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I’m sure a lot of you have been wondering what the plans are for the Ray Brady house, at the corner of Country Club Drive and Fairway. For a while now they have been demolishing bits and pieces of it, but leaving the bulk. On this morning’s walk, I stopped to chat with the guys who were pulling out old materials from the interior. There is a rumor that it is being demolished, but that is only partly true.
It seems that the original house had several problems that would have made it hard to bring up to date, particularly things like no insulation. The lot is a very tight corner lot, so they can’t go much bigger than the existing house, though (as previously noted) the new owners got permission to expand a bit to the north.
What I was told today is that, indeed, they will be taking down the above-ground part, stopping at the existing main subfloor. The new house will then take shape on the existing foundation and basement, with some extensions. They have been going slowly until now because there were things in the basement that they wanted to protect from the weather. Apparently they have that resolved now, and I’m told they will have the main part down by year’s end and should have the new house framed up by the end of January. It will share some characteristics with the existing house, besides the foundation, like lots of windows facing the golf course.
We’ll post more if and when we get more information.
As noted last week, there was another rezoning “information meeting” held last night at the City offices concerning the 18 acre parcel of land where the MoDOT maintenance facility used to be on Conley Road. The owners, TKG Conley Road Investments LLC, have filed for rezoning of the parcel to C – P (‘planned business’). A summation of the zoning classifications can be found on the City’s website here, and the full ordinance pertaining to C – P zoning here.
To be honest, there wasn’t much new information from what we heard at the previous meeting, though of course the dates for a hearing before the P&Z Commission, et cetera have changed. The new schedule we are currently looking at would be as follows: Staff report published on January 4th (may be available online as early as December 31); Hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission on January 7th; First Reading at the City Council meeting on January 19th (Tuesday because of the MLK holiday on the 18th); Subsequent readings at the two City Council meetings in February.
City staff in attendance at the meeting indicated that the meeting was being held to provide information and garner feedback from concerned parties about the proposed rezoning, and that the applicant had a right to having their specific zoning request addressed in the manner established by City ordinance. Attendees at the meeting (myself included) indicated that while the specific rezoning issue was clearly defined, that it needed to be addressed in the larger context of planned development. Again, as at the previous meeting, the representative from TKG Conley Road Investments LLC said that currently they have no plans to seek having Conley Road extended further to the north, into what is property owned by the Country Club, and across Hinkson Creek in order to tie into the east end of Business Loop 70 and no power to force a sale through condemnation or other means – that would have to come from either the City or the State. City staff indicated that the current CATSO (Columbia Area Transportation Study Organization) plan indicates that this should be done at some point in the future. You can draw your own conclusions.
So, it looks like the application for rezoning the parcel to C – P will be before the Planning and Zoning Commission on January 7th, and there will be a public hearing on the matter then. (See this information if you are interested in speaking at that hearing.)
It will then go before the City Council with a recommendation from P&Z. The City Council will hear the application, and determine when there will be public discussion of the matter. If the rezoning is approved, it will then be subject to another formal review process later with the Planning & Zoning Commission, when an actual development plan is filed – the full details are in the governing ordinance.
I am waiting to see the final Staff recommendation, and what is included in the supporting documentation from the applicant, before I form my own opinion on the rezoning request. Either way, I am planning on attending the P & Z Commission meeting on January 7th. I will be *unable* to attend the City Council meeting on the 19th, as I will be out of town. I will note again that my biggest concern is in regards to the larger development issue, and that this request for rezoning should be seen in that context, as that has a much greater potential impact on our neighborhood. I would welcome feedback from the neighborhood association membership on this matter, and whether we wish to convene a meeting sometime in the next several weeks to discuss the matter.
Jim Downey
Following up to About Last Night . . . I have received notice that TKG Conley Road Investments has once again started the process to seek rezoning of the 18 acre parcel which was the former home of the MoDOT facility just north of WalMart. This time, they are seeking C- P zoning. Again, there will be a “public information meeting”, this time to be held at 5:30 PM next Monday (December 14) at the Daniel Boone Building downtown. I will once again plan on attending, to see what they are proposing, and I would invite any other members of the neighborhood to attend as well.
Jim Downey
News item in yesterday’s Tribune may be of interest to our neighborhood:
Park founder’s widow plans tribute
Funds sought for Rock Bridge pavilion, kiosk.
Forty-four years ago, Lew Stoerker decided to create a place for children to enjoy nature’s glory.
The place would be a tribute to his daughter, Carol, who loved the outdoors and died tragically in a car accident at age 9.
In 1965, Stoerker gathered together six friends from the Optimist Club to serve as a board of directors and won a $10,000 pledge from the president of the University of Missouri to begin buying up land south of Columbia.
These days, the 2,000 acres of woodlands and pastures studded with rare geological formations that he helped preserve are known as Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. A boulder at the south entrance to the park along Highway 163 has a plaque mounted on it commemorating Carol’s life.
I think we can fairly say that Rock Bridge Memorial State Park is one of our city’s best and best-known assets. The foresight shown in preserving it from development has paid off handsomely for all who live or visit here.
And it is time that the driving force behind this treasure is recognized. That’s the intent of Dorothy Stoerker-Peters (Lew’s widow, our neighbor) and the Friends of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. Also from the Tribune article:
From 8 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Applebee’s restaurant at 2601 E. Broadway, Stoerker-Peters and other members of the Friends of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park will hold a benefit breakfast to raise money for a kiosk with panels containing information about Stoerker, the founding of the park and other notable facts.
