The Board of Aldermen heard staff and developer presentations on the proposed Marabella development — a request to annex roughly 229–230 acres and rezone it to a planned unit development that would include about 800 dwelling units, two commercial parcels and an amenity package — then held the public hearings over for further review.

The concept plan submitted with bills 3695–3697 calls for a mix of housing types (three single-family lot sizes, townhomes/patio homes and multifamily parcels), about 48 acres (roughly 21%) of preserved open space, approximately 10 acres of neighborhood commercial, a proposed 6,000-square-foot pool with a 400-square-foot splash pad, and a trail network the developer and staff say includes about 3.8 miles of private trails plus a 0.5-mile public trail. Planning director Randall Whitman told the board that utilities are available at the site, that staff and the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval, and that the concept plan would become part of the zoning ordinance if the board ultimately approves the PUD.

Staff and the developer emphasized the project’s scale and phasing. "We're expecting this to take anywhere from 5 to 10 years. We're hoping really 5 to 7 years," developer Michael Roberts said, describing roughly 15–18 phases that the team expects to construct from west to east so roads and infrastructure are in place as the development expands. Roberts and staff also said the project includes design commitments such as a three-story cap on garden apartments and a perimeter buffer yard proposal to mitigate adjacent commercial or industrial uses.

Board members and residents pressed technical and quality-of-life details. Alderman Hutchinson and others sought clarity on trails and amenities; Whitman confirmed that the concept plan as written requires the 3.8 miles of private trail and the 0.5-mile public trail. Hutchinson and other aldermen also raised questions about the balance of rental versus owner-occupied housing. Whitman said the PUD document does not legally restrict whether units are sold or rented but noted the developer has control through covenants and the homeowner association; Roberts told the board he expects most units to be for sale and that apartments would be the principal rental product.

Nearby residents, and at least one public speaker, raised traffic and safety concerns for area roads. One resident said Hartley Road has sections marked as a passing zone and that there are limited sidewalks or lighting near the elementary school, and asked the board to visit the corridor before approving a zoning change. The developer said traffic and stormwater analyses have been completed and reviewed by the city and the road district, and that several road improvements are proposed, including widening and turn lanes on Farmers Branch adjacent to the project.

Other items on the record: the developer said the Missouri Public Service Commission approved a jurisdictional swap making Ozark Electric the utility provider for the project (decision noted as effective June 8 in the presentation). Show Me Christian County’s economic-development director, Kristen Haseltine, urged approval, citing the project’s potential to add diversified housing and to generate sales tax revenue from neighborhood retail.

No final vote was taken; the board placed bills 3695 (annexation), 3696 (PUD rezoning) and 3697 (preliminary plat) on their first readings, opened public hearings and closed them, and then held all three items over to a future meeting for further review and final action. Next steps identified by staff include more detailed public-improvement plans, final plats for individual phases, and required reviews of off-site road and stormwater work.

Clarifying details from the presentations include: about 229–230 acres subject to annexation; roughly 800 dwelling units proposed (developer said the extreme upper bound could be near 850); about 48 acres (≈21%) dedicated to open space and amenities; roughly 10 acres set aside for commercial uses in two parcels; three single-family lot-size categories with minimums as low as 5,000 sq ft and typical lots substantially larger; a 6,000-sq-ft pool and 400-sq-ft splash pad in an early amenity phase; 3.8 miles private trail + 0.5 miles public trail in the concept plan; plan for phased construction over an estimated 5–10 years; developer stated Ozark Electric will be the utility provider following a PSC jurisdictional swap. The developer proposed internal streets for access rather than direct external lot access to Farmers Branch and said road improvements (including widening and turn lanes on Farmers Branch) are part of the traffic plan.

The hearing record and staff analyses remain available for aldermen to review; the board deferred final action pending those technical reviews and the required filings for phased public-improvement plans.