By Anthony Childress

FAYETTEVILLE — Compromise was the order of business at Monday night's final meeting of the Wilson Springs Business Park Assessment Task Force, resulting in a detailed recommendation for how the city should proceed.

On a 9-0 vote, task force members said they want the city to develop 70 acres "environmentally consistently" in two steps along the parcel's southern section for a campus-style business tech park, leave the central portion of delineated and non-delineated wetland alone, undertake an evaluation of the buffer along Clabber Creek and examine an area north of Clabber Creek before taking future action.

In addition, the recommendation calls for stewardship of wetland from a coalition of state agencies, environmental groups and other interested parties, including the University of Arkansas.

Members also urged the city to secure proper site permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on all non-developed land, excluding the section north of Clabber Creek.

The recommendation also presses city officials to use a conservation agreement for affected animal species at the site.

The task force had set an Oct. 1 deadline for submitting its final report to the city. Jeff Collins, chairman of the task force, said he would submit the recommendation by the end of this week so Mayor Dan Coody and the City Council can review it before a special meeting Oct. 2 that will focus exclusively on this issue.

Wilson Springs is a 289-acre site, purchased by city officials in 1990 for $1.27 million, that lies near the junction of Interstate 540 and Arkansas 112.

The task force, appointed by Coody in June, was charged with making an initial analysis of the economic and environmental impact of the proposed business-technology park.

Environmental interests had opposed any proposal that would disturb the 85 acres of wetland (deemed as such by the Corps of Engineers) or the natural stream stemming from Wilson Springs. They were especially concerned about the Arkansas darter's fate.

The darter is a rare fish that is now a candidate for inclusion on the Endangered Species List. In addition, the Henslow sparrow and Ozark burrowing crayfish have been mentioned as species needing protection, according to environmentalists on the task force.

About 85 acres of the site has been declared as wetland by the Corps of Engineers.

Potential uses for the Wilson Springs site include the tech park, a regional Arkansas Game and Fish Commission office and a community park pushed by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board in recent weeks.

"I'm not at all enthusiastic about locating a community park on the site," Collins said, echoing a sentiment shared by other task force members.

Member John Lewis touted the prospects of attracting "21st century jobs for our young people" with a technology-driven business development.

Member Tom McKinney sought to cement protection of wetland and promoted the merits of additional studies to determine the environmental makeup of undeveloped or potentially developed sections of the site.

In the end, Collins said he wanted a finished product that reflected the city's unique perspective on economic expansion and environmental preservation.

"Fayetteville answers to a higher call on the environmental front, so our commitment is above the call of duty," he said. At the same time, it is a great place to do business, Collins added.