Here we go again. Recurring controversies and resurrection of bad ideas in Eureka Springs are like the life cycles of various species of cicadas; some come up every few years, others every couple of decades.
It’s been a few decades since the idea of turning the Water St. green space into a parking lot was raised, debated and killed, but last week it was brought back to the table by the offspring of the idea’s originator – coincidentally, or not, within a year of the death of the neighborhood advocate who led the opposition.
Sadly, Bill Earngey is dead, but if the legacy he left his neighborhood, Water Street Park, follows him to the grave it will be even sadder. The Flint-Steele-Douglas Sts. loop, the scenic, quiet residential neighborhood that rims the Water Street hollow would be destroyed by encroachment of a commercial parking lot. Noise, air pollution, and visual blight would change the character of the neighborhood and significantly lower the quality of life and property values in the area.
To the credit of Earngey and those in city government back in the early 1980s, Water Street was designated, by ordinance, a city park, with the expressed intent of protecting it as green space into perpetuity. Surely perpetuity is longer than 35 years.
The residents of Eureka Springs are entitled to having their residential neighborhoods preserved. That’s why we have zoning. Whatever the city’s parking problems, they should not be resolved by ruining neighborhoods. Commercial parking lots should be within the confines of commercial districts.
It is hoped today’s city leaders are as wise as their predecessors in seeing the value of green space and protecting residential neighborhoods. The Parks Commission is the first line of defense in protecting Water St. Those commissioners have the power to put a kibosh on the idea before it goes any farther, and they should be staunchly defending this green space in accordance with their mission. The Planning Commission should also weigh in, citing its responsibility to uphold the zoning laws and protect neighborhoods.
Ultimately it’s up to the citizenry to fight to preserve the things that make this a great place to live. Can we just nip this in the bud and avoid another protracted battle?
Bill King