Yukon council authorizes up to $60,000 feasibility study of proposed entertainment venue after heated public comment

The Yukon City Council on April 1 authorized the city manager to spend up to $60,000 on a feasibility study for a proposed entertainment venue on a portion of the Frisco property, advancing the next step of an economic-development review after an evening of extensive public testimony.

The vote to approve budget amendment 2025-03 to fund the study passed with a majority of council members present; the clerk recorded three affirmative votes, one opposing vote and one council member absent. Mayor Bridal Pilmore and Vice Mayor Wooten joined Councilmember Shriver in voting to authorize the study; Councilmember Selby voted no; Councilmember Zimmerman was absent and the clerk recorded him as not voting.

Why it matters: supporters and some council members say a feasibility study is the responsible first step to evaluate potential revenue and infrastructure needs. Opponents — many of them residents of nearby neighborhoods — said the proposal threatens quality of life in adjacent subdivisions because of anticipated noise, traffic and possible impacts on property values.

Public concerns and council response

Dozens of residents addressed the council during the meeting’s public-comment period. Common concerns included high projected sound levels, increased traffic on Garth Brooks Boulevard and surrounding streets, increased crime and reduced home values for neighborhoods immediately west of the proposed site.

“I went door to door back then to clients and I explained to them... This will hurt their property values,” said real estate agent Lisa Williams, who identified herself as a long‑time Yukon resident and said she had been contacted by many worried neighbors. Resident Amy McAllister urged the council to pursue a broader economic-development strategy for the full 184‑acre site rather than fund a study focused on a parcel in the southwest corner.

Several speakers highlighted noise as a particular risk. “The sound does not go in. The sound goes out,” said Suzanne Heggie, citing complaints logged at another recently built outdoor venue and warning that similar problems could follow here.

City Manager Mike Castro and other staff said the study is intended to collect the technical information the council lacks, including traffic and noise impacts, and that professional services for this type of work are typically engaged as consultant contracts rather than public-works bids. “We have looked at firms and have made phone calls,” Castro said, adding that this is a professional service and “it is not bid per se.” He said the city manager’s office would bring back the scope and cost estimates and that the council would see the consultant’s findings before any further commitments.

Some residents and council members urged a larger, coordinated approach. “Rather than spending our taxpayer money on a feasibility study, I really think we need to focus on developing a relationship with an economic development consultant or a team… who can look at the entire 184 acres,” McAllister said.

Council debate and legal/procurement context

Council discussion focused on process: whether the feasibility scope was appropriate, whether the city should rely first on the Economic Development Authority, and how the city procures professional services. Councilmember Selby argued for broader community engagement before moving forward; she voted against the budget amendment. Councilmember Shriver and others said a formal study would provide the objective data needed to make an informed decision.

City staff told the council that while public-works projects require competitive bidding, procurement rules for professional services differ. “The competitive bidding act requires competitive bidding for public works projects, but our code and our ordinances and our charter allow the city manager to handle procurement of professional services,” an attorney and staff member explained during the meeting.

What the vote authorizes next

The council’s action authorized the city manager to prepare a professional-services engagement and budget amendment not to exceed $60,000 to fund a feasibility study. The study’s detailed scope and the selected consultant will be developed by staff and returned to the council for review; no contracts or construction were authorized by the April 1 vote.

Quotes

“We have looked at firms and have made phone calls. And bear in mind that this is a professional service, so it is not bid per se,” City Manager Mike Castro said.

“This will hurt their property values,” real estate agent Lisa Williams told the council, describing calls from residents who live near the proposed site.

“The sound does not go in. The sound goes out,” resident Suzanne Heggie said, citing complaints at a recently opened venue elsewhere.

“I support growth here in the city of Yukon. But I support sustainable growth and development,” said resident Zach Castle, who urged a different approach to developing the land.

Votes at a glance (other council actions during the April 1 meeting)

- Rejected a single bid and directed staff to re-advertise the on-call water and sewer contract procurement (motion to reject Brewer Construction LLC bid and re-advertise). Vote: unanimous among members present (recorded yes votes: Pilmore, Wooten, Shriver, Selby; Zimmerman absent). (See actions array for details.)

- Budget amendment to transfer police PEST funds to capital and approve purchase of a 2025 Chevy Silverado for the Police Department in the amount of $54,152 — approved. Vote: recorded yes votes (Pilmore, Wooten, Shriver, Selby).

- Purchase of a 50' x 20' cantilever shade for Kimball Bay Pool, $58,009.52, to be paid from the Kimball Bay Pool renovations fund — approved. Vote: recorded yes votes.

- Phase 4 of the citywide street panel replacement program, not to exceed $250,000 to Schwartz Paving — approved. Vote: recorded yes votes; one councilmember recorded a dissenting vote.

- Resolution 2025-06: authorize solicitation of bids for three Route 66 centennial signs and direct a budget amendment to fund the project — approved; one councilmember (Selby) voted no.

- Directed the city manager to engage a firm to develop a comprehensive parks master plan for FY 2025–26 — approved.

- Authorized development of specifications for a systemwide playground equipment replacement (phase 1) with an installation target of eight parks in FY 25–26 — approved.

- Authorized an expenditure up to $25,000 to split remediation costs for a structure at 908 Travertine Circle (remove dormer and window) — approved.

What’s next

Staff will return with a proposed scope, recommended consultant(s) and a finalized contract for the feasibility study for council review. The council did not authorize construction, land sale or any financial incentives for a venue; those steps would require separate council approval.