A Look at the Pros and Cons of the Proposed Parking Deck in Fayetteville

By Blair Jackson

NWA Times Staff Graphic: Four site locations are being considered to house the parking deck. Each site will undergo a geo-technical evaluation to determine whether or not it is a viable option.

This time next year, construction of a parking deck is scheduled to begin in downtown Fayetteville. Adding a parking deck to the heart of the city’s entertainment district has been a topic of discussion among local government officials, business owners and citizens for years.

Now, though the project is being finalized, there are lingering questions not only about the parking deck’s place in the district, but also surrounding the legitimacy of the paid-parking program that was implemented in 2010.

Zac Wooden, owner of 21st Amendment on Dickson Street, said there is not enough business on Dickson Street to warrant a parking deck, saying, “We don’t even fill up the parking spaces we have during the week.”

City officials have a different opinion. David Jurgens, project manager for the construction of the parking deck, says, “The weight of evidence falls on the fact that we need a deck, and building it right and well is an investment in our future and the area.”

Jurgens references a 2005 study done by the UA that suggested more than 1,000 spaces would be necessary to accommodate a parking demand that was projected to increase with the growth of Dickson Street.

The study showed an immediate demand for “prime parking” locations, which are mapped either on or within a block of Dickson Street. According to the study, prime parking reaches capacity during peak evening hours; and during that time, parking in the subprime and peripheral categories reaches 54 percent and 30 percent capacity (respectively).

Subprime and peripheral parking spaces used during peak business hours — both during the days and evenings — are what the study considers surplus parking. Both peak times show surplus parking of approximately 850 spaces; however, during the day there is less of a demand for prime parking — with prime, subprime and peripheral parking showing 66 percent, 57 percent and 47 percent capacity. Total parking spaces used during all peak hours are shown to average 56 percent, which means the study revealed more than 40 percent of parking in the entertainment district remained unfilled over the course of the day.

The UA study identified a need for additional parking, not within these point-in-time statistics, but rather in the projected increase of business and development on and around Dickson Street.

Two major developments have been built in the entertainment district since 2005: The Underwood Plaza (now The Dickson) and the Legacy Building on West Street. The Dickson has its own parking deck, but the Legacy Building does utilize prime parking.

The 2005 report relies heavily on forecasts to support its recommendation of building a deck that would accommodate up to 1,020 spaces in order to service the anticipated daytime peak. This figure, which stands in drastic contrast to the Parking Deck Committee’s proposal of a deck that will house 300-350 spaces, can serve as a testament to the optimistic figures of 2005. Coincidentally, this is the same year that the UA released a report backing the downtown TIF district, an investment failure that has indebted Fayetteville to almost $4 million in bonds.

Both Jurgens and Paul Becker, Fayetteville’s financial director, described the project as a low-risk financial investment. Jurgens said no bonds will be issued until after a site and design have been chosen. Site approval is currently pending a geo-technical survey. “(After the) initial research, we will be able to budget a lot more closely,” Jurgens said.
Also, the city is making repayment plans based on current revenue, not on additional revenue from the parking deck.

“We don’t want to incur debt based on a speculative component of revenue,” said Becker. Initially, revenue from the parking deck will cover expansion and maintenance costs; any surplus will be used to assist in bond repayment. Though the conservative calculations for debt repayment do not require a certain percentage of occupancy within the parking deck, the question still remains — will the parking deck be used consistently on a daily basis? Does Fayetteville really need it?

In addition to the 2005 study, Jurgens calls upon citizens to consider their own personal experiences, especially during Razorback games and Walton Arts Center performances. “There is a consistent demand, several dozen times a year, where all of the normal parking spaces within a reasonable walking distance are full,” said Jurgens.

The city official continued, saying that any frustrations people have in finding parking spaces is evidence of need in present circumstances and that sufficient parking builds confidence among consumers and investors. He explained that businesses are more likely to invest in a location if customers have easy access to the location; and also that consumers are more likely to visit an area if they are confident in being able to find a parking space.

For some business owners, an addition to Fayetteville’s paid parking program is the last thing needed to catalyze business, saying that, to some, the program is considered as an inconvenience that has disrupted the public’s relationship with the entertainment district and prompted a decline in profits.

