Brookland, AR– In a March 12, 2024 city council meeting held by the City of Brookland opposition over new traffic recommendations by Brookland Public Schools.
According to meeting minutes, Brett Bunch approached the council recommending they extend a road with a dead end into the elementary car line.
Bunch requested the completion and extension of a dead-end street, through the neighborhood located directly behind The Southern Chef, on HWY 49B, and adjoining the school campus, for the purpose of opening an additional traffic route for morning and afternoon drop off/pickups, potentially alleviating some congestion from other areas of the city during heavy traffic times. Bunch explained how this street could be used to connect traffic from HWY 49B, through the neighborhood of Christy Drive and Margie Drive, to the school campus through the east side of the Primary Building.
Bunch stated that the plan is for the parents of elementary students to utilize this route to drop off/pickup their students. He described how the school would install a gate to close off the neighborhood from the school campus during the day, in between morning and afternoon car line traffic.
That’s when citizens of the neighborhood spoke out against the idea.
Nearly a dozen spoke out, some recommending new ideas. Such as Kyle Hathcoat whom suggested traffic would turn north off School Street (parallel to Hickory-behind the junior high building) with two lanes of traffic running through the back of the campus and through the bus lot, into the current traffic lanes.
Others spoke out on issues regarding backing out of their driveway, safety of children driving within the neighborhood, daycare safety and using the neighborhood as a pass-through.
This is a developing story in which we will provide updates when they come.