Moratorium extended to aid base’s expansion

FORT SMITH — City directors on Tuesday decided to expand the area and duration of a moratorium on residential construction to aid the Ebbing Air National Guard Base with the Foreign Military Sales program.

Maggie Rice, the city’s director of development services, explained in a memo to City Administrator Carl Geffken the expanded moratorium contains roughly 11,000 acres, 4,000 of which are zoned residential. She said the moratorium would be in effect until Dec. 31, 2025, instead of expiring this year. The original moratorium contained 6,000 acres.

The moratorium is in place while the city evaluates impact of residential development around the National Guard base and how zoning regulations and noise regulations will affect growth in the area.

Rice said the moratorium doesn’t prohibit residential construction as long as it complies with sound attenuation standards; is an accessory structure such as fencing or decks; doesn’t increase the total square footage of the structure by more than 25%; or is the demolition, repair or remodeling of a residential structure.

Retired Air Force Col. Robert Ator, director of military affairs at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, said the expanded moratorium is important because it allows the Air Force to make headway in meeting the September 2024 timeline.

“The extension of doing this is to be able to facilitate the Air Force’s request for additional aircraft at a greater economic impact,” he said. “What you’ve done so far is an amazing thing for this city and really for the state. We’re talking about construction just inside the wire of almost $800 million, to say nothing of the economic impact once the mission arrives. So you have set the field for us to be able to realize this dream, and I just wanted to say more than anything else, congratulations and thank you.”

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall in March signed a record of decision, making Ebbing the official choice to host the mission.

Foreign Military Sales is a security assistance program authorized by the Arms Export Control Act. The act allows the U.S. to sell defense equipment, conduct training and provide services to a foreign country when the president deems doing so will strengthen U.S. national security and promote world peace.

Ebbing at Fort Smith Regional Airport was selected in 2021 as the preferred location for a pilot training center for Singapore and other countries participating in the program. The proposal was to accommodate up to 24 foreign F-35 aircraft and move 12 F-16s from the Singapore Air Force, currently with the 425th Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.

“We can’t go out as a homeowner and build a new home without knowing what those costs are going to be, and go to the bank and get financing for such without knowing what some of that information actually is.”

— Bobby Aldridge, owner and principal engineer of Frontier Engineering

Lt. Col. Drew “Gus” Nash, who is in charge of getting the Fort Smith base training center at Ebbing Air National Guard Base operational, said the earliest foreign planes and pilots would arrive at Ebbing is 2024, and he expects Polish pilots to arrive first. Poland is purchasing 32 F-35 Lightning II aircraft from Lockheed Martin. The total estimated cost of the planes is $4.6 billion.

Mayor George McGill previously stated if Ebbing were selected, the River Valley could see an annual economic impact of $800 million to $1 billion.

The mission is expected to bring 900 military members and their families to the River Valley area.

Ator said the current plan is to have the Singapore Air Force come with 12 F-16 aircraft and transition to the F-35. He said the current program is for 36 aircraft, with the remaining 24 being split among Poland, Finland and Germany.

Several potential builders in the moratorium area spoke in support of the FMS program at Tuesday’s meeting, but had some concerns about not being able to build.

Rocky Walker, president of the Greater Fort Smith Association of Home Builders, spoke about the need for more residences in order to house people coming in for the program.

Bobby Aldridge, owner and principal engineer of Frontier Engineering, asked for guidance with the sound attenuation guidelines and wanted to know who at the city is responsible for determining whether those guidelines are met.

“We can’t go out as a homeowner and build a new home without knowing what those costs are going to be, and go to the bank and get financing for such without knowing what some of that information actually is,” he said.

Geffken said the Planning Department and Building Services Department are gathering that information and that the city and airport can apply for grants to help homeowners in the moratorium area with the increased cost of construction. He said that information should be available to the public within 60 days.