“We don’t have enough business because of paid parking,” said Wooden.

Don Choffel, owner of Dickson Street Bookstore, also attributes the decline in his business to the paid parking program, citing the complexity of the system as a deterrent to visitors and customers.

“I’ve talked to too many people who say they don’t come down to Dickson anymore.” Choffel suggests removing the current system: Either reverting to the free spaces or implementing coin-operated meters like those used in Fayetteville’s historic district surrounding the Downtown Square.

Choffel recently expanded his business, but has only been “breaking even” since the parking system was implemented. “(Customers) don’t want to pay a dollar in parking to pay for a $3.50 paperback,” said Choffel.

Becker, says the year’s Hotel-Motel-Restaurant taxes do not correlate with the statement that business on Dickson Street is in decline.

Strictly in terms of Dickson Street’s HMR taxes, Becker said, sales have increased compared to last year. “I have no evidence that would directly tie decline to when the paid parking was instituted. None of these numbers show the correlation,” he said.

The HMR tax report does not include retailers, like Don Choffel’s Dickson Street Bookstore; nor does it represent bars or private clubs that depend on liquor sales for profit, such as Smoke & Barrel. Becker said it is difficult to gauge gross sales for each industry represented on Dickson Street, and cannot ascertain a pattern that would accommodate the entertainment district in its entirety. “HMR is an indicator of activity,” he said.

One establishment that will benefit from the parking deck is the Walton Arts Center. The parking lot for the WAC is considered prime parking according to the 2005 study, and, based on that same report, the lot is filled to capacity during peak evening hours. In light of the WAC’s plan to build a 600 seat concert hall, the parking demand can be expected to increase as shows are held simultaneously in both halls.

Hypothetically, if all other prime parking is at capacity and both concert halls are offering shows, WAC visitors can be expected to park in approximately 170 spaces of the parking deck. (The figure is based on the 2005 study’s proposal that parking should increase by 280 spaces for every 1,000 seats.) This leaves 130 to 180 open spaces of prime parking for visitors — approximately half of the subprime parking that is being used during peak evening hours.

Jurgens said that the council’s decision to create a parking deck was independent of the WAC expansion and that the introduction of more prime parking is not geared exclusively to WAC clientele. “(The parking deck) is a component of the whole downtown parking program.”

He also noted that the city implemented the paid parking program with intentions of generating revenue for a parking deck before the WAC announced its plans for expansion, and said that any parallel timing goals for construction and completion are “truly coincidence more so than directly related.”

The city is currently in the process of hiring a preliminary designer who will evaluate each site and provide a layout for each location. The revenue from the initial year of the paid parking program will pay for all the preliminary work. After the preferred site is deemed geo-technically viable, bonds will be issued to begin construction.

Jurgens identified construction as a valid speculative concern that business owners and visitors may have in regard to the parking deck project. He noted that the committee is taking the concern into account when it meets with consultants. “A parking deck is never built in a cow field,” said Jurgens, who further explained by saying, “Experts design and build parking decks where the space is already tight. They are adept at minimizing their footprints during construction, and they are used to confining their work.”

For bar owner Zac Wooden, the end goal is to move forward, not to create further controversy.

“We want Dickson Street to work,” he said. “Business comes back; everyone gets adjusted to paid parking; economy is booming — that’s ideal. We want to breathe life back into Dickson Street.”

In her office, Director of Fayetteville Public Access Television Anne Shelley reads from a poster:

“The purpose of Public Access Television in Fayetteville is to provide training for residents of Fayetteville in the techniques of video production for Public Access Television and to provide an opportunity for residents of Fayetteville to provide programming in a first-come, first-served, content-neutral, nondiscriminatory manner, in accordance with the First Amendment.”

“I think it’s a beautiful statement,” she says. “Our purpose is to teach people how to make TV and help them make shows and express their First Amendment rights. This kind of access — regardless of race, gender or income — is a powerful tool. It is a precious gift in which I believe strongly.”

Shelley joined the Public Access team in 2011, when Fayetteville city government contracted Your Media, a nonprofit organization, to oversee the day-to-day operations of Fayetteville Public Access.

