Conway Residents Up In Arms Over Golf Course

People in Conway say it`s not a beautiful day in their neighborhood. Dozens showed up at a planning commission meeting Tuesday night to prtest developer`s plans to build an apartment complex on a nearby 103-acre golf course. Tom Jones` home overlooks the course, Cadron Valley and he has the signatures of hundreds of his neighbors who oppose the housing as well. Developer Hal Crafton says he`s scaled back original plans to build the city`s largest complex with over 600 apartments. Residents say those apartments would not only devalue their property but also wreck the drainage system, causing more floods like the ones from 2003. "It was in part due to the duplex complex, that Hal Crafton and Rush Harding built just north of that are," said Jones. Residents fear an increase in crime, and maxed out schools and roads. Crafton said he heard those concerns, so his next option is to build 17 single-family homes in the center of the course, with a buffer zone of greens around it. For that reason the planning commission is holding off on public discussion. "The planning department would like to have the facts before them, before we start hearing discussion from the public," said chairman, Tim O`Brien. Even then, Crafton`s scaled-back plans aren`t enough for this group. "That extra 100 feet isn`t going to protect us when there are shots fired when there are drug deals," Jones said. This itme can only be held in committee once, meaning the commission is expected to take it up at the next meeting on February 15th or not at all. Crafton says that if given approval to build the homes on the course, he will still be able to meet the legal requirements for traffic and drainage. His purchase of the land should be complete on February 1st.