Residents of North Little Rock protest a planned industrial park close to their homes

North Little Rock, Arkansas – At Tuesday’s North Little Rock Planning Commission meeting, every seat was occupied.

A large number of Scott neighborhood members came together to voice their concerns on a planned rezoning that would bring an industrial park to the area.

The area that is being considered for rezoning is situated east of the Willow Beach Neighborhood and is often close to Old Highway 30, Highway 165, and Highway 391.

Planning Commission member Norman Clifton stated, “I understand we have had quite a few calls from citizens living in this area.”

According to Clifton, a number of Scott area homeowners called the city, expressing worry that a business planned to install bitcoin mining on a plot of land close to their homes.

The city and the real estate representative for Tyler Investments Inc., the company looking to buy the land in the rezoning area, promptly put an end to the conversation about bitcoin mining.
“I’ve been asked to give a statement about mining activities and bitcoin. We had no intention of doing that, according to Brooks McRae of McKimmey Associates Realtors.

However, Scott homeowners claimed they were still against the concept of an industrial park being built close to their residential areas.

“Now, data mining was quite concerning, and rumour has it that it is not happening. That’s alright, “said Cypress Crossing Homeowners Association President Stephen Hart. “All of that green stuff that is industrial is what I am talking about. Why won’t it keep off of Galloway or Highway 70?”

Joshua Pevarnik, a different resident, stated that the land there supports biodiversity in the city and adds to the local food supply.

Additionally, it offers serene green space that improves our quality of life as well as that of our children and their children’s children. “Our peaceful area would be destroyed by industrial development,” Joshua Pevarnik remarked. He went on to say: “Industrialization would most certainly bring increased noise, traffic, smells and who knows what kind of pollution all of which would negatively impact our collective health, safety and overall wellbeing.”

During the discussion, a cancer surgeon who also happens to be a farmer and landowner in the Scott community raised her concerns about the potential health effects that an industrial park would have on the surrounding neighborhoods.

“It is commonly known that children who grow up adjacent to businesses and industrial parks generally experience poorer health outcomes than children who do not. Environmental pollutants can affect the quality of the soil, water, or air. However, Dr. Heather Williams added, “there is also pollution in the form of continual light and noise pollution, which occurs 365 days a year, seven days a week.

The planning commission decided to move the item on the schedule to a September meeting at a later time.