Fort Smith Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Summary – April 9, 2026

Note: The transcript indicates this meeting was originally held in January 2026, but the provided date for this summary is April 9, 2026. This summary uses the supplied date as instructed, but the discrepancy is noted.

The meeting covered approval of previous minutes, a detailed update on the ACME property master planning process (Part A), discussion of three concept alternatives, community engagement results, and other park department updates. Commissioners also discussed park inventory, funding strategies, and public comments.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of December 24, 2025 meeting minutes – motion, second, and unanimous voice vote (all ayes).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Steve Sherro, a resident of Fort Smith, spoke about the loss of the 40-acre dog park near the airport. He requested that a portion of the ACME property be set aside for a new dog park, noting that the downtown dog park is inadequate for large dogs. He suggested the dog park could be a low-cost, privately supported amenity. Commissioners acknowledged the request and noted that dog park options are on the list of potential amenities for future planning (Part B), but no final decision was made.

Discussion Items

• ACME Property Master Plan Update – Scott Crawford (RDG) and Brian Trusty (Rose Consulting) presented the Part A planning status. Six guiding principles were established: flood mitigation, connecting people to nature, low maintenance, uniqueness of place, accessibility, and economic benefit. Three concept alternatives were developed:
  • Concept 1: Flood mitigation only – three dry detention basins, no public access, fenced and locked.
  • Concept 2: Flood mitigation plus public recreation – central basin converted to a 7-8 acre wet pond/lake, with trails, kayak/canoe launch, island adventure play, picnic areas, and a pump track. Public access from Old Greenwood Road and Country Club Avenue.
  • Concept 3: Same as Concept 2, plus private development on the east parcel (2 acres) and south end (14-18 acres) for mixed-use, hospitality, or multifamily.
  • All three concepts meet the same 100-year stormwater detention requirements.
• Community Engagement Results: Over 50 people attended the December public open house. Online engagement (as of Jan 8) showed 53% preferred Concept 2, 28% Concept 3, 19% Concept 1. Strong support for passive recreation, walking/biking trails, and connecting to nature. 96% of online respondents opposed selling land for private development. Adjacent neighbors expressed interest in trail connections and concerns about stormwater impacts.
• Discussion on Private Development: Commissioner Sam (a developer) cautioned that selling raw land before the park is built would not attract developers; the city would likely not recoup significant funds. Other commissioners agreed, suggesting only a small strip on the east parcel might be sellable. The board of directors expressed interest in grants from the Walton Family Foundation, state parks, and other sources.
• Next Steps: The team will produce an interim Part A deliverable with benchmarking to counter the misconception that Fort Smith has too many parks (the city has 34 public parks vs. 50-70 average for similar-sized communities, and about one-third the park acres per capita). Part B planning (5-6 months) will refine the concept, add three public open houses, and develop cost estimates and an operational plan.
• Other Park Updates: Sarah provided updates on:
  • Creekmore Park tennis courts – plans finalized, bidding early February.
  • Tills Park parking lot and Riley Farm Park improvements – engineering underway.
  • May Branch greenway – state ORLP/LWCF grant agreement drafting allowed, new state contact responsive.
  • Parrot Island Water Park funding – a motion proposed using $760,000 in earned interest (not CIP sales tax money) plus $655,000 already allocated but unspent, and the remainder from general fund balance. Commissioners felt this compromise likely avoids taking park CIP funds.
  • Department Facebook page consolidating into city’s main page.
  • Playground removals: Wood Lawn (old spring toys), MOK (25-year-old Little Tikes playground) due to parts unavailability. Tree maintenance and boardwalk repairs scheduled.
• Commissioner Comments: Commissioner expressed concern about the official park count (34 listed, but some like Fondrum Park, Anniversary Rose Garden, Briar Cliff, Darby Community Center, and Mazard Prairie Battlefield are underutilized or not true parks). Suggested deeding back Fondrum Park. Noted that the Darby Community Center is historic and cannot be easily transferred. Commissioner also inquired about MLK soccer goal nets (removed by users) and requested Sarah’s Future Fort Smith presentation be shared.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimous approval of December 2025 minutes.
• No formal vote on concept alternatives, but consensus to move forward with Concept 2 (flood mitigation plus recreation) for detailed refinement in Part B planning. Commissioners emphasized that Concept 2 includes Concept 1’s stormwater goals.
• Direction to include a park benchmarking analysis in the Part A interim deliverable to correct the “too many parks” misperception.
• Dog park inclusion will be considered during Part B community engagement.
• Parrot Island funding approach (using interest and general fund balance) appears to have board support; final decision at next week’s board meeting.
• Staff directed to explore deeding back Fondrum Park and to prepare a status report on underutilized parks.
• The meeting adjourned.