Middle School plans OK’

Six more classrooms are scheduled to be built this fall at Pea Ridge Middle School. Plans have been let to bid after receiving approval from the Ridge Planning Commission at the regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 3. After extensive discussion about drainage and the retention pond currently on site, planners and the architect agreed to increase the size of the retention pond.

Architect Steve Elliott said the size of the pond was designed to include additional runoft from the fine arts auditorium and classrooms planned for construc

tion next year at the high school. “We’ve tremendously increased the size of the pond … we don’t want to do that again,” Elliott said. “The water problem has been there ever since Standing Oaks. They can’t fix the problems of the past,” M.J. Hensley, planner, said.

When asked whether additional parking was planned, Elliott said there was not.

“You’ll never see events going on at both facilities at the same time,” Rick Neal, school superintendent, said of the fine arts auditorium and football stadium. Elliott also said the previously planned road designed to exit on Weston Street would not be builtbecause of complications with bus traff c.In other business, planners:

◊Approved a request for a business in a home at 1503 S.

Curtis Ave. by Gary and Lisa Seib who said the business would simply consist of off ce fi les and phone and all work would be done on site at automobile body shops.

◊Stated that two Planning Commissioners who work for Walmart may attend meetings discussing the plans for the Neighborhood Market, but not vote on and issues concerning Walmart, as a decision from the city attorney, according to Tony Townsend, building off cial.

News, Pages 1 on 09/11/2013