The breakfast, including pancakes, bacon, eggs and hash browns, costs $5 for adults and is free to children younger than 8. Santa Claus is rumored to be planning a guest appearance.
Stoerker-Peters said the fund to pay for the kiosk stands at about $14,000, and she needs about $65,000 to pay for the structure. The covered kiosk/pavilion will be located in the Devil’s Icebox parking lot and hold seats for about 30 people. It will feature six informational panels with material on the park’s topography, the history of the area and the flora and fauna inside the park.
If you can, swing by Applebee’s tomorrow morning. If you can’t, and would like to make a donation to the fund, I’m sure Dorothy would be happy to accept your contribution any time.
Cheers!
Jim Downey
Some of you may have heard that Ray Schroeder had a bit of a fall yesterday. That’s true, and to make sure that he was OK, they decided that he needed to be taken over to the University hospital. Martha and I spent the day with him there, and the doctors decided to keep him overnight for observation. His daughter got into town last evening, and will be making sure he gets the care he needs going forward.
We’ll keep you posted if there are further developments.
Jim Downey
I attended the “informational meeting” last night concerning rezoning the 18 acre piece of land north the WalMart on Conley Road where the Highway Department used to have a maintenance facility. The attendees were the attorney representing the owners of the property (TKG Conley Road Investments, LLC), the city staff from the Planning office, members of the Country Club Board, and me.
The meeting ran about 90 minutes. Here are the facts which emerged:
- TKG Conley Road Investments (owner) to rezone 18.31 acres of land from R-1 (One-Family Dwelling) to C-3 (General Business), located on Conley Road, north of Walmart at the former MoDOT facility site.
- The City staff have not finished their evaluation, but such will be done soon and the full documentation will be available from the City on or about December 6.
- The Planning & Zoning Commission will address the matter at their meeting on December 10.
- The matter will then go to the City Council, for public hearing, at their first meeting in January (the 4th).
Most of the rest of the meeting was informative, but not particularly enlightening. Currently, there is not much in the way of documentation to see. We were told that the owners of the property and the City were negotiating an agreement concerning the necessary infrastructure, easements for trails along the back (west) side of the property, and some kind of “buffer zone” along the west and north sides of the property where it would be adjacent to the golf course. The TDD currently in force for the Sam’s/WalMart shopping complex has been (or will be) extended north to cover this property. The representative for the owners said that there were currently no specific plans for developing the land or selling it.
Now, a couple of things. C-3 zoning would mean that beyond the agreement negotiated with the City concerning infrastructure, et cetera, and subject to City building and environmental codes, the owner would be free to develop the property as they see fit, without the need or opportunity for further public involvement. And while we were told that the owner currently has no plans for either development or sale of the property, once this zoning is approved, they can change their mind in an instant. There was some discussion back and forth concerning whether Conley Road would be extended further to the north, into what is property owned by the Country Club, and across Hinkson Creek in order to tie into the east end of Business Loop 70, but the representative for the owners said that currently they have no plans to seek this and no power to force a sale through condemnation or other means – that would have to come from either the City or the State.
It’ll be interesting to see what exactly is in the documentation from the City. Until then, I am withholding judgment on whether or not this is a matter of serious concern to our neighborhood, though of course you are free to form your own opinions and act on them as you see fit.
Jim Downey
Edit to update, 11/22/09: It seems that TKG Conley Road Investments has withdrawn their application for C-3 rezoning, citing “unexpected opposition”. Supposedly they will be re-applying for C-P rezoning. As I have more information, I will pass it along.
Cross posted to the Columbia Neighborhood Alliance Forum.
Well, you might want to keep your pets a little closer to home, since Pat Gerke has reported seeing at least one coyote up on South Country Club Drive this weekend. From the Wikipedia article on coyotes:
Coyotes are often attracted to dog food and animals that are small enough to appear as prey. Items like garbage, pet food and sometimes feeding stations for birds and squirrels will attract coyotes into backyards. Approximately 3 to 5 pets attacked by coyotes are brought into the Animal Urgent Care hospital of south Orange County (California) each week, the majority of which are dogs, since cats typically do not survive the attacks.[50] Scat analysis collected near Claremont, California revealed that coyotes relied heavily on pets as a food source in winter and spring.[41] At one location in Southern California, coyotes began relying on a colony of feral cats as a food source. Over time, the coyotes killed most of the cats, and then continued to eat the cat food placed daily at the colony site by citizens who were maintaining the cat colony.[41] Coyotes attack smaller or similar sized dogs, and they have been known to attack even large, powerful breeds like the Rottweiler in exceptional cases[51]. Dogs larger than coyotes are generally able to drive them off, and have been known to kill coyotes on occasion. Smaller breeds are more likely to suffer injury or death.
I’ve seen multiple foxes over in our part of the neighborhood in recent years, but a coyote is a whole different matter. If anyone else sees this one, or gets a picture, be sure to let me know.
Cheers -
Jim Downey
This week’s Board of Adjustment meeting gave Steve Rother and his wife Kimi Chinn Rother permission to remodel their new home. This is the Ray Brady house on the corner of Fairway and Country Club Drive. They needed permission because they want to go close to the property line on the north side, but they’ve been talking with Bill Cupp, their neighbor on that side, and things seem to be fine. They’ve already started work!
We also have a new neighbor on Country Lane in Chubb Phillips old house. His name is George Hummel, but I don’t know anything more about him.
Please welcome them, and any other new neighbors you happen to meet!
