SPRINGDALE — The west side of the city will have better response times in the future from the Springdale Fire Department after the City Council approved Tuesday buying land for a new Station No. 7.
The council agreed to pay $230,000 for 2.1 acres in the Har-Ber Bend Development. The property appraised for $242,000, according to records. The money will come from the fire improvement construction fund which totals $8.5 million.
The money came from a November bond sale approved by voters in August. The bond sale also raised $42.7 million for street projects and $16.1 million for parks. The bonds are being paid by a 1 percent sales tax.
At A Glance
Council Action
Springdale City Council met Tuesday and approved:
-Rezoning of 0.6 acres at 5782 W. Sunset Ave. from general commercial to thoroughfare commercial for Popeye’s restaurant; 1.5 acres at 3550 S. 56th St. from agricultural to general commercial for Commercial Computer Service; 1.6 acres on Downing Road north of County Line Road from agricultural to residential estate for Pinkley Farms; 1 acre at 1176 W. Shultz Road from agricultural to neighborhood office for David Norsworthy
-Spending $196,400 in conjunction with the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission to buy “wayfinding” signs
-Purchasing a house at 602 Caudle Ave. for $30,000 for the construction of roundabout at the intersections of Caudle, Powell Street, Park Street and Applegate Drive
Source: Staff Report
The property is on the south side of Har-Ber Avenue, west of Hellstern Middle School.
The new station will also cut the response time to the northwest corner of the city, said Jim Reed, alderman. Reed lives in the area.
“We’ve had a response time of 12 to 16 minutes,” Reed said. “This new station will cut that in half.”
The station will also boost response times to Har-Ber High School, Bernice Young Elementary School, Hellstern and Willis Shaw Elementary School, Reed said.
“Eventually, we’ll have faster emergency medical response times, too,” Reed said. “That station will have three bays so someday an ambulance can be stationed there.”
An access easement across the land will have to be closed before the purchase is closed, said Ernest Cate, city attorney.
The station will be the first west of Interstate 540. Construction should begin in 2014 and completed in 2015.
The council also approved settling two lawsuits. The council voted to settle a lawsuit with Wendell and Renee Collins for $49,700. The Collins claimed water draining from improvements to Wagon Wheel Road caused water damage to their house.
The council also approved settling a condemnation lawsuit with the Hylton Family Trust for $34,671. The city filed the lawsuit to acquire right of way for improvement to Hylton Road. A new school, Lakeside Junior High School, is scheduled to open on Hylton Road in the fall.
The amount was set by a mediator, Cate said. The city had already paid the trust $19,900 with the settlement an addition to that amount.