Within the past year, Fayetteville Public Access has made self-produced television even more accessible by making it free. The nonprofit organization eliminated the $25 fee for production classes, increased the number of classes held and varied class times to accommodate a wider range of schedules. The programs can be seen on channel 218 on Cox Communications and on channel 99 on AT&T.

“(Public Access) went from one class a week to at least six classes a week. We have trained so many more people,” Shelley said.

“We heightened our efforts to become a first-class training facility for Fayetteville residents,” reads the 2011 Provider’s Report for the telecom board, compiled by Fayetteville Public Access. In comparison with 2010, Fayetteville Public Access offered 490 percent more classes and workshops to the public, which resulted in 407 percent more Candidate Producers. “With a greater number of new producers, we hope to see more programming. The more people we educate, the more shows we have,” explains Shelley.

After taking the necessary classes in video production, residents can check out field cameras to take on location. Shelley says users can “film events or anything important in your life.” In accordance with the Public Access guidelines, the only restriction against content is that it cannot be for commercial use.

Becoming a producer takes at least seven hours of training. Once a resident has completed the

Courtesy Photo: Once reaching the status of "Candidate Producer," residents are able to check-out state of the art production equipment to use in the field.

necessary coursework — orientation, a field production class and an editing class — the student is considered a Candidate Producer and is allowed to check out the equipment needed to create their first program. There is also a studio production class that must be completed for residents who prefer to film in the Public Access Studio.

Lindsley Smith, who is an aspiring Public Access producer, served as a state representative for three years and is currently the communications director for the city of Fayetteville. She is working on producing a program that would promulgate the message of women in government office.

“When I served in the state legislature, I read a lot of books in preparation, and they were very masculine,” Smith said. Her concern over the absence of a feminine perspective in politics was amplified when a friend’s daughter asked the question, “Can a woman be president?”

Smith has yet to title her program or plan any segments, but it is the type of creative endeavor that could be part of the diverse 2012 programming that Shelley anticipates as a byproduct of the past year’s heightened commitment to education.

Staff Photo by Blair Jackson: Teah Flynn, a Farmington high school student, edits her Public Acess show, "My Kid's Point of View."

Fourteen-year-old Teah Flynn is the youngest producer at Public Access Television. Her involvement in self-produced television began at the age of 10, when she co-created an awareness video about the dangers of drinking and driving.

Teah’s ambition is fueled by personal tragedy: her mother was killed in an accident caused by a drunken driver. The awareness video is now used by MAAD and the local police department. The video gained enough attention to land Teah face time on the local news.
Witnessing the impact of televised media has encouraged the Farmington High School student to continue producing films on community topics to raise awareness.

Teah, who began working with Public Access at the beginning of 2011, is now producing the series, “My Kid’s Point of View,” which discusses mature issues from a teen’s perspective. She has produced a segment on the dangers of texting and driving and is in the process of editing a segment on the theory of a DNA criminal database.

For now, Teah says, film production is just a hobby. Her plans are to be an actress or a model, and she says being in the spotlight helps her feel confident that she can achieve her goals and land auditions. “Seeing myself on camera is fun. To see this on TV and YouTube, it makes me feel so accomplished, and it’s not even close to where I might be later on.”

At the other end of the spectrum, Roger Henry and Dan Vega have been producing television for 19

Courtesy Photo: Dan Vega and Roger Henry have been producing their show "One Whirled View" for almost 20 years.

years, and are edging up to the 500th show mark. “One Whirled View,” which airs every other week, is what Henry describes as “a little known Colbert or Jon Stewart.”

The show evolved from Henry and Vega’s kitchen table discussions over news clippings, during which the two would drink beer, while joking and talking about the implications of current events.

“We take awful news, scary news, and laugh about it because we don’t know how to deal with it,” says Henry. The duo also uses a lighthearted approach to capture the ear of those who may oppose their views.

Though controversy has been rare over the years, Henry and Vega received a nasty letter from the president of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce in 1995 in response to Vega’s decision to cross-dress on-air.

