FAYETTEVILLE — Members of the Town and Gown Advisory Committee familiarized themselves last week with long-range city and University of Arkansas plans in an effort to address concerns that come with population growth on campus and in Fayetteville.
The Town and Gown Advisory Committee is a 21-member board composed of city officials, university representatives and Fayetteville residents that was formed in July to discuss matters of mutual interest to the city and university.
Most matters, from the city’s perspective, relate to transportation and housing, said Don Marr, Mayor Lioneld Jordan’s chief of staff.
With more university students than ever before, city officials in recent years have received more neighborhood complaints about noise, traffic and litter and have had to respond to more emergency calls.
According to the university’s institutional research office, university enrollment grew from 18,648 students in fall 2007 to 24,537 students this fall, an increase of 5,889 students — or 31.6 percent.
With about 5,000 housing units available on campus, more and more students are living in apartments or rental houses in established neighborhoods, Marr said.
Jeremy Pate, Fayetteville Development Services director, said he expects Fayetteville’s population, estimated at 73,580 currently, to balloon to 110,725 by 2030.
“That’s a significant number of new beds in Fayetteville,” Pate said. “That’s a significant number of new cars in Fayetteville, new toilets in Fayetteville — all those things that come with infrastructure growth. There are wonderful things about growth. There are also things we have to manage and carefully plan for.”
Pate said Fayetteville’s high rental rate — 62.3 percent, according to U.S. census estimates — is not uncommon in university towns. “It’s simply a reality and a challenge and an opportunity that we have to face,” Pate said, “because there are also residents who live right next door who have been there for 45 years.”
He said city officials often field questions from residents and developers about university growth plans but aren’t able to say with certainty where university development will go.
Mike Johnson, the university’s associate vice chancellor for facilities, said it’s no secret where university officials plan to expand on the campus’ edge.
With the exception of land at West Cleveland Street and North Hall Avenue where a private apartment complex was planned, Johnson said, the university has pretty much acquired property in recent years only in areas identified in a 2007 growth plan.
According to Jay Huneycutt, director of planning and capital programs, the university could eventually add as much as 3 million square feet of additional land to the roughly 9 million square feet that’s currently filled with classroom space, dormitories and athletic facilities.
The university has immediate plans for more parking on property west of Razorback Road and at Cleveland Street and Hall Avenue. New student housing could eventually go up on land the university owns east of Bud Walton Arena.
“Apart from that, we’re not looking at any major growth in any other areas from a housing standpoint,” said Danny Pugh, vice provost for student affairs.
The university in large part will depend on private developments springing up throughout town to meet student housing needs. Pate estimated that four apartment complexes now under construction will add about 2,600 bedrooms in Fayetteville.
The Town and Gown Advisory Committee is working to create a priority list of concerns to discuss in 2013. The group’s next meeting is scheduled Jan. 28.
Arkansas, Pages 23 on 12/23/2012