Rogers Residents Living Near Proposed Road Extension Concerned With Optional Road

— The majority of residents attending a public meeting on the proposed extension of Pinnacle Hills Parkway from Pauline Whitaker to Pleasant Grove Road live in Highland Knolls and most were against an optional road that connects Highland Knolls Road with the extension.

The come and go meeting at the Rogers First Church of the Nazarene on Pleasant Grove Road attracted between 25 and 30 people.

Melissa Wittmer who lives in Highland Knolls, said she thinks the optional road is not needed or necessary.

"A lot of us in the neighborhood have children who play in the street. If the optional road is built it will make our neighborhood unsafe. People will likely be speeding on the optional road that connects with the street I live on," Wittmer said, who had her three small children with her at the meeting.

Another Highland Knolls resident, Alice Ann Moore, had the same opinion about the optional road.

"My biggest concern is the optional road and the traffic it will bring to our neighborhood," Moore said. "I think people will use the road to cut through our neighborhood rather than using the Pinnacle Hills Parkway extension."

She said she was not too fond of the possibility that the acreage behind the Highland Knolls could develop over time.

"I don't want a restaurant in my backyard. For the 15 years I lived in Highland Knolls, we always had a great view. Development would ruin the view," Moore added.

Daniel Couture and his wife Jackie said they too are worried about the safety of the children in the neighborhood.

"Please improve Rogers, but don't make our neighborhood unsafe," Daniel Couture said.

Charlotte Moore said she is pleased with the extension of Pinnacle Hills Parkway, but strongly opposes the additional entrance into Highland Knolls subdivision.

George Burch, who lives in the same neighborhood, said he not only liked the idea of the extension of the parkway but the optional road as well.

"It would make it much easier for us to go the Walmart Neighborhood Market. We have to drive down 44th Street to Champions Drive then east on Pauline Whitaker to go to the store now. Besides I think it would probably improve economic development in the area," Burch said.

Sharon Horwart agreed the optional road is a good idea.

"I like the idea of the Highland Knolls connection," she said.

Jeff Cook said he was OK with the opening of Highland Knolls Road if residents had some control over who uses the road.

"It would be all right if Highland Knolls residents had some kind of remote control to open a gate on the optional road and police and fire could use the road," Cook said.

He added it would be fine if there was a locked gate where the road enters the subdivision and only the police and fire department had the key.

Dave Fritz said he was all for the extension of Pinnacle Hills Parkway.

"I think it needs to done sooner rather than later. I also think the city should make some improvement to Champions Drive." Fritz said.

The five-lane extension of Pinnacle Hills Parkway, would join at Pauline Whitaker Parkway at the traffic circle and connect with Pleasant Grove Road just west of the Rogers First Church of the Nazarene, said Lance Jobe, city engineer. The west side of the extension would be 6-foot-wide sidewalk and a 10-foot-wide trail on the east side of the roadway.

Improvements to Pleasant Grove Road would also be part of the project, with the road curving northwest to connect with Southgate Road.

"The idea is to provide better connectivity in the area and move traffic off the two-lane Champions Drive," Jobe said.

"The meeting is for us to find out what people want. We haven't made a decision on the optional road, that decision will be made later," he added.

NW News on 02/27/2014

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