locations, and you can see why so few developers choose to take on residential infill projects. It costs less and is easier to do a greenfield project despite Goals 1 and 2 of City Plan 2025.

It is even more difficult if you are trying to revitalize a blighted, but developed area. For instance, if you wanted to redevelop a portion of South Fayetteville in an area with crumbling rent homes, you would still pay $75,000+ per house plus demolition. Those homes MAY be on 1/4 of an acre, are usually on a much smaller piece. So, at a minimum you are talking $300,000/acre plus demolition in what is by definition a less desirable location. By comparision, this land price is a multiple of the land price of Ruskin Heights, which may be in the most attractive location for a decent sized block left in Fayetteville.

This is very good information. I wish the city council and planning commission actually understood this equation and approached infill plan review with this in mind.. Hopefully Ruskin Heights sets the precedent on what will be many good quality infill projects in the future.

[Mith242]

Yeah the city really needs to have incentives to make infill and redevelopment more feasible. There was a mention at the City Plan 2025 meetings of having impact fees on developments increase as you progress further from the city core. Then also waiving fees on infill developments.

[Mith242]

Guess we have to wait a little longer to get this approved. But overall I still think there's a good chance of this happening despite some people. I wasn't there last night but I did read about it in the paper and heard Coody was getting a bit annoyed at the person making the biggest case against it. He apparently even got up and left for a while, as she kept going on and on.

[strmchsr77]

Guess we have to wait a little longer to get this approved. But overall I still think there's a good chance of this happening despite some people. I wasn't there last night but I did read about it in the paper and heard Coody was getting a bit annoyed at the person making the biggest case against it. He apparently even got up and left for a while, as she kept going on and on.

Yes, this will eventually pass. I love how the city council thinks they can just keep developers waiting for the green light. This waiting just costs the developers and the city more and more money. There is so much more support for this development than against it. They should just go ahead and pass it and stop wasting people's money.

[hogwash]

What gets me is the council member that wants to change height requirements for buildings downtown after the city JUST adopted master plans for the downtown. She might as well just go burn piles of money from the city treasury. If the new height requirements pass so much effort, time, and money will have been wasted by the planning staff and consultants.

[Mith242]

What gets me is the council member that wants to change height requirements for buildings downtown after the city JUST adopted master plans for the downtown. She might as well just go burn piles of money from the city treasury. If the new height requirements pass so much effort, time, and money will have been wasted by the planning staff and consultants.

I'm getting the impression that isn't likely to pass. I think most of the council thinks the current ordinance is good enough.

[cowbreath]

Yes, this will eventually pass. I love how the city council thinks they can just keep developers waiting for the green light. This waiting just costs the developers and the city more and more money. There is so much more support for this development than against it. They should just go ahead and pass it and stop wasting people's money.

Yeah, it should be illegal at some point to have much financial impact on the project. At the least maybe the council members can hear opinions separately for their wards and pick who speaks. I don't know, it's just a bad process with some good. It's good to take time on impacting projects. It's good to hear descenting opinions on development to help modify it. Developers probably always present their best case scenario within reason of being considered seriously. I just can't see how they can justify any diversion from financial impact in decision making on taller buildings if they can't control property values. I do believe they consider it, but not publicly which I think is illegal (or if there is a way to have the developer present the financial impact to the public as a selling point than that should be allowed in the process). It will always be a painful, bad process though with this country that we live in (a price of freedom I suppose) and in this educated, opinionated town.

Yes, I don't mean to sound like I don't appreciate having natural areas. I think what irritates me more is how Mt Sequoyah and it's residents are treated compared to the rest of the city. I also saw how now people are wanting the city to buy land just east of Evelyn Hills to preserve it from development. I guess that would be considered the western slope of Mt Sequoyah. I guess I just don't have any problems with allowing some development to occur on Mt Sequoyah although I'm not sure much is going to be allowed. If Ruskin Heights wasn't so well planned out I have no doubts it would be quickly denied.

Mt Sequoyah is really not much of a mountain. It is a Fayetteville landmark, especially if you put an observation tower, but really it is just a mole hill.

