Searcy, AR (LP) — Last year, residents on North Main Street were surprised with the news that some of the land on which they live is soon to be partially rezoned. This rezoning would be in the form of expansions to the road, including but not limited to, a sidewalk and turning lane. This was the return of an old order of business that has been set back countless times. Lion Press spoke with two of these Main Street residents, Tim and Brittney Jones, concerning their experience dealing with the city, their planning, and their opinions on the matter.

We first asked how the additions would affect their daily routines. Tim Jones stated, “They’ll tear up my driveway.” He later mentioned the damage that would also be done to his yard by the machinery. Brittney Jones also mentioned that, should the bridge be closed, traffic would become incredibly slow, but “worth it” in the end. 

Of course, one major question would be “What of the land?”  According to Mr. Jones, 16 feet or so from the road would be taken with the new additions, 6 feet past the 10-feet to which the city is entitled. However, Mr. and Mrs. Jones were not concerned with this. They were “happy to trade the land for sidewalk” and would have “less grass to mow.”

On the topic of the necessity of the additions, Mr. Jones stated that the city “should’ve done it twenty years ago” as there have been many vehicles crashing into the ditch. Mr. Jones went on to say that the cost of such damages over time would be “well over a grand” and that “somebody’s paying for it.” This is an increasingly difficult problem as there are over 500 fatal car wrecks a year in Arkansas alone, according to Gunn Kielak Dennis Law Firm. Needless to say, citizens like Mr. Jones, who often is the one pulling people out of the ditch, is “ready to do it.” 

Surprising, though, is the city’s long-suffering with the citizens. According to Mrs. Jones, the city has treated them “really well,” and even made mention that the city engineer himself came out to personally speak with them at their request. This is on top of the already generous compensation for the land loss, something Mr. and Mrs. Jones weren’t necessarily too worried about. Also, the dates are almost perpetually being set back, the city keeps those affected informed of the latest news about the project, sending letters and notifying citizens of the next meetings to be held about the project. “At first, they didn’t know how it would work, but, over time, it got better,” says Mrs. Jones. 

As of right now, no set date for the initial work is set, though, once work begins, it should not take much more than about 6 months, according to Mark Lane, Searcy city engineer. However, Searcy citizens still await this, headache-inducing, yet long overdue project to get underway.