In a segment concerning estrogenic chemicals being injected into food, Vega wore women’s lingerie, tights, and pulled his hair into pigtails. The letter threatened to get the city council involved with the intention of shutting down the entire Public Access operation.
In response, Vega and Henry dressed in suits during their next show and made lewd references to the definition of commerce in the context of “intercourse.” They joked, saying that even in suits there was no way to tell if a man was wearing lingerie underneath. The controversy put the show on the map, and the humor dissolved the tension between the city and the show.

“We try to deflect controversy with humor,” explains Vega. “We use levity toencourage people to listen. If we get too serious, (the audience) will shut it out.”

For residents who would like to produce television with mature content, there are “after dark” slots for adult programming. The most infamous of these programs is the longstanding “Abbey of the Lemur,” a show that for years has tested the boundaries of art and expression in dark, psychedelic and raunchy ways. On their MySpace page, you can view the members of the cast being spanked, toying with a severed pig head, spouting reflective monologues and even reciting poetry.

Shelley says that all complaints submitted to Public Access are taken seriously and reported to the telecommunications board.

“I don’t think you can have Public Access without having people having issues with artistic expressions, beliefs or ideas,” says Shelley. She notes that there have been no major controversies in her year as director or in recent years.

Staff Photo By Blair Jackson: Anne Shelley, Director of Public Access Television in Fayettevill, operates a camera during the Lion's Club auction which was broadcasted live last week.

In addition to being a platform for residents to express their first amendment rights, Fayetteville Public Access and Your Media are available to provide production services to nonprofit organizations. An example of this service is the Lion’s Club annual telethon which aired last week.

Those who wish to enlist the services of the Public Access studio are subject to a competitive market rate, which is an average of the market value. Your Media can provide out-of-studio production at a reduced cost for service-oriented projects.

Last month the city council voted to renew Your Media’s contract as overseer of the Fayetteville Public Access network. Councilman Matthew Petty said it was the right decision to rehire the organization, calling the organization “phenomenal.” He continued, saying, “I’ve been very impressed with the leadership there.”

J.R. Curtis, the director of education for Fayetteville Public Access, says the greatest achievement of the past year has been reaching a wider audience, not in terms of viewers, but in terms of students and producers. “A lot of people don’t realize how different it is,” he says.

“It’s a great part of Fayetteville that not a lot of people know about,” says Shelley. “When people find out about it, they’re really excited.”

For class schedules and more information, visit faypublic.tv.

For me, Occupy Wall Street began long before Sept. 17. It began in the spring months, in the afterglow of Egypt’s triumph and the dawn of Libya’s struggle. It began on a simple walk on the beach with a good friend.
It was nearing evening. The wind was cool, and even though the waves were tame, we had to keep our voices strong to be heard over the wind.
Like most ideological discussions, we rarely reached any conclusions, but we both found relief in the shared perception of unrest we felt building across the world and in our own country.
“What the hell are we doing?” we wondered. And on those walks, that often trailed into the moonlight, we grappled with many topics — global militarization and tribunals, revolution, taxes, social services, the economy, health care, industrialization of Third World countries, depletion of resources, dependence on fossil fuels — and at the end of every walk, we would part ways, pensive and troubled, but also grateful and excited.
Before those walks, I had allowed myself to be dismissed as a wide-eyed liberal who had a tendency to fret, like a child, over all the cracks in my Ivory Tower. But each talk offered a little more common ground, and I realized that I wasn’t alone, that others believed there were irrational and destructive aspects of mainstream society. I began to feel confident that I was right to question the status quo, and I was beginning to believe there were actual answers at the end of the ideological rainbow.
Two months ago, when Occupy Wall Street formed, I scoffed. You may remember these words,

“Without a parallel resource for educating the masses, and with no plan for change, the protesters seem like a bunch of cry-babies who want an Arab Spring so they can afford a plasma television. Claiming you just won’t stand for something is about as effective as pouting.”

And yes, there seems to be a lot of pouting, a lot of gnashing of teeth, a lot of unnecessary pepper spray — but that’s across the nation. Here’s what’s happening in Fayetteville.

Staff Photo by Blair Jackson: Tents line the side of the Fayetteville Town Center. Occupy NWA is a functioning mini-community with a kitchen, food, and information 24/7.

