A 76-tract home development on the rural Roland Cutoff Road with more lots planned in future and it is expected to be approximately 450+ at full build-out, which at 3 per home would exceed the entire population of Roland. According to the 2010 Census, the population of Roland is approximately 746. (Population source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/roland-pulaski-county-7262/)
This development has not yet had final plat approval, which is needed before lots may be sold. The governing body is the Pulaski County Planning Board. Contact members to voice your opinion.
Many people of the area were not made aware of the large scale development named Paradise Valley on the Roland Cutoff. When the preliminary plat for Paradise Valley was approved on February 23, 2021 by the Pulaski County Planning Board (it has not yet had final plat approval as of this update), law required only certain property owners who are immediately adjacent to the development are to be mailed certified letters. This was a total of 6 addresses, including the developer's own. There are hundreds of homes in the area including across from the development and whose yard is directly adjacent to the proposed Waste Water Treatment Plant who were not alerted at the time the preliminary plat was submitted.
SO A COMMISSIONER WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY ENDEAVORED TO CHANGE THE CODE TO BETTER SERVE THE PEOPLE.
Because of the inadequate notifications highlighted by the Paradise Valley proposed development, the community via PMCC (Pinnacle Mountain Community Coalition) worked with a local Pulaski County Planning Board Commissioner to pass many welcomed changes to the notification process in the entire County. The Quorum Court passed the changes into law on September 27, 2022 (after nearly a year since it was first introduced). Justice Doug Reed (District 1) was sponsor. The Pulaski County Administration and Staff had the Pulaski County Planning Board reduce the distance requirement under threat of veto and the lead time requirement to the detriment of the community; however, the changes are still better than they were. The PMCC plans to work towards achieving the desired distance and lead times.
Please stay tuned and engaged.
A Waste Water Treatment Plant will be required to dispose of waste for this development. The unincorporated area of Roland currently has no infrastructure (i.e. underground sewage lines) to support this development which could be described as "leap-frogging". The treated waste "effluent" will be discharged into an unnamed tributary north of Roland Cutoff Road thence to Mill Bayou thence to the Arkansas River.
Mill Bayou flows near homes, stables and roadways AND Maumelle Water Corporation's Well #1, one of three (3) wells that supply water to approximately 1,100 Roland customers. Mill Bayou both floods and lays stagnant especially in the area of the proposed development. Flooding could cause the effluent to be moved into spaces it was not intended to be and come in contact with people and livestock and experts have testified the stormwater and treated sewage could negatively impact the drinking water Well #1. Stagnation could create a condition where harmful algal blooms could form.
https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/harmful-algal-blooms
Chemicals, such as Chlorine, used to treat the effluent pose its own risk to the environment.
Large quantities of fecal coliform bacteria in water are not harmful according to some authorities, but may indicate a higher risk of pathogens being present in the water. Some waterborne pathogenic diseases that may coincide with fecal coliform contamination include ear infections, dysentery, typhoid fever, viral and bacterial gastroenteritis, and hepatitis A.
Untreated organic matter that contains fecal coliform can be harmful to the environment. Aerobic decomposition of this material can reduce dissolved oxygen levels if discharged into rivers or waterways. This may reduce the oxygen level enough to kill fish and other aquatic life. Reduction of fecal coliform in wastewater may require the use of chlorine and other disinfectant chemicals, or UV disinfection treatment. Such materials may kill the fecal coliform and disease bacteria. They also kill bacteria essential to the proper balance of the aquatic environment, endangering the survival of species dependent on those bacteria. So higher levels of fecal coliform require higher levels of chlorine, threatening those aquatic organisms.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fecal_coliform
Even when treated, sewage effluent contains nutrients like phosphorus that can choke waterways with algae, deprive the water of oxygen, and kill fish.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD NOW!
This unofficial map shows the property around Lake Maumelle Watershed, Wye Mountain, Little Italy, Monnie Springs, and Roland in red owned by the LLCs of one developer (with near 100% accuracy) and is only intended to illustrate the development potential of the area.
