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KCI sprawl subdivision going to City Council

January 3, 2010 | 8 Comments

The giant Tomahawke Ridge subdivision proposed north of KCI Airport is going to the City Council’s Planning and Zoning Committee on Wednesday. Councilmembers Ed Ford, Russ Johnson, Beth Gottstein, and Cindy Circo are sponsoring the ordinance to annex and re-zone the land over the objections of city staff, the City Plan Commission, and the Platte County Commission.  Those objections boil down to poorly planned “leap-frog” sprawl in the path of noisy air traffic.

The development is meant to provide “workforce housing” for the airport and I-29 business corridor. This means working class folks being shoved into a bad location far from public transit, fire/police/ambulance service, etc.  They will be completely car-dependent in a location that will require extensive driving to access employment and shopping.  Given the orientation of local roads, most of the shopping will probably be done in Platte City and Smithville, not Kansas City.

The City has some good plans in place to guide development in this area.  The question is whether or not the City Council will follow its own plan and the good advice of its professional staff.

It’s not that the City doesn’t need new development, it’s that we don’t need it at this location. Tomahawke Ridge is a perfect example of leap frog development. It will be in the middle farm fields, far from existing neighborhoods and services.  A City Staff Report (MS Word) recommends against the development for several reasons:

  • Fire Chief Smoke Dyer says fire trucks will take twice as long to respond than the current city standard: “There is no doubt in my professional opinion that we cannot provide adequate fire protection services to a subdivision situated at this location“.
  • KCPD says their response times would almost 70% longer than the average, and stretch the resources of the North Patrol.
  • MAST Ambulance says their response time would be 65% longer than allowed under their city contract: “anyone living in this area would be less likely to be resuscitated from cardiac arrest unless a bystander witnesses the collapse, calls 911 immediately, and performs CPR prior to our arrival.”
  • The Aviation Department says this land is in a direct flight path, and residents should sign waivers acknowledging the fact that they will see and hear continuous air low-flying air traffic.
  • Water Services reports that the location is beyond the reach city sewer pipes, and developers will have to contract with Platte County for sewer service.
  • The city already has 60 a year supply of development land within city limits and within reach of water/sewer pipes, roads, public safety services, etc..

Several city and regional plans discourage exactly the type of development being proposed.  This subdivision in this location is certainly bad public policy.

  • The KCI Area Plan says this land should be reserved for industrial uses, to keep homes out of areas with noise pollution.
  • The Platte County Master Plan designates this land for rural and agricultural space. FOCUS, the City’s master plan, says that land far from sewers should be banked until development becomes contiguous.
  • Transportation 2040, the new regional transportation and land use plan, encourages new development adjacent to existing infrastructure.
  • The City’s new zoning and development regulations discourage cul-de-sacs and winding roads, and instead encourage traditional street grid networks.

See also www.noto500homes.com, created by the neighbors of the proposed development.

Categories: City Council, Northland, Politics, Real Estate, Suburbs, Transportation, .


Comments

8 Comments so far

  1. john on January 4, 2010 9:26 am

    I can’t believe the council is seriously considering this. The hundreds of unplowed streets are proof that we can’t afford all the acres of sprawl already in the city, let alone add to the total!

  2. talea on January 4, 2010 12:40 pm

    I just moved back here (childhood home) after a 30-year absence. I spent my last 8 years in Portland, OR., which is a similar size populationwise in its SMSA but much more compact. Has there been much discussion here about infill? (And, no, I don’t consider acreage around the airport as true infill.)

    I’m living out in Blue Springs but when I head into town/or to Kansas via any route I am amazed at the wide open developable spaces available within the close-in suburbs and KC itself. Not to mention the acres of really ugly commercial strip development circa 1970 that are mostly empty and could be put to better use.

  3. john on January 4, 2010 1:40 pm

    Someone living in Blue Springs is complaining about the city not being compact enough and asking why we don’t have more infill development? Funny!

  4. cookinghamjr on January 4, 2010 4:01 pm

    Good post William Rockhill Nelson.

  5. talea on January 4, 2010 7:05 pm

    You have a point. But I moved here to live with my elderly dad. He lives in Blue Springs. What else would you suggest I do? Make him move?

    Now that would be funny….

  6. cookinghamjr on January 6, 2010 9:09 am

    Why the heck isn’t the star reporting on this? Thank God we have a handfull of bloggers that are watching a few things. It’s depressing to see such a low level of scrutiny we apply to the city. Thanks BlogKC .

    The P&Z Committee needs to provide their thought process and reasons for sponsoring this.

  7. Today city considers adding more streets that it won’t be able to plow : BlogKC on January 6, 2010 9:21 am

    [...] the City Council’s Planning & Zoning Committee will consider the Tomahawke Ridge project, a proposal to add 300 acres north of the airport and beyond the reach of snow plows, ambulances, [...]

  8. Sally Richardson on January 11, 2010 7:38 pm

    I don’t live in KC but I pay E-tax so I am compelled to give my opinion. The mayor and the council members are constantly commenting that the city has no money, and the fire, police, and ambulance say they cannot service this area in a timely fashion. What is wrong with this picture? Russ Johnson was against this sub-division all the way and all of a sudden he is sponsoring it? My question becomes, how responsible are the 4 council members that would want to annex this into Kansas City and put people’s lives at risk in the name of development? Remember that at election time. Money for the city (minimal) is more important than safety of family. WOW

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