The initial march on Oct. 15 brought hundreds of protesters together. Now, the group has moved into its “occupied” stage in which the protesters are camped alongside the Fayetteville Town Center. There is little risk for a clash with the police. The group is harmonious in nature, seeking a symbiotic, communal attitude at all times.
The dozen or so occupiers live on donations, and any extra food they receive is contributed to the NWA Food Bank. On Saturdays, they clean the downtown square. On Sundays, they work on a farm. In down time, occupiers drink coffee, play with pets, listen to music and prepare food.
The group hasn’t been without contention. The Facebook group was notoriously negative, something that organizers feel may have pushed many potential sympathizers away, and within the group itself there is fracture and dissidence.
In a quiet moment, during their General Assembly, organizer Andi K-Heart asks the question, “What are we doing here?”
No one answers.
She continues to say that she wishes they could see more things accomplished in their week of occupation.

Matt Garen speaks up, saying that just being accessible to the community is a success.

Staff Photo by Blair Jackson: Members of Occupy Wall Street face harsh weather conditions in order to be accessible to the community at all times. They are currently committed to occupying the Town Center indefinitely.

An organizer from Jonesboro suggests that the group disband until spring, that the urban model for occupying is incongruent with rural communities. No one answers. No one seems ready to admit defeat.
Sitting in a circle, shivering with cold, someone offers me a blanket. I am also offered coffee, food, and even a cigarette. Here, everything is for the sharing.
Sharing and taking turns is especially important in the discussion process, in which everyone sits in a circle and raises a hand to be acknowledged. It is a tedious method, and with the cold, rain and wind, it is also a test of patience and endurance.
Garen, who has a degree in English literature, quit his job to occupy full-time. “I believe to make changes, you can’t do it lying down,” he says. He wears a toboggan and light blue gloves with a hole along one of the thumbs. He says he thinks it’s important to put it all on the line, to be completely invested.
For Garen, finding a spot to occupy was the ultimate goal, and transitioning from protesting to occupying has been a “major relief.” He says that the sense of community created by camping together is a resource for connecting, not only with other people but also with nature.
“There’s no life indoors. It’s very human to be around other elements of nature.”
He says now that the group has occupied, he looks forward to reaching out to the community, offering help wherever it is needed. He says though they will continue to protest, they will focus on “helping their fellow man.”
“It seems more efficient to build things than to tear things down. The old system is breaking down already,” he says.
The occupiers participate in discussion groups and volunteer activities in hopes of building a better society. During these discussions, I am reminded of my conversations on the beach, but as those talks were leisurely, these are exercises. The terrain of conversation is much more grueling, as the discussion must take into account a dozen opinions instead of just two. It is much harder to reach consensus, much harder to stay on topic; and with new and old opinions fluttering in and out of the discussion — redundancy is to be expected.
In contrast to the hardships of the weather, individual conviction, and group solidarity — the camp offers a sense of comfort, compassion, and awareness.
As I am sitting with Garen, someone yells, “There’s a camel over here!”
We make our way down to Rock Street. Heart is already on the scene with her dog, and she is asking if

Staff Photo by Blair Jackson: Occupiers Andi K-Heart and Olivia Hines watch as a groomer brushes two camels for an event at the Fayetteville Downtown Square.

she can pet the camel.
“Not right now, ma’am. I’ve got to brush him,” replies the groomer.
“Can we help you brush him?” asks Heart.
It was such a simple, yet profound question; and it was asked with such sincerity, and with such joy that, to me, it was even more novel than two camels in the middle of the road on the square in Fayetteville, Ark.

“Reclaim Your Mind”

When I saw the heading of your editorial “Occupy Your Mind,” I was reminded of the phrase “reclaim your mind” that was attributed to the late Terence McKenna. It was in regard to a lecture he gave titled “This Culture is Not Your Friend.” To say corporate America is the sole cause of the cultural and economic problems we face is somewhat naive.

We have allowed a psychopathic culture to dictate that material acquisition, maximum profit margins and fanatical consumerism are inescapable pitfalls of a capitalist model. It is, by its very nature, flawed and inequitable. We as a society came to accept war, hunger and genocide as normal, acceptable consequences to living the American dream. You are correct, change does begin with an individual. The true revolution is one of consciousness; it comes from the heart and naturally effects those closest to you.

