Board of directors approves moratorium on building houses by airport

The Fort Smith Board of Directors put a temporary hold on residential construction surrounding the airport.

The city implemented the moratorium as a step along the way to ensure that the long-term program, training pilots from other countries on how to fly F-16 and F-35 fighter planes, will come to Fort Smith.

The city needs the moratorium while it conducts a sound study to see how the noise from the jets would impact people living in their homes.

“We don’t want to stop any development unless that’s absolutely necessary," City Administrator Carl Geffken said.

Geffken said that the city will end the moratorium by Dec. 31, 2023 or by the end of the sound study. Geffken expects to complete the sound study by September and then to have regulations for building homes in the area in place by the end of the year.

Officials estimate the program should have an impact between $800 million and $1 billion on the city annually.

Director Kevin Settle compared the program to past opportunities that former Fort Smith officials let slip through their fingers.

The University of Arkansas looked at starting in Fort Smith as did the Northwest Arkansas National Airport. FedEx considered placing a center in Fort Smith. All opportunities that Fort Smith officials refused to seize when presented, Settle said.

"Our city would be totally different if one of those three things were here today and yet they're not," Settle said.

The fighter jet program is an opportunity that Fort Smith cannot miss, Settle said.

"This is an opportunity that is beyond what we all think it is," Settle said. "It's beyond scope. It's beyond anything that we could see happen in the next couple years."

Four countries, Singapore, Poland, Sweden and Germany, have pledged to send pilots to the base.

The moratorium would not prevent people from demolishing, repairing or remodeling their homes. It also allows people to construct additions to their homes as long as the additions do not increase the gross square footage by more than 25%, according to a memorandum sent by Maggie Rice, the director of development services.

The moratorium on building homes would be 5,945 acres of which 2,297 acres are zoned residential.

At Tuesday's board meeting, two men spoke against the moratorium. Chad Cox has a project within the area where the board imposed the moratorium.

John Alford, who represents Massard Creek Commercial Properties, spoke against the moratorium at the board of directors meeting and last week's study session. His client, Clifton Cabaness II, condemned the moratorium because he said it will delay a $25 million to $30 million project that Cabaness is undertaking. The project would install a large number of duplexes on about 20 acres.

Dalton Person represented the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce and spoke in favor of the moratorium.

“You know the beautiful thing about this, everyone has stated we want this mission here," Mayor George McGill said. "They’ve stated it time and time again. Those who have some issues and those that don’t said we want this mission here. We understand the economic impact it’s going to have on the state."

Alex Gladden is a University of Arkansas graduate. She previously reported for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and The Jonesboro Sun before joining the Times Record. She can be contacted at agladden@swtimes.com.  

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Board of directors halts construction on houses by airport