[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6687974,"mediaKeyId","2383042-ae9267f930a2ffda840f6db51b685b7c","parentId",2383042,"title","Jonesboro engineering staff outlines 2025 capital projects; contractors preparing Citizens Bank demolition","audioSeconds",1031,"startMs",2081000,"endMs",3112000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383042-ae9267f930a2ffda840f6db51b685b7c&start=2081&end=3112","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383042-ae9267f930a2ffda840f6db51b685b7c/thumbnail_2081000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6687974/Jonesboro/Craighead-County/Arkansas/Jonesboro-engineering-staff-outlines-2025-capital-projects-contractors-preparing-Citizens-Bank-demolition","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6687974-eb1db701c9b65b8cdc5dbcb32975b05d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775150585&Signature=LPO2IZ91NiJ~Nnl~j50GS~TtzOenFUrz0cqqo9Jaf00fwywpjFO5Ow1427stB368AJZ-vP3hiUOo9kRri381UkEhEud1vUSqnFqXAQT8Ik73oFkPzyyk9mn8DFdiroKcQrBPhgUFOgTQMWVFGdvVzrTNojwb0LNw2iF~dyF~fv8z-NlAgHYoEuizah9f0z71YVjrtBXDbxwYZZj-ViiXDlWxIDLTgyzWAy2pVI4iYKmKYgHt4mdmRYi8ig6Nob64cJxjlq4HfiUz-0qcvuwPiIoWkWMo2pscBeejr16nVSHb7i-bExkh-5ClULhMx~B6DyL9q0wtCKg9UuBc0UH7-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Jonesboro","date","2025-02-24T00:00:00Z","article","City engineering staff presented the 2025 capital-project program to the Jonesboro City Council, describing planned street, sidewalk, drainage and rail-yard work, and contractors gave an update on imminent demolition activity at the former Citizens Bank site.

Engineering staff said the city’s 2025 miscellaneous roads allocation (about $500,000) will fund projects including a signal at North Church/Church Hawk near Parker Park, a Johnson Avenue turn lane with a 10-foot side path to the Newman Center, and pedestrian accommodations at South Culver House and Southwest Drive. Traffic-calming measures (speed tables and signage) are planned at Oak Street, Brazos and Fair Park, and a lighting project on Crest Street is staged for installation with grant-purchased luminaires.

Staff said sidewalk funds (about $500,000) will continue South Culver House/Flint Street connectivity work and begin additional side-path work down Jefferson Avenue, plus a small Madison Road sidewalk segment. Drainage funds will address Maplewood Terrace ditch relocation and curb/piping work near Leslie and Tony Ann; staff also proposed purchase of approximately 5 acres on North Main Street that is part of a Corps of Engineers master drainage plan and is being offered below appraisal.

Railroad funds (approximately $450,000) will cover maintenance and protective switch-point devices, camera equipment for the rail yard and other rail-related maintenance. The city advertised a $1 million asphalt overlay program; bid results came in slightly lower than the previous year, potentially allowing one or two additional overlay projects to be added. Representative streets listed for overlay bidding include Nettleton Avenue, Willow Road, Richardson Road, Warner and Oak Street among others.

On the demolition of the former Citizens Bank building, a contractor representative told the council the first pieces of demolition equipment have arrived on site and a \"high-reach\" machine was scheduled to arrive the next day. The contractor said substantial site protection work is underway to protect an immediately adjacent building (15 feet away) and that an updated Notice of Intent was resubmitted to ADEQ to address clerical items. The representative said \"Our first day of actual demolition, we're hoping at the latest, it'll be Friday... maybe Saturday... or Monday the tenth,\" and that the city and contractor are coordinating traffic control and neighbor notifications.

Why it matters: The projects allocate limited capital to address pedestrian safety, drainage problems and street maintenance identified across neighborhoods. The Citizens Bank demolition is a visible downtown change; the city and contractor emphasized protection of adjacent buildings and ADEQ oversight during demolition.

