GREENWOOD -- A road project meant to improve traffic flow and safety would also spell the end of a local landmark if implemented as planned.
The City Council discussed the effect a bypass would have on Greenwood's Masonic Lodge at its meeting Tuesday.
Tim Terry, Ward 2, Position 2 alderman, said the lodge --at 311 E. Ash St. near the city square -- is in the area of a planned extension of Main Street tying into the first phase of a bypass project. The project is a joint venture between the city, Arkansas Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration.
Terry explained the city agreed to the extension at the request of the late resident James Burgess as a caveat to get a "decent purchase price" for a right of way on property Burgess owned for the project. Burgess' property will be the main site for the construction of the project's first phase.
"We've been talking about it -- the guys at the Masonic Lodge -- and so I told them to come down here and voice their opinions and just let it [be] known that we really don't want to move the lodge," Terry said.
The bypass
As it is, Phase I of the project would involve building a bypass from the intersection of Fowler Street and West Elm Street -- which is also Arkansas 10 -- over Heartsill Creek to the intersection of Arkansas 10 and Arkansas 96, according to the Transportation Department website. The bypass will include four travel lanes, a turn lane and sidewalks on both sides.
The phase also would widen East Center Street.
Phase II will widen Arkansas 10 from U.S. 71 to Fowler Street from two lanes to five with curb and gutter, sidewalk and a shared-use path.
Greenwood must contribute up to $5 million to help pay for both phases, according to the city's agreement with the state. Residents approved extending a quarter-cent sales and use tax for 35 years to generate the money in a special election Dec. 10, 2019.
The state transferred ownership of Center Street to Greenwood last year after resurfacing the road -- about 3 miles from U.S. 71 to Arkansas 10 as part of the agreement as well. This made maintaining the road the city's responsibility and gave Greenwood the right to restrict truck traffic through the city and reroute that traffic to the future bypass.
Greenwood is similarly supposed to assume ownership and responsibility for two portions of Arkansas 10 after the project is completed, one at the end of each phase, according to the agreement.
The easement
The city agreed to help secure an easement from Burgess' family for the first phase.
Mayor Doug Kinslow said Thursday the city is in the process of finalizing the purchase of an easement on up to 20 acres from the family, along with another 6 acres. He said the city estimated it would take up to 20 acres to put the bypass through the Burgess property before learning more land was necessary.
"The agreed-upon price -- the original agreed-upon price -- will be for the 20 acres, but the 6 acres we will negotiate with the Burgess family," Kinslow said, either the city or the state.
The purchase price for the easement for the 20 acres is set at $4,000 per acre, according to Kinslow. He said purchasing the easement needs to be finalized by the time the state puts the first phase of the bypass project out for bid, which is planned for November.
The lodge
Hunter Mikles, building inspector for the city's Planning Department, presented a map Tuesday showing the Masonic Lodge is within the required easement of the planned Main Street extension at the point where the road connects to Ash Street from the new bypass. Mikles said the state hasn't acquired property for the project at this point.
Kinslow said he spoke with Jared Wiley, the Transportation Department's chief engineer for preconstruction, earlier Tuesday about the issue. He said Wiley told him the state's plan to extend Main Street can be adjusted, and the state will do what's best for the community.
Kinslow remarked Wiley left him "firmly believing" the Department of Transportation will listen to the members of the Masonic Lodge and work to allow them to keep the lodge if the option is possible. The Freemasons will be able to sell the property to the department as an alternative.
More than a dozen Freemasons attended Tuesday's meeting in solidarity for the lodge.
One member, Don Oliver, said the Masonic Lodge is the oldest civic organization in Greenwood, with a presence dating to 164 years ago.
"Back when Greenwood was a community of log cabins, the Greenwood Masonic Lodge got our charter from the Grand Lodge of Arkansas," Oliver said. "Our lodge building back then was used for schools and for several churches before they got their own building."
Oliver requested Main Street be shifted west to an extent allowing the Freemasons to keep the lodge. He said the building is more than 50 years old and in a good location, as well as something on which the Freemasons don't have to make mortgage payments.
James Cox, another Masonic Lodge member and former Sebastian County Circuit Court judge, said the lodge is kind of a landmark drawing visitors from throughout and outside the state, making it valuable to the city.
Multiple other Freemasons expressed their belief Burgess wouldn't have wanted the Main Street extension to negatively affect the lodge, citing various experiences with Burgess during his life.
Kinslow concluded the discussion by promising the Freemasons the city will try to help them concerning the lodge.
Danielle Smith, city human resources director and executive assistant to Kinslow, said 41 total parcels will be affected by the first phase of the bypass project per the Department of Transportation.
The Greenwood Masonic Lodge No. 131 is seen, Thursday, Sept, 7, 2023, in Greenwood. During a discussion on a planned bypass project between the city and the Arkansas Department of Transportation, city council members talked about how the lodge is in the area of a planned extension of Main Street that will connect to the new bypass, and how the project, as it is currently designed, may require the lodge to be moved to a new location. Visit rivervalleydemocratgazette.com/photo for today's photo gallery. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)None
Lodge membership
Greenwoods Masonic Lodge had 75 members as of Tuesday night.
Source: Keith Glass, Masonic Lodge