DECATUR -- Decatur City Council held a public hearing June 9 to give city residents opportunity to voice their opinions regarding a proposed Decatur bypass.
About 15 residents turned out to voice their opposition to the plan that calls for widening 4th St. between Roller Ave. and Arkansas Highway 59 at Hill St. and closing a 30-foot section of Hill St.
Decatur Mayor Charles Linam explained that the bypass is needed to improve the traffic flow through the city, especially during peak hours and in emergencies.
"This would improve by lessening traffic at the four-way stop so people wanting to go towards Bentonville can connect to Highway 102 without going to the four-way, which at certain times of the day can get congested," Linam explained. " The thing that precipitated this action was the seven-hour closure of the four-way due to a broken power pole."
The project would be funded by a $250,000 grant from the Arkansas Highway Transportation Department.
Decatur residents voiced their opposition to the plan and expressed a concern that rerouting traffic around the downtown area would negatively affect the new Walmart business moving into the area.
"We have to Aug. 15 to apply for this grant," Linam stated. "That is why we are having this meeting to discuss it. Do we want it? Do we not want it? We want to look at this thing from all sides before continuing."
It was suggested by several Decatur residents that the $250,000 grant would best be used to improve the four-way intersection instead. The city council agreed that this might be the best use of these funds and tabled the bypass proposal.
In the meeting that followed the public hearing, the Decatur City Council voted against the proposed bypass project.
After reviewing several ideas that were obtained during the public hearing, the council decided to pursue the four-way intersection improvement idea.
The council will hold a public hearing on this proposal at 5:30 p.m., July 14, in the council chamber of City Hall. Decatur citizens are urged to attend the special meeting.
General News on 06/18/2014