ROGERS — Aldermen are expected to approve Tuesday paying $350,000 for 37.6 acres next to the recycling center on Arkansas Street to dump used asphalt, concrete and dirt from city street projects.
“It may seem like a lot of money, and it is, but it’s a real bargain,” said Steve Glass, city planning and transportation director.
The property, owned by Ole Bear LLC, was appraised at more than $370,000, according to city officials. The property owner is donating the $20,000 difference in appraised value to the city, Glass said.
The site the city has used for more than 10 years to dispose of what is called “beneficial fill” has reached capacity, officials said.
Meeting Information
Council Agenda
The Rogers City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the council chamber at 301 W. Chestnut St. Enter at the rear of the building.
Items on the agenda include:
• Early repayment of a 1995 series sewer revenue bond for the Rogers Water Utility. The utility will pay off the remaining amount of $3,878,888 four years early, saving 3 percent per year.
• A $117,535 contract with R.A. Wiedemann & Association for business planning services for the Rogers Municipal Airport.
• An amended $29,607 contract with Franklin & Son for reroofing the annex building at the Rogers Police Department.
“We have to have somewhere to dump dirt and other street construction debris. It can’t go to a landfill. That would violate Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality regulations. We have to have special place to put it,” Glass said.
There is a long deep depression on the property that Glass calls a hollow.
“We filled up the hollows we had on the other piece of property, so we need a new hollow,” Glass joked. He estimated it will take a decade or more for the city fill the hollow on the new property.
The property also has some red clay used to build roads and other projects, said Frankie Guyll, street superintendent.
“It’s kind of a bonus for us. We’ll have a place to take street construction debris and get some red clay for city construction projects,” Guyll said.
No permits are required to dump the used material and dirt into the hollow, nor are any permits necessary to use the red clay.
“We are using the red clay only for city projects. We’re not selling it, so we don’t need a mining permit,” Glass said.
There are no plans to develop the property after it is filled with debris, city officials said.
“We will likely never build on the property, nor will anybody else. Although it technically is not a landfill the ground would be unstable for construction,” Glass said.
The Environmental Quality department doesn’t have any regulations on how the property can be used after the city ceases to use it as a fill ground.
“Our department is concerned with water runoff. The city will have to ensure that water from the property doesn’t run off into any creek or stream. Other than that we have no regulations that would stop construction on such property,” said Katherine Benenati, a spokesman for the Environmental Quality department.