Baxter moving forward with plans a new road to support industrial development projects expected to come to the town.
Mayor Danny Holmes said the town got preliminary approval for the road from the state last week. Holmes said the next steps for the road are to finalize the paperwork and set up a meeting in the next few months to officially announce what the road will be used for.
“I know it will be several hundred jobs and we’re hoping that it’s going to bring in some good, high-paying jobs,” Holmes said. “And when I say high-paying, I think the pay will probably start out about twenty-five dollars an hour.”
Holmes said the road will go from Highway 56 to a portion of Ward Mill Road apart from the current intersection of the two roads. Holmes said it has been challenging to determine where the road would go without causing any land disputes.
“It’s not set in stone yet, but I would said it’s ninety percent going to happen, especially since we got the road in,” Holmes said.
Holmes said Former Mayor John Martin had been working on this project for a couple of years before Holmes was elected. Holmes said the process has been going well since his election as Martin is still involved in the project and Holmes had previously met with the owners during his time as Baxter’s police chief.
“Anytime that we can have industry, especially in the city of Baxter, it helps us and it helps the people,” Martin said. “And it seems like that everybody is wanting to come to our small town and that’s just, that’s outstanding.”
Holmes said the new road is classified as an SIA or State Industrial Access road meant specifically for this industrial expansion.
