Alexander Planning Commission members listened to representatives of
Metroplan as they explained the next steps in writing a master
development plan for the city. Metroplan’s Bernadette Gunn Rhodes
(Community Planner) and Hans Haustein, GIS (Geographic Information
System) Planner and Performance Measure Coordinator, explained the
various next steps involved in writing a comprehensive plan. The
city’s current development plan dates back to 1982.
At the planning
commission’s June 8 regular meeting members were given a “Scope
of Work” document that details the responsibilities of both
Metroplan and the city. The first item listed as a joint-effort is
to, “Draft a public survey.” Once completed, it will be up to the
city to get the survey out to Alexander residents.
The city must also
form a, “Citizen Advisory Group.” The Advisory Group, working
with the planning commission, will take part in developing the master
plan based on their interpretation of the survey results and “public
outreach.” There will be at least one, possibly more, meeting for
the general public to express their desires for the future
development of Alexander.
Anyone who wishes to
volunteer for the Citizen Advisory Group should contact either the
mayor or planning commission chairman. Mayor Paul Mitchell’s email
address is mayor@cityofalexander.com.
You can contact Planning Commission Chairman Michael Huck at
pcchair@cityofalexander.com.
Or, you can phone city hall (501-455-2585) and speak to either the
mayor or leave contact information to volunteer for the advisory
group.
According to the
Scope of Work the makeup of the advisory group should, “Aim for
diversity in age, sex, race, and ethnicity.”
Providing that
information when submitting your application will allow the planning commission to insure a wide mix
of city residents.
The Scope of Work
also establishes deadlines. By July the survey is expected to be sent
out to the public and the Citizen Advisory Group should be formed. In
August, a public meeting is expected to be held to announce the
results of the survey and to hear “ideas” from residents
concerning the planning of Alexander’s future.
Following the public
meeting Metroplan will evaluate the feedback from residents and
develop “[L]and use and transportation scenarios.” In September
the Citizen Advisory Group is expected to meet to develop
recommendations to be sent to Metroplan by October. Metroplan will
then, “Begin drafting concepts for the plan.”
By November,
Metroplan expects to have the first draft of the plan completed. It
will then be presented to the planning commission and city staff for
review and comment. In December, Metroplan will revise the plan draft
based on comments made at the November meeting.
This process will
then move into 2022. The latest plan draft will be presented at a
town hall style meeting in January to hear comments from the public.
Any necessary revisions will be made and a final draft should be
completed by the end of January. If all goes well the planning
commission and city council are expected to adopt the development
plan in February, 2022.
Metroplan is a quasi
government agency dedicated to providing general planning, mapping,
and technical assistance to local governments in Central Arkansas.
It’s major role is to work with local governments, the Arkansas
Department of Transportation, and local transit providers to
determine transportation needs and funding priorities for Federal
transportation investments. Alexander pays an annual fee to be a
member of Metroplan, allowing the city to take advantage of its
services.
In the Chairman’s
Report during the June 8 meeting, Chairman Michael Huck told
commission members there’s nothing new to report on the plan to
rename N. Alexander Rd. and Alexander Rd. to N. Main Street and
rename E. 3rd St. and S. Alexander Rd. to S. Main Street.
He also reported
that Ample Storage, located along Hwy. 5, will be requesting a zoning
change for a 1.73-acre parcel that was annexed into the city in 2018.
The parcel will be rezoned from Open Space/Recreation to Highway
Commercial.
Huck said he was
contacted by someone wanting to locate a Verizon cell tower in the
city.
Commission members
were also told about Mayor Paul Mitchell’s discussions with the
Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDot) concerning the Hwy. 111
turn at E. 3rd St. and Alexander Road. During the May
council meeting Mitchell told council members he is trying to get
ArDot to add a right turn lane from Alexander Rd. to E. 3rd
St. traveling south, widen the intersection, remove the stop sign for
traffic on E. 3rd St., and add stop signs for cross
traffic on Alexander Road. The goal is to keep Hwy 111 traffic
moving, eliminating the back-log of traffic, which occurs for drivers
traveling north.