New Fayetteville Bank Branch Sports Community Garden

First Security A Prime Example Of ‘Form-Based’ Development

STAFF PHOTO DAVID GOTTSCHALK Jason Flores, left, a diplomat with the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and with First Security Bank, and Hunter Norton with First Security Bank discuss the progress Thursday of the community garden lat the bank’s remodeled location at 11 N. College Avenue in Fayetteville. The garden of five beds are the first community gardens in a commercially zoned area and are maintained by Feed Fayetteville.
STAFF PHOTO DAVID GOTTSCHALK Jason Flores, left, a diplomat with the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and with First Security Bank, and Hunter Norton with First Security Bank discuss the progress Thursday of the community garden lat the bank’s remodeled location at 11 N. College Avenue in Fayetteville. The garden of five beds are the first community gardens in a commercially zoned area and are maintained by Feed Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- A new First Security Bank building at College Avenue and Meadow Street features one of the city's first community gardens in a commercial area.

The bank is also an example of "form-based" development city officials have prioritized during the past few years.

At A Glance

Best Practices For Urban Gardening

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers several tips for gardens planted close to busy roadways.

• Build raised beds

• Separate clean soil from existing soil with landscape fabric

• Apply a thick layer of compost or mulch

• Select plants that produce fruiting bodies, such as tomatoes, squash, peppers, peas and beans

• Throw away the outer layer of green leafy vegetables before eating

• Wash all produce with running water

• Peel back root and tuber crops in contact with the soil

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

During construction, bank officials decided to partner with the nonprofit organization Feed Communities on five 5-by-15-foot planter boxes.

The boxes feature several varieties of edible flowers, herbs and vegetables, including peppers, tomatoes, lavender, eggplant, squash and bee balm.

Feed Communities workers, who planted the gardens, plan to donate what they grow to community meals and food pantries. Denise Garner, board chairwoman and founder, said the project fits with the group's mission of increasing access to healthy food for people in need.

"We're wanting to use this as an example of what other businesses can do," said Michael Rush, executive director of Feed Communities.

Annette King, bank spokeswoman, said nonprofit group members consulted with experts in the University of Arkansas' Department of Horticulture before planting crops within 15 feet of College Avenue.

Exhaust from the roughly 23,000 cars that pass the bank building each day and pollutants found in stormwater runoff have the potential to contaminate the plants.

According to a 2011 urban gardening report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, soil next to heavily trafficked roadways can contain lead, zinc and harmful hydrocarbons. The contaminants can be mitigated by building raised beds, selecting specific types of vegetables and adding clean soil and soil amendments.

Plants that produce fruiting bodies, such as tomatoes, squash, peppers, peas and beans, are generally protected from contaminated soil, according to the EPA report. Root and tuber crops, including carrots, potatoes and onions, are more susceptible to contamination, because they contact with the soil. They should be peeled back before being eaten, the EPA advises. Green leafy vegetables should be thoroughly washed before being consumed.

Adrienne Shaunfield, former executive director for Feed Fayetteville, said gardeners took that into account when planning the First Security site.

Berni Kurz, a Washington County Extension Service agent, said Thursday lead contamination was more of a concern 25 years ago, before unleaded gasoline was widely used.

"My advice is to wash the fresh vegetables with plenty of fresh water before consuming raw or cooked," Kurz said. "These vegetables will have a buildup of dust and grime, which is generated from vehicles passing by, but only on the surface."

"Don't graze in the garden," Kurz added, "but wash and enjoy."

The renovated bank branch, which opened in February, is one of the latest examples of form-based development in Fayetteville. Others include the Fayetteville District Court building at Church Avenue and Rock Street; Firestone Complete Auto Care near Mission Boulevard and Crossover Road; The Dickson, which features several ground-level storefronts and high-rise condos at 609 W. Dickson St; and a Dunkin' Donuts franchise that's being built at 1805 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Form-based zoning districts have "build-to zones," meaning buildings can only be built so far away from the front property line. More conventional zoning districts require buildings to be set back a specific distance from the street or sidewalk.

The requirement encourages buildings along the street and sidewalk with parking on the side or rear, Andrew Garner, city planning director, explained. He said the idea is to foster "pedestrian-friendly" developments where passersby can window shop and feel more comfortable walking from business to business.

"We're certainly happy that First Security was willing to work with the city to address some of those things," Garner said.

According to David Russell, president of the bank's Fayetteville market, First Security built or rebuilt three branches in the past year and a half: on College Avenue, Wedington Drive and South Thompson Street, across from Lokomotion Fun Park.

"We had some facilities that were not up to current standards, and we wanted to build branches that fit our bank's image," Russell said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday.

NW News on 07/25/2014

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