City of North Little Rock

Public Land Development Task ForceCommunity MeetingThursday, February 21, 2013

Public Land Development Task Force History•The Task Force was established by former

Mayor Patrick Hays in the Fall of 2012.•The Task Force’s purpose was to review

the parcels of public land owned by the City of North Little Rock.

•Following this review, the Task Force is to present its recommendations to the North Little Rock City Council.

Purpose of Community Meeting

The Public Land Development Task Force has met several times since October 2012 to review 140 City-owned parcels.

We want feedback from residents of the City before presenting our final report and recommendations to the City Council on April 22, 2013.

The Task Force Members

1. Connie Phillips, Chair – Ward 32. Joel Buckner, Vice-Chair – Ward

13. Thomas Pownall, Secretary –

Ward 44. Kathleen Rea – Mayoral

appointee5. Roger Marlin – Mayoral

appointee6. Vicki Stephens – P&R

Commission

7. Debbie Strobel – Ward 18. John Crow – Ward 29. Evelyn Creal – Ward 210.Alderman Steve Baxter – Ward

311.Kevin Newsom – Ward 312.Alderman Charlie Hight – Ward

413.David Holsted – Ward 4

The Task Force’s Report

•Which City property must remain in public use for its current purpose? (Examples: City Hall, Library, Airport, and others.)

•Which City property seems best suited for development as a park, green space, neighborhood garden, conservation area, or for other public use?

•Which City property should be sold for economic development and income?

The Task Force’s Current Findings

• Many of the public properties should continue to serve the public. Examples are:▫City Hall▫Libraries▫Waste Water Facilities▫NLR Airport▫Police and Courts Buildings▫Other Similar properties• Other parcels should be sold for economic

development or income.• Other parcels should be held for some type of public

use.

Park Limitations

•Most parks are restricted for use for park purposes.

•Parks are often enhanced with Federal funding that requires adherence to federal rules and regulations.

•Development of park property, even for indoor recreational activity, requires a land conversion process – new park acreage of equal value is acquired to replace acreage lost to non-park activities.

Parcels for Tonight’s Discussion

• Burns Park property proposed for a lodge and other commercial use.

• The Big Rock Quarry.• Pike Avenue Open Space.• Vacant tract east of Baring Cross Bridge.• Tract near Roundabout west of Baring Cross Bridge.• Smart House Way tract.• Former NLR Electric Department Office.• Southern Cotton Property.• Young Road tract.• Residential tracts.

Parks and RecreationGeneral Information

Presented by Vicki Stephens, NLR Parks & Recreation Commission

How NLR Parks are Funded

Item Amount

Parks and Recreation Hamburger Tax Penny $2,067,492

Advertising and Promotion Hamburger Tax Penny $1,774,788

Capital Improvement Hamburger Tax Penny $1,774,788

Parks and Recreation Fees and Charges $1,503,692

Total $7,120,760

•The Lodge at Burns Park

About 65 acres of Burns Park property has been proposed for a lodge and other commercial uses to support sporting events, family reunions and outdoor retreats.

•The Big Rock Quarry

The Big Rock Quarry was purchased with City funds with no particular use in mind. The river trail was constructed along the Arkansas River bank and many think it is now part of Burns Park. The Quarry and riverbank provides about 60 acres, and recommending a future use of this property is a primary mission of this taskforce.

•Pike Avenue Open Space

There is residual right-of-way on the west side of Pike Avenue that could be used for some purpose. The potential lots are only about 120’ deep.

•Tract east of Baring Cross Bridge

There are between 1.5 and 2 acres east of the Baring Cross Bridge. Rail noise is a negative concern at this location.

•Pike Avenue Roundabout Tract

The City owns about five acres south of the Pike Avenue roundabout.

•Smart House Way Tract

The Smart House Way parcel provides 5.8 acres of urban infill property. The property has been cleaned of pollution, power line relocated and has been for sale for the past few years.

•Former NLR City Electric Department

The City Electric Department has moved to Maryland Ave. This two-block property at 8th and Main St. is available for reuse or economic development.

•Southern Cotton TractThe City owns property off Buckeye that has been leased for warehousing and rail yard purposes.

•Young Road TractAbout 18.85 acres off Young Road has been available for redevelopment. This property is north of Northshore Business Park near the Maumelle Blvd./I-430 interchange. It has limited utilities and access off Young Road.

•Residential Tracts

Lots are often donated to the City to avoid future taxes or lots are reserved because of poor site conditions. The Committee recommends putting these properties to a public or private purpose.

1. Consider for use as a neighborhood garden,2. Offer for sale to the public, or3. Offer to merge with adjoining lots.

Questions & Discussion

Next Steps

•Public Land Use Development Task Force will continue to meet in the coming weeks.

•Work will be focused on final report to be presented to the NLR City Council on April 22, 2013.

Thank You!

The Task Force thanks you for taking the time to be present this evening and for providing input and opinions on this topic, which will impact our City for years to come.