SPRINGDALE -- The city, if approved by the City Council, will soon own a historic building and more land for parks.
The Council Street and Capital Improvement Program Committee voted Monday to recommend the purchase of Rabbit's Foot Lodge and 42 acres that surround it. The council agenda calls for a vote on the purchase at the 6 p.m. meeting today.
Committee Meeting
City Council Committees
Springdale City Council committees, in a meeting Monday, voted to send to the full council:
• The settlement of a condemnation lawsuit for property along 56th Street owned by Thang Van Nguyen and Xuan Thi Huynh for $3,000
• A contract for construction of a traffic signal at Don Tyson Parkway and 40th Street for $148,042 with All Service Electric
• A resolution to spend $70,000 for the demolition of the Jeff Brown building and adding $20,000 to the budget of the Community Engagement division.
Source: Staff Report
The purchase price is $1.05 million for the two-story log cabin, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the land, which connects to J.B. Hunt Park and to Lake Springdale. Johnelle Hunt, the wife of J.B. Hunt, has agreed to donate $500,000 toward the purchase of the property, said Doug Sprouse, mayor. J.B. Hunt died in 2006.
The remainder of the cost will come from park land purchase money reserved from the Capital Improvement Program fund, said Rick Evans, committee chairman. The park reserve was $1.7 million at the end of February, according to Wyman Morgan, city director of administration and financial services.
The house is of historical interest, said Allyn Lord, Shiloh Museum director, not only because former Sen. J. William Fulbright lived in the house, but also because of its age, construction materials and use over the years.
The cabin, built in 1908, was constructed of logs and stone produced on the property, according to the National Register application. It is the best example of an Adirondack-style log cabin in the state, according to the application.
The property location, near the parks and the Razorback Greenway, was the reason it would be of high value to the community, Sprouse said. The Razorback Greenway is a 36-mile trail under construction, which will run from Fayetteville to Bentonville.
Council member asked for an appraisal and inspection of the property when the purchase was earlier discussed. The appraisal stated the value of the property was $1.1 million, $50,000 more than the asking price. The inspection did state some maintenance is needed.
Eric Ford, alderman, asked about the cost of repairs and maintenance. The city is seeking other organizations that will help with those costs, Sprouse said.
"We are not looking to make a bunch of money off the lodge," Sprouse said. "We want to cover our costs."
The lodge needs handrails in several places, upgrading of electrical wiring and sealing of the logs, according to the inspection.
Grants and low-cost loans can be available to repair buildings on the National Register, Ford said, but have strict requirements for those who apply and for the work that is done.
The purchase closing, if approved by the council, would take place May 28, Sprouse said.
NW News on 04/22/2014