[Mith242]

Mt Sequoyah is really not much of a mountain. It is a Fayetteville landmark, especially if you put an observation tower, but really it is just a mole hill.

Yeah, technically there aren't too many 'mountains' in the Ozarks at all. And if you came from the Rocky Mtns area you certainly wouldn't consider there being any mountains in Arkansas. But I still like our hills/mountains.

[hogwash]

I'm getting the impression that isn't likely to pass. I think most of the council thinks the current ordinance is good enough.

I know it won't pass, but she needs to be voted out next term. The city has no need for council members that try to form ordinance solely around their preferences.

[Ruskin]

City Council tonight (Tuesday the 20th). The meeting starts at 6:00. We are third under old items on the agenda, so we should be coming up pretty quickly. I hope to see all of you there!!

[CellarDoor135]

So what happened??

[cowbreath]

So what happened??

It passed! It's about time. Ruskin Passes

Yeah, technically there aren't too many 'mountains' in the Ozarks at all. And if you came from the Rocky Mtns area you certainly wouldn't consider there being any mountains in Arkansas. But I still like our hills/mountains.

Actually, yeah I like them too. I'm glad we have so many national preservation areas.

I know it won't pass, but she needs to be voted out next term. The city has no need for council members that try to form ordinance solely around their preferences.

"Allen and Aldermen Shirley Lucas, Lioneld Jordan and Kyle Cook voted for the amendment." I think we need to keep them all in mind. Height Cap Failed

[Ruskin]

WHEW!!!

[Mith242]

From what I heard Ruskin Heights was passed unanimously. I really felt it would get passed. I think there was some compromises made that made some and the city council happy. Of course there were some that weren't going to be happy at all unless it was totally left alone. I guess people get used to an area being undeveloped and have unrealistic ideas staying that way even though the whole area is booming.

[strmchsr77]

WHEW!!!

Congrats on finally getting this through! Everyone is really excited and can't wait to see this development in action.

[Mith242]

Congrats on finally getting this through! Everyone is really excited and can't wait to see this development in action.

Yeah I think I heard they could get started on this in June or July.

[Ruskin]

Yeah I think I heard they could get started on this in June or July.

I would like to be going in late May or early June.

[Mith242]

I would like to be going in late May or early June.

Cool. After things get going maybe I'll stop by one of these days to check it out and take a few pics.

[Ruskin]

Cool. After things get going maybe I'll stop by one of these days to check it out and take a few pics.

Come one, come all!! Now that it is a job site, we have moved our office into the house on the top of the hill. Stop by any time!

Ward

[thewizard16]

Come one, come all!! Now that it is a job site, we have moved our office into the house on the top of the hill. Stop by any time!

Ward

That looks like a pretty nice/large house. Better location for the offices, eh?

[mzweig]

I went to the unveiling of four days worth of architectural charette at Ruskin Heights Thursday night and I want to tell you that I found the architectural concepts being bandied about very exciting. This will probably not be your typical craftsman looking development. Instead, a lot of the stuff has a sort of carpenter Gothic/English Cotswald look, something that would be very unique to this area. The density of the development is going to require a lot of verticality and 12 over 12 or even 12 over 10 roof pitches. Very cool stuff. I am excited and look forward to seeing this development as it starts to go up. I will be building there myself--something very cool and creative. I'm sure Ward would show anyone who's interested the results of their recent work.

[strmchsr77]

I went to the unveiling of four days worth of architectural charette at Ruskin Heights Thursday night and I want to tell you that I found the architectural concepts being bandied about very exciting. This will probably not be your typical craftsman looking development. Instead, a lot of the stuff has a sort of carpenter Gothic/English Cotswald look, something that would be very unique to this area. The density of the development is going to require a lot of verticality and 12 over 12 or even 12 over 10 roof pitches. Very cool stuff. I am excited and look forward to seeing this development as it starts to go up. I will be building there myself--something very cool and creative. I'm sure Ward would show anyone who's interested the results of their recent work.

I would hope that he or someone could post some of this stuff. This sounds very interesting and I would really like to see what it looks like.