Springdale's Airport Commission approves retention pond plan

NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK. Springdale's Airport Commission and mayor are at odds over the construction of a pond on airport property to relieve flooding in downtown.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK. Springdale's Airport Commission and mayor are at odds over the construction of a pond on airport property to relieve flooding in downtown.

SPRINGDALE -- A new retention pond at the city's airport will calm the waters of development in downtown Springdale.

The Airport Commission approved the plan for the pond in a special meeting Thursday.

In accepting the plan, the commission loses the land they envisioned using for a terminal building fronting East Emma Avenue.

Most of the area along Spring Creek as it passes through downtown lies in a 100-year flood plain as the Federal Emergency Management Agency determines it, said Brad Baldwin, the city's director of engineering and public works.

The developers of two large projects in the downtown district have asked the city to build planned infrastructure to eliminate the floodplain before they make an investment, Mayor Doug Spouse said.

The City Council on Feb. 26 approved an $89,000 contract with FTN Associates to design the flood-retention project. No costs have been determined, and the project will be built with money from the capital improvement account, not 2018 bond money, Baldwin said.

According to initial engineering reports, construction of the pond on the northwest corner of the airport will control the stream by holding excess water, Baldwin said.

The project also will reduce the designated floodplain to within the banks of the creek, he said.

The federal agency's determination of a new floodplain will take about six months, Baldwin said.

Developers would like it in place to meet their schedules, Sprouse said. "And we're already one month late," he said.

A 20-year plan the commission keeps updated for the Federal Aviation Association includes the terminal, said Adam White of Garver Engineering.

Commissioners see the airport as a big opportunity for Springdale as it's the only airport in Northwest Arkansas in a city's downtown area. The location makes the airport great for company executives flying in and out for meetings or other business, said Steve Smith, a member of the Airport Commission.

The commission has worked to improve the airport over the past 10 years and would like to see continued growth. "But we're already landlocked," Smith said.

Commissioners also worried the pond might bring extra costs to later projects.

"It might cost more," Sprouse said. "But it won't cost more than delaying this drainage project and delaying the development."

Sprouse said he supports building an access road off Emma to the airport. But the decision on a terminal can wait.

"Right now you have no plans and no money to build the terminal. I would hate to lose development over something with no plans," he said.

Sprouse said opportunities for an airport terminal remained even with the retention pond. Part of the pond could be filled and a taxiway to the terminal built over it. Or the city could build another retention pond on the east side of the airport.

Commissioners -- many of whom are pilots -- voiced concerns about waterfowl finding a home in the pond.

"My concern became obvious this week when we had a low cloud ceiling," said Commissioner Greg Willoughby. "You pop out of those clouds at 250 feet and you suddenly see the geese flying at 200 feet right in front of you. That gets your attention very quickly. I've hit a goose and it leaves a hole in your wing."

The engineering study for the pond shows water would drain from the airport land in 30 hours, Baldwin said. The Federal Aviation Administration requires all water gone in 30 hours.

Joel Gardner, another commission member, asked if control of waterfowl could come from the city's budget rather than the airport's budget.

"The timing is not always perfect on anything, but we need to make the best decision we can at the time," Sprouse said. "If we delay this development, it might never get built."

"I was raised to always work for the greater good," Gardner said. "We are accountable to the airport, and we're also accountable to the city. This is for the greater good of the city."

NW News on 11/01/2019

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