This development sets up an interesting scenario that could ultimately resolve the controversy in the best long-term interests of the city.

1. Annex the 300-plus acres of farmland with seven votes.

2. Deny the rezoning and bank the land until it’s really needed and contiguous development reaches that far out.

At the moment, this issue schedule to come up for a vote at the City Council meeting at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday.

January 21st, man found lying in the street with gunshot wounds, Pitch.

February 4th, burglars hold family at gunpoint, KMBC.

February 6th, armed robbers accost men on the street, Examiner.

The controversial Tomahawke Ridge subdivision is back on the docket today.  The City Council’s Planning and Zoning Committee will likely approve this new annexation north of the airport and far beyond the reach of city services like police, fire, ambulance, and sewers.  The action goes down at 1:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, or you can watch on Channel 2 or online at www.kcmo.org/kccg. Since a majority of the P&Z Committee are co-sponsoring the ordinance, it will likely go straight to the full City Council as early as Thursday.

The Star finally covered the story, at the last minute.

Here is our previous coverage of the issue.

Tony’s Kansas City has more.

The Kansas City Post also weighed in.

Ordinance 091073 has the details, including the staff report explaining why this is a bad idea.

Today 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, police cars, and fire trucks.  Can we afford to add more streets when we don’t have the resources to plow the ones we already have?

P&Z Committee: 1:30 p.m.  Council Chamber, 26th Floor of City Hall, 12th and Oak.

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.

Andy Warhol at Union Station through January 10th
Over 80 pieces of the pop artists portfolios are on display.  Be sure to download the mp3 audio tour in advance and take your music player with you.

Pulitzer Prize photographs at Truman Presidential Library through January 24th.
Highlights include Marines raising the US flag of Iowa Jima in Japan, Babe Ruth retiring his baseball jersey, Elian Gonzalez being seized by federal agents, the September 11th attacks in New York, and many more.

It’s great to see the beige people finally excited about a civic issue, but it’s too bad the rage isn’t directed at something really important.  For example, why aren’t they closing down I-35 until everyone has viable transit options?  Or blockading Blue Valley High School until all kids have a decent education.  Or picketing Menorah Medical Center until all Kansas Citians have health care. Or burning down Hen Houses until every neighborhood has access to fresh, affordable food.

• KCTV-5: Deer protesters block park entrance.
• Pitch: There will be blood.