Arkansas River Trail - Threat of Development of Big Rock Quarry

Threat of Development of Big Rock Quarry

On August 6, 2012, the North Little Rock City Council discussed a sale of city-owned land (roughly 45 acres) known as “Big Rock Quarry,” through which the Arkansas River Trail runs, to Real Estate Commercial 1 Inc., a private development concern led by realtor Byron McKimmey. Sale would be contingent on a pledge to build 200 to 300 condominiums or apartments with some light commercial uses and perhaps a marina on the river within 36 months. A coalition of concerned trail patrons organized meetings and social-media efforts to oppose any development that would severely impact the Arkansas River Trail. North Little Rock Mayor Pat Hays, though a strong supporter of the sale and development, issued assurances that the trail was “sacrosanct.” He said he would not vote for any plan that put a vehicle crossing or other interruption in the way of trail traffic. However, the project architect admitted in the August 6 council meeting that he had not considered how to accommodate runners and walkers on the River Trail. The development group subsequently released drawings of a plan to create a tunnel, approximately 15 feet wide, through which trail traffic would pass under a motor-vehicle thoroughfare.

According to Mayor Hays, the city’s original purchase of the land approximately 20 years prior was accomplished with the hope of building a performance space for music and other purposes, but the limited access made its use for a mass attendance facility unfeasible. In addition to its impact on the trail, the proposed sale led to concerns by North Little Rock residents regarding the perceived secrecy of the deal, the discounted sale price, and commitments the city would shoulder for future maintenance of utilities and streets. In the August 6 council meeting, it was divulged that developers had been in negotiation with representatives of the city for almost two years without any disclosure to the public. Moreover, the putative sale price discussed in the meeting was $1.2 million, though an independent appraisal in September, 2011, rated the value at $1.75 million; similar prices have reportedly been garnered for plots in the area as small as 2 acres.

The bluffs against which the condominiums would be juxtaposed provide a prominent and dramatic scene from across the river in Little Rock and for river traffic. They are also home to Emerald Park, a mostly wooded retreat accommodating a mixture of paved and dirt trails popular with hikers and mountain bike enthusiasts. The bluffs are also of historical significance. They were chosen as a strategic vantage point on which to build Fort Logan H. Roots, which eventually became a hospital in the Department of Veterans Affairs system. The bluffs figure prominently in the travel logs of the first European to navigate the Arkansas River, French explorer Jean-Baptiste Bernard de la Harpe. On April 9, 1722, La Harpe took possession of the bluffs, the first prominent hills he had encountered since leaving the Mississippi River. La Harpe claimed the escarpment in the name of the French king, Louis XIV. Journal records list it as “Le Rocher Français” (“French Rock”) and described it as having three steep peaks, with stone “hard as flint,” and a waterfall and slate quarries nearby.

A final vote on the sale was scheduled for meeting of the city council on Monday, August 27, 2012, but the item was removed from the agenda prior to the meeting. The official reason cited was a request by the developer for further study of the utilities requirements, but most observers believe that public pressure to preserve the area was instrumental, if not the sole explanation. Devotees of the area continue to advocate for its preservation as a park.