Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Better roads in Gurdon wait on funds

Each day, an average of 27,900 vehicles pass through the Clark County line from Nevada County on Interstate 30, according to a state highway route and section map prepared by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department in 2007.

That number is higher than the 27,100 vehicles that pass through Caddo Valley on the Interstate.

So, what is the purpose for knowing these numbers?

It only matters if the citizens and leaders of Gurdon would like to make a change in the appearance of their road system.

All five voting members of the Economic Development Corp. of Clark County recently approved a proposed gateway between Caddo Valley and Arkadelphia  an improvement project between the towns, which will widen and improve Highway 7. It is supposed to include a four-lane bridge over the Caddo River and is to be renamed University Parkway.

The EDCCC discussed other highway projects like a Streetscape in Gurdon, Ouachita River bridge renovations and work on highways 84 and 182 in Amity; but State Sen. Percy Malone told the board that in the past, Clark County has had difficulty getting projects approved by the state due to its inability to support one single project.

Conner Eldridge, who served on the EDCCCs transportation committee, said the Streetscape project is pressing and doable, but suggested there might be other top needs in Gurdon.

Gurdon Mayor Clayton Franklin told The Gurdon Times that the top need in the city is the improvement of Highway 53, which was approved several years ago. He said that some work has been done on the highway near Hollywood, and the highway department should work their way south to Gurdon. The improvement work on the highway includes widening the road for larger shoulders.

The improvement of Highway 53 from Griffin to the interstate would be the most beneficial to Gurdon, Franklin said. Its only a matter of time until they work on it.

It would be the most beneficial to Gurdon because it is a main route for truck drivers to use on their way to Georgia Pacific or Anthony Timberlands in Beirne, he said.

Another way to make Gurdon more presentable, Rotarian Billy Tarpley said, is to comply with city ordinances regarding cleanliness. Industrial prospects often use the cleanliness and appearance of a city to determine whether to locate there, Tarpley said. It is in our best interest to make sure that all property looks appealing and well tended. Houses that have tall grass, cars in the front yard and couches and appliances on the front porch do not look appealing.

A city ordinance passed in 2002 makes it a violation to to have grass, weeds or any plant that is not cultivated grow to higher than 18 inches tall on a parcel of land in the city limits.

Other ordinances make it illegal to:

-have trash, dead trees, building materials or any other objectionable or unsanitary matter to be present on city land;

-store an abandoned vehicle on a lot of land for a period longer than 30 days;

-store open or unlocked refrigerators or any other appliance or furniture for longer than 30 days on a lot of land in the city;

-use a stream or drainage way for the purpose of the placing of stumps, brush, litter, rubbish or any other liquid or solid material near the banks of a stream or drainage way;

-allow trees, shrubs, bushes or any other plant on personal property impede the flow of pedestrian traffic on any sidewalk or public right-of-way, or for them to cause the obstruction of view of motorists at any intersection on any public street; or

-to allow any act or condition constituting a nuisance under Arkansas Code annotated or common law.

A city employee may be designated by the mayor to determine where violations may occur; but city officials say a lack of funds has made it difficult to employ someone for another position.

No doubt, our city needs a code enforcement officer, Tarpley said, and we can help increase the citys revenue by spending our money for goods and services here in Gurdon, not out of town.

As for the approval of University Parkway between Arkadelphia and Caddo Valley, county officials will meet at the Captain Henderson House in Arkadelphia with Madison Murphy, the state highway commissioner for the area, to discuss the plan for the improvements. Murphy, from El Dorado, and is serving a 10 year term on the Arkansas Highway Commission, and was appointed by then-Gov. Mike Huckabee. His term will expire in 2013.

To see all the traffic numbers of the county, visit www.clarkcountyplan.org and click on Economic Development Corporation. From there, scroll down 2/3 of the way down the page and click on Clark County Traffic Counts 2007.