Arkansas Blog

It looks like what Hays is doing is the same thing the developers did in LR just before the ordinance got passed about clearing land and that is hurry up and do it while you can and then later after you have raped the site you won't have any trouble getting permission to build on it. They did it with the Summit Mall and the lawsuit stopped it, but not before they took off the top of the hill, they did it at Sam Peck and Hwy10.

Hays is afraid that this whole thing is going to get declared invalid so he's starting it now in hopes that even if it does he will be allowed to finish it since it's already in progress. That whole stretch from McCain back to the spit of I-40 is one of the most congested and dangerous stretches of road there is and to add another exit at McCain that will wind back down to North Hills is dumb.

The corollary to your theorem, Arkdemocrat, is the developers' ruse of going ahead and building a subdivision, strip mall or other money-making deal and then demanding that the taxpayers pony up the boodle to build infrastructure to serve their schemes. I believe this is the tactic Burrow and his buddies are working over there in NLR.

I've always wondered how store owners like Gander Mt. and Academy Sports who compete in the same market segment as Bass Pro Shops feel about the government stepping in to aid their competitor? It seems like that borders on unfair competition sponsored by the government.

The city's plan is indeed to still put an intersection at Waterside and N Hills Blvd. City Planning director Robert Voyles confirmed that.

I think an intersection at Waterside and N Hills Blvd will make Waterside become a short cut from N Hills Blvd clear over to JFK. When the traffic becomes backed up on I-40/I-30, South bound traffic will use this new short cut to get West bound. Mark my word. The scenic and placid conditions along Lake #1 in NLR ( The big lake ) will be dreadfully affected.

This is completely detrimental to that area of North Little Rock. Residents of North Little Rock, just make sure that you remember all of these things when Hays is up for reelection next year. Hays needs to go!!

Actually, it will likely turn the Skyline Dr./A Steet corridor into the alternate route. Waterside would only be reasonable for it's ability to get you up to Skyline and over to JFK. It would be a shame. There's already too much traffic through there, now.

And I don't see any discussion of what's going to happen to heavy rainfall when they fill that natural drainage area. No one should be surprised after this is built to read about serious flooding on Pershing or closures of I-40 due to flooding.

This has disaster written all over it.

Adding more exits and on-ramps to this stretch of highway where two interstates converge has the potential for NLR to set a new record for chain-reaction vehicle pile-up collisions. This will be a boon for the wrecker services, salvage yards, body shops, MEMS, hospitals & funeral parlors. The new city motto could become "merge or die!"

And how does Mayor Hays propose to pay for the road improvements? What will be the final price tag? $10,000,000. $20,000,000 or higher?

This whole thing makes me sick. The city will spend millions of dollars to build freeway access to a private development which will in turn consume school taxes under a dubious tax shell game. This development will be built on a wetland which drains the eastern half of the city. Wetlands are excellent filters and sponges for drainage systems. Paving a wetland with a parking lot and a big box will end this system. The freeway will be a total mess. It's already very confusing with 3 freeways merging over the space of a mile. It's already totally conjested for several hours a day. Add another interchange to the mix. The locals will eventually figure out how to negotiate this mess (mostlikely avoid it if possible), but a big chunk of the freeway traffic is people traveling through the area to parts unknown. Good luck to them. The Lakewood and Park Hill neighborhoods will be greatly impacted by adding a freeway exit to a residential street. And what do we get from this grand scheme? The same kind of store that we've already got several of throughout the cities.

a swamp is a natural area that filters and recharges the underground aquifers. i was actually told by someone with the city of north little rock that they will replace these natural areas. unless someone over there has been the title of god that ain't going to happen. natural areas cannot be replaced. they must be allowed to happen

Sheer lunacy.

Access and visibility is EVERYTHING for a shopping mall.

Eastbound on I-40 must jumjp across two lanes of traffic in an 1/8 of a mile to exit in time.

Westbound on I-40 must go onto 67/167 and exit then double back on a service road. This is all before Bass Pro would even be visible.

Southbound 67/167 must exit about a mile before Bass Pro is visible and ride about a mile THEN make a left turn on North Hills!!!!

Only East bound I-30 has any kind of ease of access. But now as all those Little Rock people go back home will have to get on I-40 and jump over 3 lanes of traffic in 1/8 mile to get back onto I-30.

My office is less than a mile from where Bass Pro will be so I know of which I speak.

Remember: This is the same Mayor that spent millions of tax-payer money to haul an old tacky sub and soon tug-boat up to the NLR side of the river. I don't know one person that has toured the sub. It is unsighlty from the bank. He also tried to get those little Waterford glass baseball figurines paid for by the public that he handed out when the ball field was built. While all of this was going on, he let the electric utility bills quadruple in NLR.

And what amount of monthly rent are the NLR taxpayers getting on their property from Valentine' s restaurant at the ballpark? Anything close to market rates paid by other restaurant operators in town?