Residents raise floodplain concerns as board advances rezoning for Hunt Road parcel
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Summary
The Board of Aldermen advanced a proposal to rezone property near Hunt Road from single‑family to mixed‑use after a public hearing in which neighbors and the property owner discussed recurring flooding and stormwater controls. City staff said engineering and stormwater detention will be required for any development.
The Board of Aldermen of the City of Willard, Missouri, heard public comment and advanced a rezoning request for a parcel adjacent to the Simpson cul‑de‑sac on Hunt Road after a public hearing during a regular meeting. The board voted to move the ordinance to a second reading.
Neighbors said the drainage channel through the site floods after heavy rain and asked whether changing the parcel from R‑1 (single‑family residential) to mixed‑use would worsen flooding for homes on Simpson Street. Ryan and Monica Conway, who live at 689 East Simpson Street, described repeated driveways and yard flooding and said some homes at the end of the cul‑de‑sac become impassable during storms.
The matter drew two kinds of responses: residents urging caution about downstream effects and the property owner describing a limited proposal. Jacob Hill, the property owner and applicant, told the board he purchased the lot about two months earlier and plans to build a roughly 2,500‑square‑foot office in the portion of the parcel that is not in the floodplain. “I’m the one who’s trying to get it rezoned,” Hill said, adding that he is working with engineers to avoid increasing runoff to neighboring properties.
A city staff member who spoke during the hearing said updated FEMA maps place about three‑quarters of the parcel within the floodway or the channel, leaving only a small buildable area. The staff member said the city’s floodplain ordinance permits some mixed‑use development in floodplain areas only when applicants show the development will both withstand flooding and will not increase downstream impacts. The staff member said the city will require engineered stormwater plans for any development and will evaluate pipe sizes under Hunt Road and the condition of the drainage channel.
City staff also suggested the possibility of working with the landowner on channel clearing or other mitigation in a public‑private partnership to improve flow through the corridor. The board did not adopt a final zoning ordinance at the meeting; members approved a motion to read the ordinance a second time. During the vote recorded for the second read, aldermen present registered “yes” votes.
The agenda references a rezone proposal described as changing parcel 0736400019 from R‑1 to mixed use; later in the meeting the board also considered an ordinance amending the zoning map for parcel 036400019. The transcript does not state whether those two parcel numbers refer to the same property. The board did not adopt a final ordinance at the meeting; further proceedings (final vote/adoption) will follow the required readings and any additional staff review.
City staff asked the developer to supply stormwater engineering, and staff said they will inspect downstream pipes and the channel to identify measures to reduce ponding that currently affects Simpson Street homes. The board’s formal action at the meeting was to move the item forward for a second reading rather than to approve a zoning change on first and final passage.
Clarifying details from the hearing: the staff presentation said most of the parcel lies in the mapped floodway or channel; the applicant said the proposed building would be about 2,500 square feet and confined to the non‑floodplain portion; staff said the city requires engineered stormwater detention and will consider cooperating with the landowner on clearing or improving the drainage channel.
Looking ahead, the board will consider the ordinance again at the second reading; staff will continue to review submittals and engineering plans and to report back on potential channel work and pipe capacities.
