Tweet
Looks like it gets bigger every time they bring it up...
http://www.news-leader.com/today/090...to-174899.html
Published September 9, 2004
Republic to see new Terrell Creek plan tonight
Mayor seeks residents' trust on development, which has been through several incarnations.
By Jenny Fillmer
News-Leader Staff; Wire
Republic — The latest plans for Terrell Creek will be made public tonight.
Hollister-based Missouri Partners Inc. is holding an informational town hall meeting this evening in Republic, where annexation and development plans for the 2,300-acre mixed-use community will be shared with neighbors, officials and others interested in the property, now used as farmland.
Missouri Partners is asking Republic to annex the entire development, which would nearly double the size of the city if approved. The developers plan to formally file an annexation proposal with the city today.
A master plan included in the application shows a mixed-use community, with single-family homes on a variety of lot sizes, patio homes and multi-family housing. Several acres of commercial and retail space, an elementary school site and land designated for a police and fire station are also included.
Neighbors, environmental organizations and the officials from the adjacent Wilson's Creek National Battlefield have had concerns over the development since it was first proposed last December.
Republic Mayor Jim Collins is asking neighbors of Terrell Creek to trust him and the city to keep their interests in mind when reviewing the application.
"All I ask you to do is understand that one of these days, (the property) is going to be developed," Collins said Wednesday, in a special informational meeting with the Wilson's Creek Landowners Association. "You've got to trust us that we'll do it right."
About 35 neighbors attended Wednesday's hourlong question-and-answer session with Collins, held in the Republic police station's community room. Maps, plans and overviews were not included in the meeting, but Collins described many of the proposal's features.
He repeatedly pledged to keep the city's lines of communication open as Republic reviews and possibly approves the application.
"We're not going to do anything behind your back, because we want to be good neighbors," said Collins. "We're going to communicate with you. We're going to be honest with you. We're going to do our best, but we're not always going to agree."
Neighbors who have spent the last nine months following Missouri Partners' changing plans said they appreciated the mayor's sentiments, but many remain dubious.
"A big part of the problem with (Missouri Partners) it there's really been no communication," said David Stokely, who co-owns Stokely Stables near the proposed development.
"It's been a shell game. We've never really had anything to be in favor of or opposed to, because we've never had a real plan."
When first proposed in December, Terrell Creek was to be the largest housing development ever in Christian County, with a smaller portion in Greene County that was to be annexed into Republic. The plans called for construction of 1,500 homes, with 266 on large plots served by wells and septic systems. Missouri Partners formally withdrew those plans in March, citing pressure from neighbors, environmental groups and governmental agencies.
One week later, Missouri Partners announced new plans for the development, with higher housing density and Republic water and sewer service replacing the wells and septic systems originally called for. These plans were never made public, and Christian County dropped the application after MPI missed a deadline.
In June, new plans were made public, with the septic systems back in place. An application filed with Christian County showed a larger portion of the development going to county and a smaller parcel annexing into Republic.
August brought Missouri Partners' most recent Terrell Creek announcement, that the city of Republic would be asked to annex the entire 2,300-acre development, with city water and sewer throughout.
Collins told neighbors the city would likely become their best source of information on the development.
"If the Board (of Aldermen) accepts, your communication is going to be with the city of Republic," said Collins.
Springfield attorney Bryan Wade, who represents Missouri Partners, told the News-Leader he now speaks on behalf of the development company, and that inquiries about Terrell Creek should be directed to him.
Wade, who has also represented the News-Leader, said the new proposal takes several neighbors' concerns into account.
"We're trying to accommodate all parties' interests as best we can," he said.
Missouri Partners' current plans include public recreational trails, playgrounds and a buffer zone between the housing development and Wilson's Creek National Battlefield — in an area battlefield officials say was once a Confederate army campground.
Retail space is another new addition. Wade described the retail area as "neo-traditional" where patrons can walk to restaurants and small shops in a downtown-style setting.
"The plan is to make it have a traditional downtown feel," said Wade.
About 19 acres adjacent to the retail zone are set aside for an elementary school.
Republic Superintendent Pam Hedgpeth said she had not had any formal discussion with the developers, but when obtaining information from city staff she suggested that the district might "look for some land to be donated" for a school.
"Sure enough, when the plans came out there was a school," she said. "I said, 'That's interesting.'"
In August, the district decided to buy 148 acres of land at Greene County ZZ and Highway M, enough for a new high school that will be built first, as well as an elementary school that the district would expect to need in seven or eight years.
The closing on that acquisition takes place Wednesday, she said.
"We've already got land for one elementary purchased," Hedgpeth said, so the land in the development "would be for a second new school, which we would need way down the line. There's no commitment from the district to build a school there, but it is a nice option to have."
Regardless of location, Collins said Republic will eventually need a new elementary school.
"We're going to keep building schools because the city is going to continue to grow," he said.
Another small portion of land is designated for municipal use, "fire, police and emergency medical services," Wade explained.
Everything, Wade said — including the school, the municipal site, the retail area and public park land — is subject to relocation within the proposal as plans are finalized.
After Wednesday's meeting, Stokely said he'd take the Show-Me-State approach to the new proposal.
"I guess we'll know more after we finally see the plan," said Stokely. "We still don't have anything more than good faith to go on at this point."
Neighbor Jim Knight, who owns seven acres just south of the proposed development, was less optimistic.
"We moved to the country to live in the country ... (and) it's going to impact our way of life," said Knight, who remains especially worried about increased traffic on area roadways.
"Not one single thing that I'm concerned about has been alleviated." News-Leader reporter Cory de Vera contributed to this story.
