LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The possibility of a new car dealership being built in close proximity to a local neighborhood has some Little Rock homeowners worried.
Bale Chevrolet on Chenal Parkway proposed a plan to build a new location near Cantrell Road and I-430.
However, neighbors in the area have expressed their concerns about the plan.
"Nothing against Chevrolet, but I don't want a car dealership in my backyard," John Wells said.
Wells moved to the Walton Heights neighborhood 25 years ago and said that he loved the "natural feel" of it— but now he's worried he will lose his view.
"I love that about the neighborhood, I just want to keep that feel," Wells said.
According to the engineering firm working with Bale Chevrolet, the construction will not go over the hill into the neighborhood, but Wells said that he still doesn't like the idea.
"When you cross that bridge, that's the first thing you see when someone comes into Little Rock the first time. are they gonna see a nice little green space of some kind or are they gonna see a Chevrolet dealership," he said.
McCall Harriman, who lives in the same area, said that she's concerned about biker safety and pollution.
"I can't imagine, you know, the bike traffic, adding hazards and construction, and, you know, traffic and concrete, honestly, that takes away from what draws people to spend time at Two Rivers Park," Harriman said.
Joe White, the Principal at Joe White and Associates, has been working with Bale Chevrolet to help develop the plans.
White said that the move from Chenal Parkway to Cantrell Road will give Bale the visibility it's looking for.
"With the amount of traffic that I- 430, Highway 10, Rodney Parham handles, it's a great location," White said.
While they're only in the beginning stages of planning, he said that more commercial buildings could be built next to the dealership.
"I think that you'll see the plan evolve a little bit from what we've submitted to the city. It always does. But, but yeah, this is the first step," he said.
White said that now they're waiting for approval from the city to rezone the area.
If it gets approved, they'll move forward with the designs.