Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Weather slows city's projects

Inclement weather has slowed down the construction projects the City of Gurdon was working on.

These projects, a parking lot for City Hall, a drive-through window for the Gurdon Water and Sewer Department and two new bays for the Gurdon Fire Department, were made possible with monies received through grants totaling about $230,000.

Gurdon Mayor Clayton Franklin said construction was going pretty good until the rain began, but the weather has the projects at a standstill currently.

However, the drive-through window will soon be installed, with the brick work being done when the weather dries up somewhat.

Overall, Franklin said, the projects should be finished within 30 days, if the weather cooperates.

Along with these three projects, Franklin said the city was notified of being awarded a grant from the Horace Cabe Foundation to build an animal control building.

This structure will be built on land donated by the Cabe family. Franklin said the city had been turned down for a grant once, but "went a different route" the second time.

The city, he said, had been receiving complaints about dogs running loose. However, there was little the animal control department could do as Arkadelphia's city government no longer accepts animals from Gurdon due to a lack of space.

Currently, specifications are being worked up to let bids on the animal control shelter.

Gurdon, Franklin said, is in for more good fortune as apartment complexes will soon be going up off Deer Creek Road, near Kansas Road.

One of these low-income complexes will be built by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), with the other being financed through the Arkansas Department Finance Authority (ADFA).

As this project comes closer to becoming a reality, groundbreaking ceremonies will be held at the Deer Creek site to commemorate the occasion.