| Today's Feature Development Looks Pretty Good.
After discussing several issues
and concerns, the Myers Park Development
Committee tentatively approved American
Commercial Property's preliminary site plans
during its 8 a.m. meeting in City Hall last
Wednesday.
Americom President Gary Watson,
presented Max McKnight, Carthage Economic
Development Director the plans two weeks ago
during a meeting in Carthage.
Watson has proposed the
development of a strip mall on a 9.3 acres plot
in the Myers Park Development Subdivision. (See
the Tuesday, January 12 Mornin' Mail )
McKnight informed the committee
that upon receipt of Americom's plans, he
discovered several areas which need to be
addressed. One area is the developers request
concerning the extension of George E. Phelps
Boulevard. Americom requested a smaller street
easement then originally detailed by the City.
"We had that dedicated
with a 70 feet easement, and he is asking for 50
feet," explained Joe Butler, Carthage
Engineering Department Head. "We don’t
have any problem with 50 feet streets, but by
ordinance a through street should be at least 60
feet wide."
If the street easement became
50 feet, the developer would have access to 20
additional feet of land along the roadway.
"I certainly think, in my
opinion, this street is the feature street going
into the subdivision," said Committee Member
Bill Putnam. "It needs to be wide enough for
any contingency or any traffic."
The Committee voted unanimously
to keep the street easement at 70 feet wide, but
allow the street to be built at the 50 feet
width. This would leave room for additional
expansion as needed.
"You can’t back up,
you can always narrow (the easement) later,"
said Committee Member Bill Johnson. "If you
narrow it now, you’re stuck with it."
Another issue raised by the
Committee is how the buildings are situated.
As projected, the building's
main entrance will be off of the Wal Mart parking
lot rather than Phelps Blvd.
"One of my first
conversations with (Watson), is that we’re
talking about the street," McKnight said.
"His whole philosophy is that he is going to
count on and rely off the Wal Mart traffic."
While the main access would not
be facing Phelps Blvd., it would remain a major
part of the development, explained Committee
Member Jackie Boyer
"We need to reinforce the
understanding that we are considering this a
major city street," Boyer said. "It is
the entrance into our prime development area, and
it is not going to have trash and dumpsters and
stuff out here.
"So what he is going to
have to do in his landscaping is build up a berm
and do a green wall and something that is
attractive.
"He needs to realize that
this needs to be treated with a great deal of
emphasis and that it be an attractive area."
McKnight informed the Committee
that even with the main entrance to the strip
mall located off of the Wal Mart parking lot, the
installation of the street is still the
responsibility of the developer.
Under the proposed site plans,
Americom would have five initial curb cuts or
accesses to Phelps Blvd.
Butler said it will cost
approximately $100 a foot, or $125,000 to build
the boulevard. McKnight said the City Council
could provide "incentives" to help in
the development of the boulevard.
Other concerns about the site
plans were raised by the Missouri Department of
Transportation (MoDot.) In the development plans,
Americom requested two additional access points
along the Highway 571.
In a memo, Jim Vannaman of
MoDot, recommended the South Access Point be
denied because it "will overall have a
negative impact on the existing signal," at
Wal-Mart. He also recommended that the Middle
Access Point be permitted only if it was given a
"right in/right out" access.
Vannaman said a traffic impact
study should be required of Americom to determine
if the future Phelps Blvd should have a signal.
The study would also show the impact of the two
proposed entrances.
The Committee decided to pass
on MoDot's recommendations to Americom, with the
understanding that they are supportive of MoDot's
suggestions.
Putman said that while he would
like to see some more details concerning the
landscaping and signage, the City may have some
flexible when working with Americom.
"To me the main concerns
are the entrances, the orientation of the
building, and the street back here, because they
are things that could make or break the deal from
his standpoint," said Putman. "If the
city is excited about the opportunity to do
business with this guy, we should maintain some
flexibility on these things and not be really
dogmatic on what he can and can’t do and
scare the guy off."
Mark Gier suggested that
McKnight outline a timeline for all the upcoming
steps necessary in the development both verbally
and in future letters to Watson.
McKnight said he would forward
on the Committee's suggestions and concerns as
well as an additional copy of the development
park standards to Watson within the next two
days.
