Jonesboro planning commission approves Gladiola Business Park subdivision amid traffic concerns

The Jonesboro Metropolitan Area Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a final subdivision plat for Gladiola Business Park, a six-lot development on about 25.7 acres at Elmhurst Drive and Parker Road.

City planning staff told commissioners the final plat met the requirements of the city’s subdivision code and the development’s C-3 General Commercial district standards. Jeremy Bevel, a civil engineer representing the applicant, said the project is under construction and that the applicant provided a performance bond that staff and the city attorney have reviewed.

The approval drew a public comment from a nearby resident who raised traffic and driveway-safety concerns. Patty Lack of 4108 Forest Hill Road said she has observed large vehicles using the Elmhurst/Parker area and said she expects the development’s tenant operations to increase truck and commercial-vehicle traffic. Lack noted the company operating the storage facility typically runs U-Haul retail operations at other sites and said the additional activity could worsen congestion at the Elmhurst/Harrisburg corridor.

City planning staff summarized their review for the commission, saying the plat “does comply with all the requirements of the final subdivision plan, according to Chapter 113 of the Subdivisions section of the City of Jonesboro Code of Ordinances,” and that setbacks and lot dimensions meet the C-3 district requirements. Bevel said construction plans and required infrastructure — including sidewalks, curb and gutter, street centerlines and drainage — have been submitted and are under the city’s engineering review.

Commissioners asked about an apparent offset in the right-of-way where Elmhurst meets Pike Road and a nearby commercial driveway. Staff explained the map’s right-of-way labels make the dedication appear offset even though the actual roadway alignment and curb lines are designed to meet city standards and the project is being built within existing land-ownership constraints.

Lack also said she contacted the Arkansas Department of Transportation and was told the Harrisburg Road project in the area is not scheduled for bid until January 2026, a timeline she and others said could affect traffic patterns while the development and the state project both move forward.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to approve the final subdivision plat; another commissioner seconded. The commission voted to approve the plat by roll-call electronic vote. The commission’s approval clears the final subdivision step; construction is already underway and the city has the applicant’s performance bond on file.

The commission did not attach additional conditions related to traffic mitigation at the meeting. Residents’ concerns about commercial traffic and intersections in the area were noted during public comment and in commissioners’ questions; the city indicated that engineering review and applicable right-of-way coordination with the Arkansas Department of Transportation will proceed as part of the project’s construction permitting process.