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Residents urge Smithville to slow annexations over safety, contiguity concerns
Summary
At public hearings the Board of Aldermen heard opposition to annexations — residents cited crash data, light pollution and concerns that a narrow corridor fails statutory contiguity tests; staff said evidence is in the packet and hearings were closed for both 1505 East Main and portions of Whispering Creek Farms.
The Smithville Board of Aldermen opened public hearings on two annexation proposals and heard multiple residents urge delays and additional study.
At a hearing on the annexation of 1505 East Main Street and on Lots 1 and 4 of Phase 1 of Whispering Creek Farms, residents raised concerns about contiguity, traffic safety and unknown future land uses. Development Director Jack Hendricks told the board staff had submitted a packet of evidence describing utility services and the history of the parcels, and he offered the staff report for the record.
Resident Larry Yeatman said he opposes the voluntary annexation, arguing it would create an “island” of city limits connected by a narrow 297‑foot gap and harm property values and privacy. Cheryl Lee cited Missouri Highway Patrol crash statistics for a two‑mile stretch of Mount Olivet (2015–2024), telling the board there was “1 fatality crash, 17 personal injury crashes, and 31 property damage only crashes” on that stretch and urging the board to table the application until safety improvements are in place. Michael Ballinger pressed whether the proposal meets Missouri law on contiguity, citing §71.012 and saying the larger tract has “0% of its perimeter that is contiguous to the city of Smithville.”
City staff responded that the staff report and notices explain how the parcels were combined to meet the minimum adjacency/percentage requirements for annexation. No public testimony was offered at the Shops at Smithville Chapter 353 hearing; the mayor closed that hearing after noting there was no public comment.
The hearings were closed after public comment. The record includes written material submitted to the city clerk; the board did not take a final vote on the annexations during this meeting.
What happens next: the board has the record of testimony and the staff packet. Any formal decision on annexation will depend on subsequent ordinance readings or additional procedural steps required by city code and state statute.