What’s next: Engineering staff will return with project bids, permits and contract awards as projects move into construction phases. The contractor said demolition work was expected to begin soon subject to ADEQ approval and completion of site-protection measures.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Jonesboro - City Council on 2025-02-24 5:30 PM - Feb 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City engineering staff described 2025 capital allocations for roads, sidewalks, drainage, rail yard protections and an asphalt overlay program; contractors reported heavy equipment arriving to begin demolition of the former Citizens Bank building.","taxTitle","Jonesboro, Craighead County, Arkansas","taxId",3532,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6687978,"Votes at a glance: Jonesboro council adopts multiple rezonings, easement vacations and appointments",2218,1560000,3778000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383042-ae9267f930a2ffda840f6db51b685b7c&start=1560&end=3778","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383042-ae9267f930a2ffda840f6db51b685b7c/thumbnail_1560000.jpg","/articles/6687978/Jonesboro/Craighead-County/Arkansas/Votes-at-a-glance-Jonesboro-council-adopts-multiple-rezonings-easement-vacations-and-appointments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6687978-11a47018d2fa7c9878e9dae35cd1ec3c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775150585&Signature=pA1IIy5505TE6Mk5aImFwOtkpkQLd7FqQYuGny7~iSCoN29SW~9xJcM6onXgx8YeByK3M4AdmWfmAv11bmvfAiNT~rXlnsdqjxv0Tf7CZCm05ZIk-nppHBzy5G~fyQQ9Ma3wjoBmmwPVrxoizEov0jz04ERy57iA6nTaqUNosgGYX3txwKsKbv~sxsObq-FUnpt-LBDDThlxSh24McA59MzLk13vEsB-~TGqWtanMPRZX5xjWlqg1L4ya2-p7d7mg-3RYEdf8aWal-VfzJGrW8JPQB6-BNORipEdFIJNRAUt0HPXQ9pzfexG0JrJgRz-L7iKy6MgmIik9Pjra7rZJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Jonesboro City Council approved a package of ordinances and resolutions covering rezonings, street and alley vacations, a rules amendment, and multiple board appointments.

Key outcomes at a glance:

- Ordinance 25-001: Rezoned property at 5622 South Carraway Road from R-1 to C-3 with a limited-use overlay (requested by Westcott Enterprises). Motion to adopt passed.

- Ordinance 25-002: Rezoned property at 2926 Wood Street from R-1 to C-3 with a limited-use overlay (requested by Horizon Land Surveying). Motion to adopt passed.

- Ordinance 25-003: Rezoned property at 5500 South Stadium Boulevard from R-1 to I-2 (requested by Jim Heatherly). Motion to adopt passed.

- Ordinance 25-004: Rezoned 5.5 acres at 1006 North Warren Street from R-1 to RM-12 (residential multifamily), requested by Carrington Morehouse. Attorney Jim Graham spoke in support, noting the property is not in a floodplain and that the staff report recommended approval; no objections were recorded and the ordinance passed.

- Ordinance 25-006: Vacation and abandonment of a portion of an alley in Pardews Addition (Flex Properties, Inc.). Motion to adopt passed.

- Ordinance 25-007: Vacation and abandonment of portions of street right-of-way and alleys on Shiley Street (Lehi Properties LLC). Motion to adopt passed.

- Ordinance 25-005 (first reading): Amendment to sidewalk ordinance (section 117.33.c) to provide a contribution-in-lieu option for property in planned industrial parks. The ordinance was offered by title on first reading; no public opposition was recorded on first reading and it moved to second reading for further consideration.

- Ordinance 25-008 (walk-on): Amendments to council rules to require electronic entry of votes when a question is put and to revise nominating-and-rules committee membership and meeting quorum language. Council adopted the amendment after suspension of the rules to walk the item on.

- Resolution 25-015 (walk-on): Appointments and reappointments to multiple boards and commissions as recommended by Mayor Harold Copenhaver. Appointments included library board, municipal airport, urban forestry council, parks and recreation advisory committee, board of zoning adjustments, City Water & Light and the impact-fee review committee. Council confirmed the slate; one public commenter asked that a library appointment be delayed so the appointee could speak to a community group per a prior campaign promise.

Most of the passed items had motions and seconds recorded on the floor; several zoning items had the staff report marked as \"check marks\" and no public opposition. The transcript indicates each item \"passes\" after the motion, but not all vote tallies were read aloud in the provided excerpt.

What this means: The council cleared a set of development-related approvals and administrative updates that will allow project applicants and property owners to proceed under the new zoning or vacation decisions and fills multiple board vacancies recommended by the mayor.