This unincorporated area of the county has no underground sewage lines. Waste Water Treatment Plants will be needed to dispose of the waste into most likely Mill Bayou or other unnamed tributaries. The streams become part of the sewer system for the developments.
Disclaimer: PARD does not in any way guarantee the accuracy of the information nor that all the property would ever be developed although some of the parcels are currently active in various stages of development.
Pinnacle Area for Responsible Development (PARD)
To empower the citizens with information and tools in order to keep the historic communities in which they live rural, safe, and healthy.
July 4, 2021
Pinnacle Area for Responsible Development is a local grassroots citizens group working to shape policy, guide development, protect the rural character, and promote vibrant communities Northwest of Pinnacle Mountain State Park that will benefit the entire community and future generations of Arkansans.
Pinnacle Area for Responsible Development citizens live on the Northwest side of Pinnacle Mountain State Park, which can be described as “The quiet side of Pinnacle” and located in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains just outside of Little Rock. It is composed of the rural and forested unincorporated historic areas known as Roland, Little Italy, and Wye Mountain in Northwest Pulaski County within the Big Rock township. These communities are “bedroom communities” or “commuter towns” where most people work elsewhere. The area’s elevation averages to approximately 645 ft above sea level. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total land area of 759.76 square miles. It is the most populated county in the state of Arkansas with a population of 391,911; however the growth rate has remained flat. Only 4% of Pulaski County is forested land. Residents consist of farmers, ranchers, families, commuters, and outdoor enthusiasts living in non-tract single-unit family dwellings.
The area is a rural, agriculture, and ranching based economy with a shifting emphasis towards recreational tourism. The area is known for its wide variety of attractions including a state park, national forest hiking trails, wildlife, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, ultralight flying, biking, and museum.
The wildlife, vegetation, and water resources are an important part of the area’s beauty and economy. The Lake Maumelle Watershed is located in this area and is the primary drinking water source for over 450,000 consumers in Central Arkansas. Deer, black bear, bobcat, bald eagles, fox, and other species can be found throughout the area. Forests, rivers, and lakes dominate the landscape and provide habitat for mammals, birds, and fish. Along with the PARD, organizations such as the local chapter of the Sierra Club, Audubon Arkansas, The Nature Conservancy, and Friends of the Ouachita Trail work to preserve and protect these irreplaceable treasures.
Roland is an unincorporated community north of Pinnacle Mountain State Park in western Pulaski County, not far from the Arkansas River. It is crossed by State Highway 300, part of which is a component of the Arkansas River Trail, a pedestrian and bicycle trail that goes through Little Rock (Pulaski County) and North Little Rock (Pulaski County). Once a stop on the Rock Island rail line, Roland is home to nearly 750 residents; its post office also serves nearby Natural Steps (Pulaski County), as well as many rural residents and businesses in the area. The Roland post office was established in 1884, several years before the arrival of the railroad.
Little Italy is an unincorporated community and was founded on December 23rd, 1915 by a group of Italian immigrants who had originally settled in Chicago and northern Michigan during the early part of the 20th Century. Little Italy was the last Catholic immigrant colony in Arkansas and is situated in both Northwest Pulaski County and Eastern Perry County. The Little Italy Arkansas Heritage Society and Museum is located in Little Italy proper as well as the 100 –year-old Catholic parish of St. Francis of Assisi which celebrates annually their locally loved spaghetti dinner enjoyed by the greater Central Arkansas Area. In 2021, they were in their 94th year. Little Italy/Wye Mountain is home to nearly 400 residents along the Scenic Highway Corridors 300 and 113.
Wye Mountain is an unincorporated community directly adjacent to Little Italy in Perry and Pulaski Counties rich in cultural and regional history and home to the annual Wye Mountain Daffodil Festival that draws thousands of visitors yearly. In 2021, they were in their 43rd year. Little Italy/Wye Mountain is home to nearly 400 residents along the Scenic Highway Corridors of 300 and 113.
The unincorporated communities are governed by the County of Pulaski headed by an Administrative County Judge and are represented on the County Quorum Court by a Justice of the Peace District 1. At state level, the area is within Senate District 17 and House District 78.