Now and again I take a look at the full agenda packet for coming Little Rock City Board of Directors meetings. A couple of relatively routine items might be of interest:

* MIDTOWNE ADDITION: The Board will consider a zoning change to allow the construction of 3,867 square feet of additional retail space in the Midtowne Little Rock shopping center. The proposal will allow conversion of green space next to Pei Wei for a structure. The green space had been preserved in the original plan to preserve a mature tree, which has died and been removed. The plan, which has met no opposition, includes other landscape modifications because of lost trees and a contribution to a city tree fund.

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* ANOTHER HOUR OF DRINKING: A proposed zoning change will allow Willy D’s on Clinton Avenue in the River Market to convert to a private club status,  which will allow it to serve drinks an hour later every night, as some existing clubs already do. No opposition was noted. The property owners pulled back from an earlier plan to also put additional restaurants/club businesses in a space used for a furniture store and build a deck on the north side of the building.

* MARINA PROGRESS: Developer John Burkhalter (the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor) will be before the board for approval of rule variances and re-establishment of previous approvals for construction of the Rock City Marina and Yacht Club and apartments on East Second Street along the Arkansas River. This idea has kicked around in different forms for years. Burkhalter now contemplates almost 200 apartment units and more than 400 boat slips, plus related commercial businesses. A city boat ramp and new trail tie-ins are envisioned as part of the project.

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