Holts Summit residents concerned by rezoning

The spokesman of Seges Mobile Home Park in Holts Summit challenges the proposed rezoning of that area during Thursday night's Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing.
The spokesman of Seges Mobile Home Park in Holts Summit challenges the proposed rezoning of that area during Thursday night's Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing.

HOLTS SUMMIT, Mo. -- Concerned residents in Holts Summit let their voices be heard during Thursday's Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
"Rumors have been started that if the mobile home parks are rezoned, people with trailers older than 2015 will be forced to move their trailers out," City Administrator Rick Hess said. "The people currently in the park would be grandfathered in, so this would not effect (them), only new renters in that area."
The effort to rezone Holts Summit began in March, prompted by a need to update certain areas' classifications to reflect the types of businesses and homes that have been built, Hess said.
"The proposed rezoning is to prevent the possibility of businesses moving into the neighborhoods," Hess said. "Under the current zoning, there would be virtually nothing that either the residents of the neighborhoods or the city could do to prevent that."
Thursday night's meeting included discussion on rezoning four different areas of the city, but the hearing generating the most opposition focused on rezoning J&L and Seges Mobile Home Parks from light industrial to Rental Mobile Home Residential.
Long time J&L resident Leonard Stephenson said he feared he could not afford to replace his current home.
"I don't see a possibility of people putting in a business in there," he said. "With the new regulations, I can't afford to get a new house. I say less is more, you should leave it as it is."
Jacquelyn Brazas, an associate at Riley & Stingley, represented the owner of J&L and expressed concern.
"We view this rezoning as substantively unjustified," she said. "We must have the option to explore other uses of the property. Current plans and contracts could also be (impacted) by the rezoning. No change is needed at this time."
The sentiment the two mobile home park properties must retain their existing zoning was shared by the owner of Seges Mobile Home Park, who also spoke about possible future opportunities for the property during the hearing.
Hess said anyone who wished to voice their opinion on the rezoning had another chance to do so.
"Once the public hearings are complete, the Board of Aldermen will deliberate before deciding which course to take," he said. "You are invited to the Board of Aldermen meeting Thursday, May 11, 7 p.m., to give your opinion.

Changes to Annexation Ordinance

Another matter discussed at Thursday night involved changes to the Chapter 42 Annexation Ordinance.
"Currently, all new land being annexed into the city automatically gets zoned as 'agricultural,'" Hess said. "(This) change would allow anyone requesting voluntary annexation into the city to request that the annexed property be zoned to their needs."
The changes to the ordinance came in handy, as the next item on the agenda involved a voluntary annexation of 9.14 acres into the city to allow the owner to build a proposed single family residential subdivision, Hess said.
No comments were offered either in opposition, or in support, of the proposed change to code and subsequent annexation.