","The Jonesboro City Council adopted several zoning rezonings, alley and right-of-way vacations, an amendment to council rules and a slate of board appointments during the meeting; most measures passed with no extended public objection.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6687982,"Jonesboro council approves $59,000 study of impact fees after hours of debate",1018,423000,1441000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383042-ae9267f930a2ffda840f6db51b685b7c&start=423&end=1441","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383042-ae9267f930a2ffda840f6db51b685b7c/thumbnail_423000.jpg","/articles/6687982/Jonesboro/Craighead-County/Arkansas/Jonesboro-council-approves-59000-study-of-impact-fees-after-hours-of-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6687982-22e3df211f13ecf411ec80a0e2848374/orig.mp4?Expires=1775150585&Signature=P4PSYmjICa8wvJ~jKZ1SdTqkNvjDO0F5~tfDe9lUb38qY19tVwZV3wHM6Tpu8gsdWCFPVksxYebCy~A4iMW5BnfXZMWhSTs6R3AoVLZEN2yCluLAribHBpkGZZ5wKTMavqf8oAjmRwei6e6b~Way7WDAPrmqVpViExGkZGA8Jd-RAaRcRWC7paZMYLj817w-m51eO9rjKmlSWVw3hbroUD64HMarPrcyYxpZJR6NTw7oLd2S9iIM6yJTlCOUf-YAb8EzLtSst63mtUHIVY9EA2yb0midcpFoChyBUjl8efZWGQuC~cV6ggutkGlb9BB8I4GwwIHnqdX-LCnATETGMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Jonesboro City Council voted to hire consulting firm DTA to conduct a citywide impact-fee study, approving the expenditure after sustained discussion and public comment.

Supporters said the study is a way to measure the costs that new development places on police, fire, drainage and parks, while opponents warned it could raise housing costs and slow local development. The contract price referenced in the meeting was $59,000.

The measure’s supporters argued impact fees help the city avoid paying long-term cleanup and service costs for poorly planned or undercapitalized development. A council member citing local examples said some apartment complexes built in past years became problem properties that required significant police and code-enforcement attention, and that impact fees are used by other Arkansas cities as a way to offset the cost of new development’s burden on city services.

Council member Miss Porter urged a no vote, saying five concerns guided her position: (1) impact fees incentivize developers to build outside Jonesboro; (2) slowing development could reduce sales-tax receipts, which Porter said make up \"roughly 70% of our city's revenue\"; (3) the fees would exert upward pressure on housing costs; (4) many citizens would view the fees as a new tax \"imposed without a vote of the people\"; and (5) while $59,000 is a small portion of the budget it is not trivial.

In public comment, Rick Wyatt, who identified himself as a member of the impact-fee committee, told the council the project proposal states it will comply with \"Arkansas code 14 56 1 0 3, the Arkansas impact fee law.\" Wyatt said that statute limits what impact-fee revenues may be used for, requires fees be \"reasonably attributable\" to the new development that generated the need, and contains a provision requiring refund of unused portions of collected fees after seven years plus interest.

The council and staff clarified that the vote approved only a study and not adoption of any fee. A council member said the study’s scope would identify where an impact fee might apply geographically and which infrastructure categories would be eligible (police and fire, drainage, parks and similar public facilities), and that some areas — such as targeted revitalization zones — would likely be excluded from fees.

The council then voted to adopt the resolution to contract with DTA for the study. The meeting transcript records a motion and second and later notes, \"The issue passes.\" The meeting did not record a roll-call tally in the discussion portion of the transcript provided.

Why it matters: An impact-fee study can lead to policy that changes developers’ costs and the city’s revenue mix; it also triggers statutory accounting rules and refund obligations if fees are collected but later unused. The council voted to proceed with study work months in advance of any decision to adopt fees.

What’s next: Staff said the study will take several months. Any ordinance or fee structure that results from the report would require separate action by the council.

","The Jonesboro City Council voted to contract DTA to perform a citywide impact-fee study at a cost of about $59,000. Council members and residents debated whether fees would raise housing costs, slow development and how state law would limit use of any fees.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Jonesboro engineering staff outlines 2025 capital projects; contractors preparing Citizens Bank demolition

Votes at a glance: Jonesboro council adopts multiple rezonings, easement vacations and appointments

Jonesboro council approves $59,000 study of impact fees after hours of debate