Council approves phased conditional‑use permit for large accessory building at County Road 92 with noise and timeline conditions

The Independence City Council on June 16 approved a conditional‑use permit that allows the construction of a large detached accessory building on a roughly 58‑acre property at 3760 County Road 92 North, but limited the approval to the first building and attached several conditions intended to reduce community impacts.

Applicants Michael Keenan and owner Mark Moorhouse sought permission to construct three detached accessory buildings, each exceeding 5,000 square feet, on the property. City Administrator Mark Kaltsas said Building 1 would be approximately 23,000 square feet and the site plan includes a rock entrance, stormwater filtration, about 70 evergreen trees, and 3.5 acres of native prairie restoration around the perimeter. The Planning Commission recommended approval but limited the CUP to the first building; the council concurred.

Conditions and schedule: The council required that Buildings 2 and 3 be subject to separate CUP applications, that all site improvements (grading, landscaping and screening) be completed as part of Phase 1 by Dec. 1, 2026, and that Building 1 be completed by Oct. 31, 2027. The council set exterior construction hours at 7 a.m.–5 p.m.; interior work remains subject to standard city construction hours.

Noise and traffic mitigation: The applicant voluntarily offered to require white‑noise broadband backup alarms in lieu of standard tone alarms for equipment and to post signage asking truck drivers to refrain from banging tailgates. The applicant also committed to using side‑dump trucks where practicable to reduce rear‑dump truck activity. Public Works Director Matthew DuRose raised concerns about traffic on County Road 92 as part of the construction‑hour discussion; council members balanced the applicant’s trucking needs (the applicant cited early deliveries to accept "first loads") against traffic and neighborhood impact.

Financial and enforcement terms: As a condition of approval the council required a $50,000 security deposit to secure stormwater improvements, landscaping and site restoration/erosion control. The council also directed the applicant to provide advance notice to the city once hauling schedules are known so the public can be informed.

Outcome and next steps: Motion to approve the CUP with the stated conditions carried 5‑0 (motion by Betts, seconded by McCoy). The applicant must return to the council or Planning Commission for separate CUP applications for the other two buildings and to demonstrate compliance with site‑improvement timelines.

Provenance: Topic in transcript begins at SEG 044 with the CUP request and the council motion is recorded at SEG 057.