This in turn influences your community, the world and ultimately the universe. Once you become aware, it is obvious that you need less to live, and you actually don’t need anything that Walmart has to offer. Do you really need to surround yourself with technological gadgets, own a big home, drive a gas guzzling car?

I am not certain that camping out in a park is the solution. Protest is a good thing, so is buying locally, helping the less fortunate in the community and planting a garden.
I believe time would be better spent volunteering at a local food bank, the humane shelter or any number of local agencies.

The logistics of promoting a healthy, loving community are much simpler than occupying some piece of real estate. I feel this is evident in the bickering, name calling and disunity that has taken place on Facebook (a societal scourge) by the organizers of OccupyNWA.

I guess being 64 years of age qualifies me as one of the “marginal sympathizers” since I am by definition a baby boomer. What is happening is not new. There is no need to reminisce about the ’60s other than to say that because of protest there were numerous political gains, and an unpopular war ended. Let this revolution be one of the mind, occupy it and reclaim it as your own.

Consciousness is an issue of sovereignty, it is yours to expand by whatever means you choose. This culture is not your friend! Let us attempt to create a new one based on universal truths and genuine concern for all of humanity.
That is true change.

Ken Smith
Fayetteville

“Occupy Corporate Personhood”

I once read that there are no evil villains in this world; there are only evil ideas and institutions. Instead of finding villains, we must eliminate the toxic ideas and lies that poison our minds. The most toxic institution in the American political and economic system is corporate personhood.

In case you are unfamiliar with corporate personhood, let me briefly explain. Prior to 1886, corporations were given only temporary charters and privileges that could be easily revoked if they failed to serve the public good. Originally, the Bill of Rights and the rest of the U.S. Constitution guaranteed rights for living, breathing humans alone. However, after the 1886 Santa Clara Supreme Court case, corporations began claiming all the rights originally intended for humans because they were now legally considered “persons.”

They took advantage of weakness in the 14th Amendment, created for newly freed slaves, to claim that they too deserved equal protection under the law.

Since then, corporations have claimed many Constitutional rights in order to increase profits, pollute and destroy ecosystems and communities and capture more and more power away from The People. Corporations now claim Constitutional rights to privacy to prevent health, safety and environmental inspections. They claim Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination and double jeopardy. Additionally, they utilize the 14th Amendment right to equal protection to prevent local communities from creating “discriminatory” laws that favor local business, which were commonplace prior to 1886.

Most importantly, corporate personhood has created a crisis of democracy. Prior to 1886, it was a felony in many states for a corporation to spend any money to influence elections, and corporate lobbyists were nonexistent. Now we have six healthcare industry lobbyists for every member of Congress.

Moreover, with the recent Citizens United decision, the unelected Supreme Court ruled “corporate persons” deserve more rights to free speech. In human English, that translates into allowing corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money to buy candidates, parties, campaigns and laws. Given the fact that candidates with more money win approximately 90 percent of the time, does anyone seriously believe we have a functional democracy? In reality we have corporate plutocracy, or rule by the concentrated wealth of the richest 1 percent.
I agree with Molly Morgan of the Reclaim Democracy organization when she said, “The campaign to end corporate personhood is like applying a massive crowbar at the most pivotal point against a stuck door holding back democracy. No more trying the key in the rusted lock; no more poking with a coat hanger here and kicking at a corner there. By focusing on the crucial block — corporate personhood — and applying enough force to pry the door open, the whole concept of what’s politically and humanly possible shifts in profound and exciting ways.”

In conclusion, I humbly ask everyone to please take action to legalize a more sincere democracy where corporations are placed back into their appropriate context of privilege only. There are many actions Arkansans can take to help our people and grandchildren, which include passing city resolutions that reject corporate personhood.

We can also contact our state representatives to request that they amend the Equal Protection clause of the Arkansas State Constitution to define only “natural persons” deserve rights. As a state, we can also work to introduce and pass a resolution rejecting corporate personhood and calling for amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Lastly, as a state we can begin calling for a Constitutional Convention to amend among the states. For more information on this issue and these actions, please read Thom Hartman’s wonderful book “Unequal Protection.”

Abel Tomlinson
OccupyNWA, Organizer
Move to Amend Arkansas, Organizer