HomeMy WebLinkAboutletter against GMuellerGregg and Cathie Mueller
14600 Shepard Drive
Little Rock, AR 72223
April 26, 2023
Walter Malone, Planning Manager
Department of Planning and Development
723 West Markham
Little Rock, AR 72201
RE: Change to the Old Oak/Black Master Plan
Dear Mr. Malone and City Planning Directors,
My wife and I along with 49 other residences directly located on the existing Shepard Drive bought our
homes with the understanding that our street was considered a Local Street under the Master Street
Plan, not a Collector Street. We would expect it to remain as such. The effects to the economic value of
our homes would likely be negatively impacted because people do not like to reside on busy streets.
Additionally, busier streets cause safety concerns for pedestrians and children.
The Secluded Hills area was developed under the plan that Old Oak was required to be a Collector
Street. The City required the developer to expend additional land and higher costs of design and
construction to meet those criteria. It would betray to the original developer costs to him to develop
this area. Old Oak as a Collector Street is approximately 85% completed from Hinson to Cantrell.
Completion of Old Oak/Black street to Cantrell would make much more sense economically, and would
leave the city with a street constructed from one end to the other as a Collector Street. Your telephone
explanation to me was that the existing Shepard Drive would not be widened and constructed to
Collector specifications simply because the costs would be prohibitive for the city to bear, and there are
many other projects which would give greater benefit to the city for improvement. That however would
leave the newly constructed portion of Shepard Drive, if ever constructed, with wider streets dumping
into a Local Street. Whereas, completion, if ever, of Old Oak/Black as a Collector Street would leave a
fully compliant Collector Street from Hinson to Cantrell. That seems to make more sense to me.
You also made me aware by phone that the city does not want to have two stoplights too close
together. (Kroger and Old Oak/Black) The decision was made by the city to grant Kroger a stop light. It
would seem that the city at the time of the construction of Kroger did not take into consideration the
abandonment of its then current Master Street Plan with respect to Old Oak/Black, since you are just
now doing that. I would ask the Planning Commission to leave the Master Street Plan as it is with
regard to Old Oak/Black Street as a Collector Street as a consideration to our neighborhood just the
same as the consideration you gave to Kroger. I don't think abandonment of the existing Master Street
Plan is fair to our neighborhoods and betrays the terms that all of our landowners should have been
able to assume when purchasing their homes.
I will look forward to your hearing on May 11 regarding this matter.
Sincerely.
Gregg and Cathie Mueller