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Wildwood residents press board to finish Denny–Canis roundabout; director urges county action and franchise clarity with Potlatch Deltic
Summary
Residents from Wildwood Place urged the board to complete a long-promised roundabout at Denny Road and Canis Road; Director Lance Hines pressed for the county to fund the county-located roundabout and asked staff to advance related right-of-way and franchise items involving Potlatch Deltic.
Multiple residents from the Wildwood Place subdivision addressed the Little Rock City Board of Directors during citizens’ communications to press for construction of a roundabout at the Denny Road–Canis Road intersection.
Speakers said the intersection has been flagged for improvement since 2020 and described repeated delays. Kevin Gillespie and Charles West said the intersection creates safety problems for school buses and neighborhood traffic; they said prior commitments, including a county resolution and a $1.4 million MetroPlan grant, have not led to construction. Larry Gardner said hundreds of new homes built since 2014 have increased traffic and urged the board to require that additional development pause until the intersection is fixed.
Director Lance Hines addressed the board and outlined the history: a 2019 agreement among the county, Potlatch Deltic (the developer), and the city to reorient Denny Road and construct a roundabout; a county judge’s 2020 resolution; and a MetroPlan grant. Hines said the roundabout would sit on county property and that the city’s role was to work on widening Canis Road where it abuts city boundaries. He criticized the county judge for not allocating available road-and-bridge funds to what Hines called a "life safety" issue and said Potlatch Deltic has agreed to dedicate right-of-way to support the project.
Hines asked staff to bring forward a right-of-way dedication waiver and a franchise agreement that would allow Potlatch Deltic to maintain medians and right-of-way along Chennault Valley Drive — items Hines said had stalled at staff or legal review. City staff and the city attorney said they would investigate and provide updates; public works staff told the board that a median-maintenance contract renewal already appears on the consent agenda but that a separate Potlatch Deltic franchise agreement remains outstanding.
Ending
Residents and Director Hines asked city staff to press the county and developer to restore momentum on a roundabout promised in 2020. The board requested staff follow up on right-of-way dedication and franchise agreements and to report back to the board; no final funding or construction schedule was set at the meeting.
