City discusses housing needs
Editors note: The “Herald-Leader” is publishing a series about the goals that city board members decided to pursue during a May 14 workshop at the Siloam Springs Public Library with City Administrator Phillip Patterson and Mayor John Mark Turner.
The board informally chose 12 out of 58 proposed goals to focus on over the next two years.
Patterson said he would like to have the goals, and their analysis, time lines and measurements drafted and formally adopted by the board in June or July so that any goal to be completed in 2021 can be included in that year’s budget, he said. The same thing will be done for the goals to be completed in 2022, he said.
This week the “HeraldLeader” will examine the sixth goal.
The goal will center on housing.
The housing goal is a two-fold goal that looks at housing needs for industrial workers and senior citizens. The goal was suggested by Director Bob Coleman who felt low-cost housing in the medium price range was needed for industrial workers at companies like Simmons, McKee Foods and La-Z-Boy.
Coleman referenced the Rausch Coleman development behind First Baptist Church, which he said is coming pretty close to that. City Administrator Phillip Patterson said he thinks there are 600-plus lots that have been approved for development which could meet the entry level housing criteria.
“Four or five years ago I would say this is a big problem and I’ve heard it in the chamber talking with industry leaders,” Patterson said. “They have jobs, they don’t have people to fill those jobs because there is no housing.”
Patterson said Siloam Springs has experienced growth, the city is on people’s radar and there is a market in Siloam Springs for low-cost housing. He also said the city encouraged Rausch Coleman to do a planned development. The city has never had a planned development before, but Patterson said city code allows it.
Under the planned development guidelines, the developer is allowed to set those standards for their own personal development, Patterson said. The goal is for the city to try to get a little bit better designs, he said.
“Under code everything looks the same,” Patterson said. “The architecture may be different but the lot sizes and everything look the same.”
The city administrator was quick to add, the city does not give developers a blank piece of paper, but rather oversees developments to ensure they are compliant with city code.
Director Reid Carroll spoke about another need in the city: affordable housing for seniors.
“You get to a certain age, people want to downsize to a smaller lot but still be in a setting where you don’t have youngins running all over and whatever,” Carroll said.
Carroll also mentioned the new assisted living facility planned for West Siloam Springs. Patterson said Siloam Springs does not have an assisted living facility but it is probably another thing needed in the city. He did say what was needed was a smaller downsized unit where seniors can afford to live.
Coleman said what would work are smaller units like the ones at the Gardens at Arkanshire in Springdale; or Butterfield Place in Fort Smith.
The board conducted an informal vote and agreed to add housing to its list of goals to work on with special attention to housing for industrial workers and seniors.