In two separate actions, aldermen approved a 45-home subdivision known as The Manors at Brush Creek to be located on Lamar Parkway, extending from Old Gray Summit Road to the railroad overpass at the June 20 meeting.
Approved were an ordinance changing the zoning of the subdivision site from R1-C to R1-B PUD-PDR and a preliminary plan with amendments that described the project.
The action came after neighbors of the project had launched a campaign to derail the development. They cited the traffic tie ups it would cause on Lamar Parkway, the main thoroughfare leading from south of the city to both the east and west interchanges of I-44. They delivered a petition with 900 signatures opposing the development.
During the meeting, opponents restated their traffic concerns. Audrey Myers said if aldermen approved the project it would be a slap in the face of all those who signed the petition and disrespectful to voters who voted them in office.
“This is probably more people than elected you to office,” Myers said.
Barbara Alt said the development was a transportation decision on major transportation route.
“We need to make sure people can get where they need to go when they need to get there,” Alt said. “We need a traffic study.”
The City and the developer had reached an agreement on changes to be made to the preliminary plan.
Jeremy Roth, spokesman for the developer, McBride Berra Land Company LLC, said the developer had made changes to the plan after listening to concerns voices by neighbors of the proposed subdivision.
Roth said the developer would put three parallel parking spaces on the perimeter of the development and plant 100 new plantings as a visual screen for traffic and pedestrians. And the developer would contribute $750 per home for improvements to Lamar Parkway.
Other changes included a five-foot right-of-way dedication on both sides of Lamar Parkway, with additional five-foot dedication of sidewalk easement; addition of four parking spaces along Old Gray Summit Road on the west side of Lamar Parkway; addition of ten-foot side yard setbacks for all the lots fronting Lamar Parkway; installation of a 6-foot white privacy fence along the west property line; Construction of “hammerhead” (T) driveways on properties fronting on Lamar Parkway; and the addition of a pocket park between lots 30A and 31A.
But the promised changes had not been put in writing at the time of the meeting, which prompted one alderman to launch an emotional appeal to make sure the city and the developer lived up to the promises.
Herb Adams, president of the board of aldermen said in spite of the genial presentation by Jeremy Roth, spokesman for the developer, he (Adams) did not trust the outcome.
“I’ve seen too may projects go wrong and end up in litigation,” Adams said. “Why wouldn’t we put this back on McBride, (to guarantee the promises are kept),” The comment elicited a burst of applause from the audience.
Adams said he was not speaking against the development, just against the process of verbal promises. He said regardless of the vote at that meeting, the mayor would have 30 days to sign an ordinance, and he urged the mayor to take the full 30 days if needed but to not sign the ordinance until the verbal promises were documented in writing.
Mayor Steve Myers and Attorney Bob Jones crafted an additional amendment to the preliminary plan, identified as ‘amendment k’ that guaranteed the developer’s contribution of $750 per home for the road improvements, to be part of the preliminary plan.
Adams noted that construction on the project cannot begin until aldermen approve the final plan and all the promised changes will have to be documented prior to approval.
Aldermen approved both the zone change application and the preliminary plan along with the added amendment spelling out the developer’s contribution of $750 per home for improvements to Lamar Parkway.
Thanks for the updates. It is nice to keep up with the town.