The Smithville Board of Aldermen voted to advance bill 3072-25 — a rezoning ordinance for property at Second Creek and Lohman Road — on a 4-0 vote with one abstention after more than a dozen minutes of public comment opposing the change.

Residents said the development would introduce denser housing into an area they described as rural, and they urged aldermen to delay or reject the measure. "A dense housing development next to your property can significantly reduce privacy," said Cindy Hadley, who identified herself as a nearby homeowner at 520 Second Creek Road. "This is not what anybody was expecting."

The board heard related objections from Roberta Lohman and Kristine Bunch, each of whom urged aldermen to seek additional information about lot sizes, home square footage and potential impacts. "You work really hard to have a home and a residence, and you have to look in your backyard, and you see homes that are going to be half the width of what my little ranch home is," Bunch said during public comment. Bunch also asked the board to commission a traffic study and a crime study before moving forward.

Alderman Marvin Atkins moved to approve the bill for its second reading; a mayoral second followed. The clerk called the roll: Alderman Atkins — aye; Alderman Stone — aye; Alderman Kabilski — aye; Alderman Wilson — aye; Alderman Hartman — abstain. The presiding officer announced the motion carried.

The ordinance read into the record describes "an ordinance changing the zoning classifications or districts of certain lands located in the city of Smithville, Missouri." The measure was advanced at the meeting; the transcript does not record final adoption or an effective date.

Discussion vs. decision: the transcript shows extensive public comment during the agenda item and a formal roll-call that advanced the bill. The residents’ requests for a traffic study, details on home sizes and a fuller set of findings were recorded but not adopted as conditions in the meeting minutes.

Looking ahead, the ordinance will return to a subsequent meeting for any further readings or final action if required by city procedure. The transcript does not specify a deadline for additional hearings or staff follow-up.