Realtor, landowner and city officials debate rules for Prairie Lane private drive development

Nick Williams, a local realtor, told the Carl Junction Board of Aldermen on Aug. 19 that confusion about whether Prairie Lane is a private drive has complicated the sale and development of a 1.5‑acre parcel at the east end of the lane.

Williams said his seller has received “anywhere from 15 to 20 phone calls about the property” and that he had been told by some that the owner would have to install curb and gutter along Prairie Lane even though other homes on that drive were not required to do so. “What we are hearing or to my understanding, I thought Prairie Lane is a private drive,” Williams said during the public‑forum portion of the meeting.

The issue matters because the number of proposed houses determines the type of approval needed. City staff told the board that one house on a private drive can usually proceed with a single building permit, but dividing the…