have sustained and been resilient through the years, and we continue to be that way. I would say that one of our biggest characteristics is that we have really stood our grounds as a city individually, rather than trying to connect through a main artery or connector with another city.” A DOWNTOWN READY FOR RENEWAL Pea Ridge’s main corridor has historically been more of a pass through than a destination, but the city is preparing to change that. “We are wanting to revitalize our downtown and try to get that honed in, to get more businesses coming in,” says Community Development Coordinator Dustin Phy. One of the biggest steps is a proposed highway swap with the Arkansas Department of Transportation, who currently own the roads in the downtown district, which is located on Highway 72 and Highway 94. “The first collaborative effort for us is to get those to be city streets so we can do more with those within our own jurisdiction,” explains Mayor See. “We do have a concept to create a square in our downtown area.There’s a lot of opportunities there to do some revitalization and bring more commercial and more nightlife.” Planning Director Keegan Stanton adds that Pea Ridge has already adopted a future land use map that designates a specific downtown district.“Now, we’re going to work on actually creating zoning ordinances that can facilitate that traditional downtown Main Street style of development. We’re building the policies and tools to get us to a point where we can support that walkable sort of downtown feel,” he says. PLANNING FOR GROWTH Pea Ridge is one of the fastest growing cities in Arkansas, doubling it’s population over the last five years. Currently sitting at around 13,000 residents, the community is predicted to grow to over 20,000 people by 2030. “The northwest Arkansas region has been growing very quickly,” Stanton notes. “We are positioned very well to take advantage of these opportunities, and that’s why we feel it’s important to have such a detailed and forward looking plan for that growth.” 135 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 12 PEA RIDGE, AR
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