More than half of Tuesday's two-plus hour city board of directors meeting was devoted to a single agenda item.
The twice-monthly meeting was rolling along with the first nine agenda items being unanimously approved. The final item, Resolution 31-17, involving a significant development permit to build a 10,000-square-foot poultry supply retail store at 1510 E. Main Street caused the stir.
It began when director Frank Johnson expressed concern that the commercial construction could cause additional flooding to his nearby residence. A heavy rain earlier this year created a pond around his home and he provided pictures to illustrate.
"I've lived in that home for 42 years and it is my home, the roof over my head," Johnson said. "Can someone give me a little bit more detailed plan of what you're going to do with drainage in that area? Maybe an engineer or someone like that?"
City engineer Justin Bland took the podium and even had slides ready to address Johnson's concerns. Bland said it's part of a regional water basin that captures water from "about a 580-acre area." He cited a study from 2007 that looked ahead at future commercial developments and instructed that construction of this location was part of that project's design. He looked at adding retention ponds to future commercial projects in the area, but believes the existing regional water basin was the "best solution," although an even better solution could remedy the problem in the future.
"The real culprit of flooding in that area is the Lincoln Street crossing (culvert)," Bland said. "It's undersized, so that was a point of issue when this was designed. ... The first opportunity that we get that we can improve that culvert crossing there, it's really going to fix the issue.
"That's something that is controlled by the state highway department and is not something we can do directly."
Bland said the city will ask the highway department to "take a look" at widening the culvert. It was during the flooding discussion that other issues arose, including whether the project would remove "trees that typically absorb and slow down water," said director Amy Smith. City senior planner Ben Rhodes said "a few trees may be disturbed."
Another issue was brought up by director Steve Beers about a requirement for the developer to construct 37.5 linear feet of sidewalk at the front of the development when no sidewalk existed on either side. A previous grant that will build a sidewalk on the north side of the same street also made the need for a sidewalk on the south side seem redundant, he said.
"How do we use these dollars wisely and not have a sidewalk in 10 years from now that never went to anywhere," Beers said. "What are our options instead of building a sidewalk that really is not going to serve anybody?"
Before it was approved, a condition was added to the resolution that city staff will reconsider whether it would make more sense to build the sidewalk, or have the developer provide "cash in lieu" of a sidewalk that can be used at a later date.
Other items approved included:
• The construction of an equipment storage shed at the Water Services Division.
• The hiring of Karla Wasson to the Arkansas Public Facilities Board.
• Several ordinance amendments for rezoning and plat development permits, with the most significant being the construction of Phase 2 of the Autumn Glen Addition.
Sports on 11/12/2017