Conklin to head planning commission
SPRINGDALE — Commissioners chose a familiar face Feb. 22 to become executive director of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission — longtime assistant director Tim Conklin.
Jeff Hawkins, who led the commission for more than two decades, announced late last year he would retire after the first of the year. Hawkins recommended Conklin succeed him. Commission members agreed unanimously.
Conklin said he doesn’t foresee major changes.
“The staff is great. We’re moving forward with major grant opportunities. I just look forward to working with such a dynamic region,” he said.
Conklin said he also wants to see the commission continue to work with its partners to solve problems collectively.
“All the cities are addressing different types of issues and it’s exciting to see the four major cities all moving the same direction on walkability, biking, transportation, safety, transit,” Conklin said. “Just trying to pull everybody together, I think there’s tremendous opportunity to continue the success we’ve had in our region.”
Hawkins served as a planning director in Arkansas for 47 years, including 23 years as executive director of the Southeast Arkansas Regional Planning Commission and planning director for Jonesboro from 19992001. Hawkins took the job in Northwest Arkansas in 2001.
“Tim was the best choice they could have made; I don’t think there’s any question about it,” Hawkins said. “His experience, his background in the region, he came to Northwest Arkansas in 1991.”
Hawkins said Conklin worked his way up to planning director in Fayetteville, ran the metropolitan planning organization in Springfield, Mo., and headed the metropolitan planning organization in Fort Smith and the River Valley before joining Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning as transportation program manager.
The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission was formed in 1966 through a cooperative agreement among Benton and Washington counties and Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Siloam Springs and Springdale.
In 1983, the commission was designated as the metropolitan planning organization under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations for transportation planning purposes in the region.
Regional planners also agreed Wednesday to apply for a $25 million federal grant to help pay for part of the Arkansas 112 improvement project.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has $1.5 billion available through its Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity discretionary grant program for 2023. The program helps communities around the country carry out projects with significant local or regional impact and that improve safety and equity.
If successful, the money would be passed along to the Arkansas Department of Transportation, which is responsible for getting the construction work done on the project.
Plans call for the road to be moved in places and widened from two to four lanes, divided by a 15-foot raised median with four 11-foot lanes, more than 20 roundabouts and controlled access, a 5-foot sidewalk with a 3-foot greenspace on one side and a 12-foot side path with a 6-foot greenspace on the other side.
The state typically doesn’t pay for side paths, leaving local entities to find the money to pay for that part of the project.