A City’s Long Range Growth Plan is Critical for Commercial Development

The City of Bryant along with Benton and Saline County are partnering together as each begins to develop and implement their comprehensive growth plan. It will take all three working together to strategically plan both growth patterns and areas in which this growth will take place.

Bryant and Benton, the two largest communities in the County, are growing at a rapid rate and for this growth to be healthy, robust, and crafted smartly, they must work together and work together in concert with the leadership of Saline County. This plan is not about which community is largest, the smartest, the most powerful, or even where the courthouse sits. It is about both communities understanding their future, their growth, and their own unique dynamics.

The City of Bryant, geographically is, much like Benton, limited in the direction in which it can expand, for Bryant it is to the North and slightly to the Northwest. How much territory and how far? This will be left up to the recommendations of the plan, planning and zoning commission, and the city council. But, before we even get to where and how much territory, there are several key factors that must be considered.

As a city expands there are mandatory aspects that the city must meet. Emergency services are primary, such is the likelihood of additional fire station coverage. Folks, it takes tax revenue to build and maintain an additional fire station. It also takes additional tax revenue to provide police coverage, and other essential city services for the newly acquired territory.

Setting those aspects aside for a moment. The Planning and Zoning Commission is where strategic work takes place. A community is divided into various zones. Commercial, residential, and industrial being the three main umbrella zones and underneath that umbrella, each of the three main zones and broken down into various categories for each specific type of commercial, residential, and industrial, based upon the kind or the type of.

From single family homes to multi-unit residential, commercial one or commercial two, heavy or lite industrial, all of these types or kinds of, the planning and zooming commission must be strategically considered when crafting the long-range plan and how a city is built.

It is a pattern that is intimately interwoven to provide sustainable smart growth and economic viability.

Within the residential areas, commercial zones should be placed that would provide for the economic needs of that area. For example, if the city of Bryant grows to the north and northwest, as it most likely will, then commercial zones in these areas will be essential to sustain the residential developments in these territories. Commercial zones that promote care and meet the needs of the area, such as a grocery store, retail shopping, restaurants, pharmacy, etc. This is not advocating large scale shopping centers; it is more of looking at the plan to include commercial zones that will meet the needs of the residents in these areas without them having to track back to the main part of Bryant each time a certain need arises.

A topic that has not been discussed in detail is the need for an industrial area in the Northern portion of the county. This is a topic that all Saline County leaders must consider with this current plan. Now, when one thinks of an industrial center, do not limit your thinking to heavy industry like we see in other large cities or what we saw in the 70’s and 80’s.

Think of an industrial center that meets the needs of the counties’ current labor force, education system, and demographics. This industrial center should be one of skilled labor, high tech, and focused upon the future of this area.

This means we should be looking at the healthcare industry, data centers, and other areas of the tech industry.

Dedicating land to an industrial area is a wise move for the county and for the city of Bryant. While roughly forty plus percent of the eligible work force in Saline County works outside of the County, we must plan for the future and provide territory that can be outfitted with the proper infrastructure to attract the lite industry that will provide an at home employment opportunity for our students.

Doing our due diligence to plan for a vibrant future for the city of Bryant will involve growth and the expansion of our city limits. It must crafted smartly and intentionally with the outcome of economic and lifestyle prosperity.