Jason McHaney
http://www.news-leader.com/today/090...to-174899.html
Published September 9, 2004
Republic to see new Terrell Creek plan tonight
Mayor seeks residents' trust on development, which has been through several incarnations.
| Want to go? A public informational meeting regarding the proposed Terrell Creek development will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 tonight in the community room of Republic's police station, 540 Civic Blvd. For more information, call 732-3354. |
News-Leader Staff; Wire
Republic — The latest plans for Terrell Creek will be made public tonight.
Hollister-based Missouri Partners Inc. is holding an informational town hall meeting this evening in Republic, where annexation and development plans for the 2,300-acre mixed-use community will be shared with neighbors, officials and others interested in the property, now used as farmland.
Missouri Partners is asking Republic to annex the entire development, which would nearly double the size of the city if approved. The developers plan to formally file an annexation proposal with the city today.
A master plan included in the application shows a mixed-use community, with single-family homes on a variety of lot sizes, patio homes and multi-family housing. Several acres of commercial and retail space, an elementary school site and land designated for a police and fire station are also included.
Neighbors, environmental organizations and the officials from the adjacent Wilson's Creek National Battlefield have had concerns over the development since it was first proposed last December.
Republic Mayor Jim Collins is asking neighbors of Terrell Creek to trust him and the city to keep their interests in mind when reviewing the application.
"All I ask you to do is understand that one of these days, (the property) is going to be developed," Collins said Wednesday, in a special informational meeting with the Wilson's Creek Landowners Association. "You've got to trust us that we'll do it right."
About 35 neighbors attended Wednesday's hourlong question-and-answer session with Collins, held in the Republic police station's community room. Maps, plans and overviews were not included in the meeting, but Collins described many of the proposal's features.
He repeatedly pledged to keep the city's lines of communication open as Republic reviews and possibly approves the application.
"We're not going to do anything behind your back, because we want to be good neighbors," said Collins. "We're going to communicate with you. We're going to be honest with you. We're going to do our best, but we're not always going to agree."
Neighbors who have spent the last nine months following Missouri Partners' changing plans said they appreciated the mayor's sentiments, but many remain dubious.
"A big part of the problem with (Missouri Partners) it there's really been no communication," said David Stokely, who co-owns Stokely Stables near the proposed development.
"It's been a shell game. We've never really had anything to be in favor of or opposed to, because we've never had a real plan."
When first proposed in December, Terrell Creek was to be the largest housing development ever in Christian County, with a smaller portion in Greene County that was to be annexed into Republic. The plans called for construction of 1,500 homes, with 266 on large plots served by wells and septic systems. Missouri Partners formally withdrew those plans in March, citing pressure from neighbors, environmental groups and governmental agencies.
One week later, Missouri Partners announced new plans for the development, with higher housing density and Republic water and sewer service replacing the wells and septic systems originally called for. These plans were never made public, and Christian County dropped the application after MPI missed a deadline.
In June, new plans were made public, with the septic systems back in place. An application filed with Christian County showed a larger portion of the development going to county and a smaller parcel annexing into Republic.
August brought Missouri Partners' most recent Terrell Creek announcement, that the city of Republic would be asked to annex the entire 2,300-acre development, with city water and sewer throughout.
Collins told neighbors the city would likely become their best source of information on the development.
"If the Board (of Aldermen) accepts, your communication is going to be with the city of Republic," said Collins.
Springfield attorney Bryan Wade, who represents Missouri Partners, told the News-Leader he now speaks on behalf of the development company, and that inquiries about Terrell Creek should be directed to him.
Wade, who has also represented the News-Leader, said the new proposal takes several neighbors' concerns into account.
"We're trying to accommodate all parties' interests as best we can," he said.
Missouri Partners' current plans include public recreational trails, playgrounds and a buffer zone between the housing development and Wilson's Creek National Battlefield — in an area battlefield officials say was once a Confederate army campground.
Retail space is another new addition. Wade described the retail area as "neo-traditional" where patrons can walk to restaurants and small shops in a downtown-style setting.
"The plan is to make it have a traditional downtown feel," said Wade.
About 19 acres adjacent to the retail zone are set aside for an elementary school.
Republic Superintendent Pam Hedgpeth said she had not had any formal discussion with the developers, but when obtaining information from city staff she suggested that the district might "look for some land to be donated" for a school.
"Sure enough, when the plans came out there was a school," she said. "I said, 'That's interesting.'"
In August, the district decided to buy 148 acres of land at Greene County ZZ and Highway M, enough for a new high school that will be built first, as well as an elementary school that the district would expect to need in seven or eight years.
The closing on that acquisition takes place Wednesday, she said.
"We've already got land for one elementary purchased," Hedgpeth said, so the land in the development "would be for a second new school, which we would need way down the line. There's no commitment from the district to build a school there, but it is a nice option to have."
Regardless of location, Collins said Republic will eventually need a new elementary school.
"We're going to keep building schools because the city is going to continue to grow," he said.
Another small portion of land is designated for municipal use, "fire, police and emergency medical services," Wade explained.
Everything, Wade said — including the school, the municipal site, the retail area and public park land — is subject to relocation within the proposal as plans are finalized.
After Wednesday's meeting, Stokely said he'd take the Show-Me-State approach to the new proposal.
"I guess we'll know more after we finally see the plan," said Stokely. "We still don't have anything more than good faith to go on at this point."
Neighbor Jim Knight, who owns seven acres just south of the proposed development, was less optimistic.
"We moved to the country to live in the country ... (and) it's going to impact our way of life," said Knight, who remains especially worried about increased traffic on area roadways.
"Not one single thing that I'm concerned about has been alleviated." News-Leader reporter Cory de Vera contributed to this story.
Jason McHaney
Comment