Gated community planned for Alexander/Little Rock

When traveling through the City of Alexander it’s not difficult to transition from Saline County to Pulaski County, or find yourself weaving in and out of the cities of Alexander and Little Rock. If approved, a new subdivision will blur all those lines by covering an area that’s in both cities and both counties.

The construction of Alexander Mountain Village is proposed for the area along the eastern edge of Alexander, fronted by 4^th Street, between Alexander Road and A.C. Wallace Avenue/Elm Street. The primary access point for this gated community will be Main Street with a second access off Elm Street.

Eric Holloway, of Holloway Engineering, told council members at their September 19 meeting that most of the nearly 18-acre subdivision will be in Little Rock. According to the preliminary plat provided to council members, of the 59 proposed lots 15 are in Alexander.

Due to its proximity to Alexander there is the expectation that Alexander first-responders, the fire department in particular, will probably be the first to arrive at any emergencies occurring in Alexander Mountain Village. With that in mind Mayor Paul Mitchell asked Holloway if while discussing the subdivision with Little Rock officials he could broach the subject of detaching that part of Little Rock and transfer it to Alexander.

“It might help them (Little Rock) to let it go,” Holloway said. “It’s going to be a gated community, … the streets will be maintained by either the property owners association or the developer … in that sense it (detachment) may make it more interesting to them.”

Even without the additional property tax Alexander would receive, if the Little Rock portion were transferred to Alexander, Mitchell said the city would still benefit because there will be more traffic driving past businesses in the city resulting in additional sales and an increase in sales tax revenue.

Mitchell pointed out this is just a preliminary discussion between the council and the developers. It will still have to go through the planning commission but currently only two of the five positions are occupied. Deanna Reeves was serving a temporary two-year term, which expires April 2017, but she has resigned. Her husband John W. Reeves Sr. and Shirley Johnson were appointed to one-year terms, which expired April 2016. Until those positions are filled the planning commission is in limbo. The remaining members of the commission are Alderwoman Andrea Bearden and Robert McKeon.

In other business during the September 19 meeting;

The city council passed an ordinance establishing new building permit fees for residential and commercial construction. Unlike the old fee structure, which was a flat fee, the new building permit fees are based on the square footage of the structure.

The new ordinance also includes the construction of accessory buildings, installing signs, demolition, installing in-ground swimming pools, re-inspections, fences over six feet high, large commercial/tent revivals, renovations, and penalties for not purchasing a building permit.

Mayor Mitchell reported on work being done in the city by the Saline County Highway Department. SCHD has been hired to do those street projects the Alexander Street Department isn’t equipped to handle. Mitchell said culverts are being replaced, ditches are being cleaned and widened and the county is using it’s boom-mower to cut back weeds along city streets about 12-feet.

Recycling Day will be Wednesday, October 5 from 7 to 11 in the morning. Dumpsters will be set-up on the lot at the corner of South Alexander Road (Hwy 111, but not really) and East Azalea Drive.

The next meeting of the Alexander city council will be Monday, October 17. The meeting will be held at 6 PM in the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex. The public is invited to attend.