Marion council, P&Z push back against plans to widen Military Rd.

Marion council, P&Z push back against plans to widen Military Rd.

Officials want state to go with alternative recommendations for revitalization efforts

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Marion has joined the Planning and Zoning Commission in giving its approval to a plan to landscape Military Road and to not widen it to five lanes as the state is proposing to do.

The city council voted 41 to endorse the recommendations in Phase 1 of the city’s overall downtown revitalization plan.

Marion hired Ecological Design Group and Fennell Purifoy Architects to develop ideas on how to revitalize downtown Marion around courthouse square. Since the state plans to widen Military Road anyway, Ecological Design Group developed a list of improvements which the city could do in conjunction with the widening to improve the look of the roadway.

Ideas call for adding a decorative arch at the intersection of I-55 and Military Road, decorative lighting, bike lanes, and landscaped medians.

The city is not keen though on the state’s proposal to widen Military Road to five lanes which could possibly eliminate the popular Willow trees which line the roadway across from Fidelity Bank. Consultants with Ecological Design Group have met with officials from the Arkansas Highway Department in Little Rock who indicated they are willing to work with the city on the widening design.

Instead of five lanes, the city wants to add a raised median, left turn lanes with cuts into the side streets, and two five-foot bike lanes on each side.

Mayor Frank Fogleman said he wanted to get the city on record as supporting the ideas contained in the redevelopment plan.

“The Steering Committee favors this. The Planning Committee favors this. So we want to report to the highway department that this is what we favor and get their blessing on this,” Fogleman said.

The roadway is scheduled to be improved in Fiscal Year 2019. The highway department will likely begin their design work in the fall.

Chamber of Commerce President Mike Demster said having the city council’s endorsement of the plan along with the other committee’s should carry some weight with the state.

“The important thing is that the city will have a seat at the table potentially rather than wait and them deliver something we don’t like,” Demster said.

Councilman Cliff Wood voted against the plan because he doesn’t want to see the state take out the Willow trees for bike lanes that won’t be used.

“For the record, I voted against this at the Planning Commission,” Wood said.

“I think the bike lane is a total waste to the city and the taxpayer’s money. I don’t think they will get used.”

By Mark Randall