Cotter Design Concepts Descend a steep winding road down to the misty White River and cross the famous Rainbow Arch Bridge into Cotter, AR. Cotter is a compact little community sited on a narrow peninsula formed by a sharp bend in the White River. The town is seven blocks wide. The north side culminates at a bluff high above the river, slopes gradually south through downtown, across the railroad tracks, and back to the river. The setting is beautiful, the people are friendly, and the trout are bountiful.., but Cotter has seen better days. Families left their homes with the passing of the railroad, and downtown Cotter is now fragmented and deteriorating because of fire damage, vacancy, and neglect. The planning and design goals to restore and revitalize the Cotter community are fundamental. The primary goals are to define and reestablish the downtown area, and exploit the unique geography with extensions and access to the beautiful White River. Secondary goals include establishing a Cotter "entry point", creating and improving trails along the White River, improving the Hwy 345 corridor, creating educational opportunities by developing historically significant areas and outreach activities for local schools, developing some large scale seasonal planting areas, focusing residential development in existing neighborhoods, and capitalizing on tourism. While work needs to be done in many areas of Cotter, development in some primary areas will have a greater impact on the city. These areas we identified as key in the revitalization of Cotter include: the downtown area, and three extensions to the White River. The extensions from downtown Cotter are, to the north Hopkins Overlook, to the south a waterfront resort, and to the west Big Spring Park. The Downtown Focus Area extends from the entry into Cotter at the end of Combs Street to McLean Avenue and then to Second Street. Within the downtown area, facing McLean Avenue is City Hall, the Water Department, the Fire Department, and the old Commercial Hotel. These are all places that have the opportunity to capture a feeling of Cotter's history, the White River, and of Civic Pride. From the Downtown Focus Area, we have extended our reaches toward the river. Second Avenue extends fully across the peninsula, connecting water to water through the downtown. At the north end of Second Avenue, we have Hopkins Overlook. Hopkins Overlook is on the high side of the city, over one hundred feet above the water and offers spectacular views of the White River, The historical bridges, the peninsula, the city, and the neighboring bluffs. At the south end of Second Avenue is another focus area. This site provides an opportunity for direct access to the river while terminating the axis of Second Avenue at the same time. This site is perfect for a fishing lodge or resort area. Just west of the downtown area and the terminus of McLean Avenue, is Big Spring Park. Big Spring Park is surrounded by the White River, already a destination point for the area, and the most significant place in the city of Cotter. A careful planner would capitalize on existing assets before moving on to new investments. We see the traditional city as an asset that has not been maximized. In the fabric of old Cotter, vacant lots and unused buildings offer existing services to anyone wanting a space for a home or office. It makes good sense to locate where services are already existing rather than extend new services to undeveloped land.
The planning and design goals to restore and revitalize the Cotter community are fundamental. The primary goals are to define and reestablish the downtown area, and exploit the unique geography with extensions and access to the beautiful White River. Secondary goals include establishing a Cotter "entry point," creating and improving trails along the White River, improving the Hwy 345 corridor, creating educational opportunities by developing historically significant areas and outreach activities for local schools, developing some large scale seasonal planting areas, focusing residential development in existing neighborhoods, and capitalizing on tourism. Listed below are design proposals that address solutions to the planning goals stated above. Cotter Entry Signage and Coordination
(single image, single slogan) Downtown Park Expansion and Development of Hopkins
Overlook Wildflower Planting Lodge West Extension to River - Big Spring Park Park Gateway Identify and Mark Railroad History Establish Focus for Residential Growth
(growth boundary) Fishing
The photo above is the 2025 Cotter Master Plan model. This photo begins to identify the peninsula like geography of the city, the centralized location of the downtown area, the importance of extensions to the White River, and some of the unique historical landmarks. In the center of the photo is the expanded downtown area with the proposed City Park. At the far right, the northern endpoint of 2nd Street is Hopkins Overlook. At the far left, the southern endpoint of 2nd Street is the proposed Fishing Lodge (the large red area just right of the lodge is the Wildflower Belt). At the top of the photo is Big Spring Park (the large gridded mass of trees is the Pecan Orchard).
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Cotter, Arkansas - Trout Capital
U.S.A.
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