Public Hearing and Citizen Comments Highlight Board of Aldermen Meeting

     The City of Grain Valley Board of Aldermen meeting on March 9th was an informative and lengthy meeting. Two ordinance votes, a public hearing, and citizen comments created items of interest for those in attendance.
     Chuck Johnston and Roy Miller came forward to address the Board during citizen participation. Johnston made a sunshine request for the RFP bid submitted by Sapp Design Architects for the community campus project.
     Sapp Design Architects were present for the meeting and presented a timeline and update of where they were in planning dependent on how the residents of Grain Valley vote on April 7th regarding the $40 million proposed community campus project.
     Miller voiced concern about being stopped on Main Street at the railroad crossing in Grain Valley frequently over the last four months by trains. Miller requested the Board address his complaint with the railroads. Mayor Mike Todd deferred to Chief of Police James Beale regarding the matter. Beale indicated he would follow up with the appropriate railroads alleged.
     The public hearing on the Board’s agenda was for The Lofts at Old Towne Marketplace. City Community Development Director Mark Trosen provided a report to the Board on the proposed 154 multi-family units to be built on SW Eagles Parkway.
     The breakdown for the accommodations of the units is 10% one bedroom units, 80% two bedroom units, and 10% three bedroom units. Part of the plan is for a mixed use amenity building on the first floor of Building A that will consist of an indoor pool, pickle ball courts, exercise room, theater room, wi-fi café, and leasing office. Trosen added that the zoning of the 1.2 acres of property would have to be changed to R-3P or Multi-Family Residential District-Planned Overlay.
     Public notice was provided for the hearing as well as a letter to property owners within 185 feet of the proposed development cite. The City Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously voted for approval of the proposal on February 12th.
     Todd and the Board questioned the representative from Ward Development present at the hearing. Inquiries ranged from the estimated monthly rental cost of units to studies done on traffic analysis and the needed water and sewer capacity for the proposed development. Ward Development estimated that rental cost for a one bedroom unit would start at approximately $900 and increase to $1,200 for a three bedroom unit.
     The Board unanimously passed (by a 6-0 vote) the first reading of Ordinance B20-06 involving the change in zoning for The Lofts at Old Towne Marketplace. It will be brought back before the Board for a second reading and vote in the near future.
     In other business, the Board also unanimously approved the second reading of Ordinance B20-05 in seeking to gain final plat approval for Mercado Plaza where Papa Murphy’s and Guthrie Dental are located along Buckner Tarsney Road.
     The next Board of Alderman meeting is scheduled for 7:00 pm on Monday, March 23rd at City Hall.