Ozark holds public hearing on rezoning of 20-acre parcel on North Highway NN; decision deferred

The Ozark Board of Aldermen opened a public hearing July 21 on a request to rezone an approximately 20-acre parcel in the 3600 block of North Highway NN from A-1 (agriculture) to a General Mixed Use zoning district, then held the item for a future meeting. City Community Development Director Randall Whitman told the board the property was annexed into the city last month and that the Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing June 23 and recommended approval. Whitman said the city’s 2019 comprehensive plan and the Onward Ozark corridor plan both recommend mixed-use for the site and that the city would require utility and roadway upgrades at the developer’s expense. The rezoning request matters because General Mixed Use allows a combination of commercial and higher-density residential development near an arterial roadway. “The comprehensive plan specifically recommends commercial uses and services that are supported in locations of higher classification roadways,” Whitman said. He added that any development would need to coordinate access with the Missouri Department of Transportation and that water and sewer extensions would be required. Alderman Owen Hutchinson asked whether sidewalks along NN would be required. Whitman said sidewalk requirements would be confirmed when a development proposal is submitted and that internal streets shown on a plat would require sidewalks; he noted the property meets the city’s qualifications for a pay-in-lieu sidewalk option but that money from any buyout would be sequestered for a future city-built trail. Whitman said the Onward Ozark plan indicates a trail corridor along NN and that the city intends to pursue grant opportunities to build those connections. Cameron Hall, a nearby resident who said he had attended the neighborhood meeting, told the board that traffic on NN — especially by the school — is already an issue and stressed that a traffic impact study will be required when a site plan is submitted. “There is an existing traffic issue along that section of roadway, but it's not the developer's responsibility to fix an existing traffic issue,” Hall said. He also noted that a single-family residence to the north is about 400 feet from the parcel and that a buffer will be required at time of development. Board members asked about internal circulation and future connections to the Longview intersection plan; Whitman said the property would be required to provide internal streets and that future streets would be expected to connect as adjacent parcels develop. No persons spoke against the rezoning at the hearing. After closing the public hearing, the board held bill 3677 for a future meeting. Discussion versus decision: the meeting included a staff presentation, public comment and questions from aldermen; there was no final vote on the rezoning during this session. The Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation for approval and the requirement for future site- or plat-level review were repeatedly noted.