Blue Springs OKs rezoning and development plan for 92‑lot Boulder Springs subdivision despite traffic, flooding concerns

The Blue Springs City Council on Aug. 4 approved rezoning a 35.6‑acre parcel south of Southeast Sunnyside School Road and west of Southeast Adams Dairy Parkway to SF‑7 single‑family residential and adopted a general development plan for Boulder Springs that would create 92 single‑family lots, a walking trail and a pocket park. Council passed the rezoning ordinance on second reading unanimously and later approved the general development plan after a recorded vote.

City planner Chantelle Fry told the council the site is designated “neighborhoods” in the 2014 comprehensive plan and that SF‑7 is consistent with surrounding zoning. Fry said the development would include three access points (one on Adams Dairy Parkway and two through the adjacent Keystone Estates), sidewalks, a 10‑foot multi‑use path along Adams Dairy Parkway and a minimal livable floor area proposed at 1,200 square feet per lot. She said staff recommends approval with conditions and that the plan meets applicable Unified Development Code standards.

Developer representatives said the applicant is purchasing only the north portion of the original tract and that the site would be developed in a single phase. Dan Foster, representing the applicant, said the project will include a detention basin designed to meet city standards and that the team submitted a storm drainage report that staff accepted. “We are meeting the city standards,” Foster said.

Attorney Melissa Van Krum said a traffic study reviewed by city staff concluded that current and projected traffic volumes did not warrant a traffic signal or dedicated turn lanes at the Adams Dairy entry. Van Krum said the plan is consistent with the future land use map and adjacent zoning and that the school district has confirmed capacity.

Several nearby residents and homeowners association representatives opposed the plan at the public hearing. Gary Bradley, a homeowner in The Pines, said the project would create a dangerous left turn on a downhill curve on Adams Dairy Parkway and described the traffic study as relying on outdated conditions: “The traffic is not the same as it was when they had their study,” Bradley said.

Andy Edgar, president of The Pines HOA, said the proposal will increase traffic on Adams Dairy Parkway and that children walk and bike in the area. He also noted the applicant is buying only the northern 35 acres of a larger tract and warned future development of the remaining acreage could add another access point to Adams Dairy Parkway.

Christina Weathers, HOA president for Parkway Estates East, asked whether the new homes would affect water pressure and school capacity; she said some residents believe local schools are at or near capacity. Cindy McCoy, also of The Pines, questioned the project’s affordability claims and emphasized traffic safety concerns. Several council members asked staff and the applicant about creek flooding and detention design.

Fry and the applicant said portions of the site adjacent to Blue Branch Creek will be left in a stream buffer and that open space and detention area are included in the plan. The applicant stated it will attempt to preserve healthy trees and provide sidewalks and trail connections; Foster noted wooded areas along the trail will be accessible in places but the immediate creek corridor will not be readily accessible because of grade changes.

Council discussion acknowledged divergent views. One council member said much of the traffic pressure toward Adams Dairy Parkway would exist regardless of how the property is developed, while another said she had too many unanswered questions and would not support the general development plan. The Council approved the rezoning on second reading by unanimous roll call and later approved the general development plan on second reading; the ordinance numbers were assigned by the city clerk.

The approvals are subject to the conditions of staff and the UDC and to the developer completing required site plan and plat approvals before construction. Final engineering, permitting and any required off‑site improvements remain to be completed before building permits would be issued.