Residents urge board to delay Whispering Creek Farms annexation over safety and contiguity concerns

Several Smithville-area residents spoke at the public hearing to oppose the proposed annexation of Lots 1 and 4 of Phase 1 Whispering Creek Farms and related parcels.

Larry Yeatman of 4014 NE 144th Street said the proposal would create an island of city limits connected to the city only by a narrow gap and asked the board to consider whether the annexation satisfies compactness and contiguity standards. “...it will create an island of city limit ... except for that 297 foot gap,” Yeatman said.

Cheryl Lee of 4400 NE 144th Street pressed the board to slow the annexation process and address road safety, citing crash statistics she said the Missouri Highway Patrol provided for a two-mile stretch of Mount Olivet: “There was 1 fatality crash, 17 personal injury crashes, and 31 property damage only crashes, all on Mount Olivet.” She asked that the application be tabled until road improvements or a traffic study are completed.

Nicole Path of 3405 NE 144th Street urged the board to require more planning and zoning detail before approving annexation, asking whether sewer connections, housing types and a traffic study have been considered. Michael Ballinger of 14975 Mount Olivet Road raised legal concerns and cited Missouri law, saying the record references Section 71.012 and questioning whether a roughly 276-foot stretch meets the 0.25-mile contiguity standard noted in that statute.

The mayor closed the hearing after public testimony; no formal board decision was made during this meeting. Staff had offered the written staff report into evidence earlier in the hearing.