If the City Council passes
during Tuesday's meeting, Council Bill 99 - 01
approving the sale of land to Americom, Watson
then has 210 days to close out the purchase of
the land.
A $5,000 earnest money deposit
is due upon contract acceptance by the Council to
secure the $850,000 deal.
In other committee action,
McKnight was reappointed as the chairman of the
committee, and Johnson was appointed as vice
chairman.
Carthage Lions Club Ground Hog
Pancake & Sausage Feed Approaching.
news release
Ground Hog Day is fast
approaching, and so is the Carthage Lions Club
Annual Ground Hog Pancake & Sausage Feed
scheduled for January 30, 1999. It will be held
again at the Memorial Hall from 6 a.m. to 1:30
p.m. Buy your tickets in advance and save.
Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased from
any Carthage Lions Club Member. Advance tickets
are $3.25 and $3.50 at the door per adult.
Children under twelve are free when accompanied
by an adult. Price includes drink. Raffle tickets
are also on sale now by Carthage Lions Club
Members.
The annual Ground Hog Pancake
& Sausage feed is one of the Carthage Lions
Club major fundraiser. The club will use the
proceeds for various Lions Club projects and
local benefits including purchasing eye glasses
for indigent children. The Carthage Lions Club
very recently has sponsored qualified candidates
to Mid-South Sight & Hearing Hospital located
in Memphis, TN.
The Carthage club supports area
non-profit organizations. The local club offers
support to individuals in need, and with your
support of the Annual Ground Hog Pancake &
Sausage feed we can continue to help the
community.
Let's Get Something Started.
by Robin Putnam, artCentral
THIS IS SUCH AN EXCITING TIME
FOR US!! How about you? Well...come join us and
you can be excited too!! We've sooo much ahead of
us and sooo much to do!! Doesn't that sound like
a good way to stay out of trouble..and get a much
needed winter workout!! Trust me...climbing our
stairs (oops forgot such & such, back
downstairs...up, down, up, down!) a heck of a
workout AND...we've got the one you're looking
for (we have down,up, down, up, too!)!! No need
to pay to use a stairmaster! just stop by here
and we can find you hours of being a
'stairmaster'!!
Seriously...it is a good
workout but more importantly we are MOVING
FORWARD!! We were fortunate enough to have found
our 'Mr. Fixit' at the onset and we feel we are
truly ON OUR WAY! Bill Long is helping us with
the downstairs repairs and painting. The house
has settled some and he has been hard at work
fixing what will be the new gallery walls.
Katherine Hyde put together a
beautiful home and we are trying to keep as much
of 'her' as we can. That means we have a pink,
yellow and chartreuse guestroom and a pink and
green guestroom...anything but dull!! We also
have a pink kitchen...pink, lovely and very, very
spacious AND SOOOOO usable!! We truly can't
believe how fortunate we are in being able to
reside in such a warm, inviting home!!
Wednesday Life Drawing Sessions
are going to be held in Carl Junction at Penny
Wilkinson's studio. They have been meeting there
during the Holidays and during our 'technical
difficulties' (which included broken water pipes
and then....no lights except in the kitchen!)!!!
This calls for one of our big THANK YOUs to
Penny, one of our talented, valuable, helpful
members for offering her humble little studio for
the greater good!! They say it's elbow to elbow
AND they love it!! For Session information and or
directions just call Penny at 781-5847.
Well..just can't resist..back
to the Hyde House!! The ice storm did drop some
branches in the yard but our wonderful, brave (it
was 18 degrees!) and dedicated little group of
volunteers got it all loaded up and hauled off!!
We thank Orbit Products ( they loaned us a big
ole yellow dump truck and Harrison!), Don, Ron
and last but always first Craig!!
Also a big thanks to Action
Moving, John and Roger. No one will ever know how
much grief they saved me by moving anything and
everything!! A big THANK YOU goes to our Building
Committee for recommending we use a moving
company. Roger and John were great to work with
and we're talking 3, count 'em, 3 floors!!
.....let's start a
coffee/breakfast club..could meet here..could be
discussions of the world's events..maybe
not....think about it!! We hope that you will
stop by and check us out! More next week.
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