LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) – A proposed roundabout in the Walton Heights neighborhood will no longer be a reality after multiple complaints from neighbors.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation originally proposed the roundabout last year as part of a plan to widen a part of Cantrell. The roundabout would have gone near the entrance of the neighborhood and would have helped to connect river Mountain Road and the Arkansas River Trail.
An ARDOT spokesman said comment forms from neighbors are what compelled them to nix the roundabout.
"I do care about the community enough to know we need to have a voice if this is going to be decided in part of what we say,” Daniel Hickey said.
Hickey has lived in Walton heights for the past two years. He said talk about the roundabout has stirred up some strong opinions.
"I went to a ARDOT meeting about a year ago and it was discussed it was possible to have a roundabout. At the time, it sounded exciting. It would be something new in the neighborhood,” he said.
Hickey said after looks at plans closer, it became apparent it would drastically alter the landscape of the neighborhood. He said homes were up for removal and dozens of trees would have to be knocked down.
“I had friends that went to the latest meeting, it became apparent it would totally take out a lot of trees and totally change the environment,” he said
Hickey helped get the word out about the proposed demolitions. He said almost everyone was against it.
“I distributed questionnaires to about 75 homes and everyone I talked to was pretty against it when they saw what would happen,” Hickey said.
ARDOT met with the Walton Heights/Candlewood Homeowners Association this week and have instead come up with a new plan. The plan is to put in a regular road from the Cantrell/Rodney Parham intersection to meet with Southridge.
An ARDOT spokesman said this new plan will acquire much less land and no homes will need to be demolished. ARDOT will hold another town hall meeting Sept. 18 at Christ the King from 4-7 p.m. to unveil the new plans.
“I went to a ARDot meeting about a year ago and it was discussed it was possible to have a roundabout. At the time, it sounded exciting. It would be something new in the neighborhood but as it got closer and I had friends that went to the latest meeting, it became apparent it would totally take out a lot of trees and totally change the environment.”
“In there about 200 yards where they were even talking about putting commercial development in.”
“We love living here and it’s very diverse community. But the idea of commercial development, like why are you going to do that if your main objective is to have less traffic. We have plenty going on already Pleasant Ridge and I think we’re almost overdeveloped and we wanted to preserve the integrity of the neighborhood.”
“My neighbors around here, they have a lot longer history than I have and they said at different times ARDOT wanted to do things that would alter the environment and they always felt like this neighborhood that this neighborhood is known as the largest cul de sac in LR. People here have lived here forever. Great schools. It’s just a great sense of community you don’t get many places.”
“We still have deer that come through here. All kinds of squirrels and wildlife. It would very much alter the environment.”
“Did some distributing the forms around the community for people to say how they felt about this. But yeah it is just an atmosphere about WOW! ARDOT does listen and they actually care about what we think.”
“I do care about the community enough to know we need to have a voice if this is going to be decided in part of what we say. I distributed questionnaires to about 75 homes and everyone I talked to was pretty against it when they saw what would happen.”
“We really appreciate the people in the community that responded. It shows there is a community spirit here that is really strong and I was really happy to be a part of that.”