Discussion: Glad your eco restoration i...

Glad your eco restoration is going well. Around here we have had unusually high levels of particulate. (sorry, couldn't resist...and we have, actually). Have you heard anything about a housing development on the bluffs overlooking the Katy? Where is that located?

Yeah, prescribed burning doesn't exactly improve air quality - you are right there. That is definitely one of the cons in maintaining a prairie - can't exist w/ out fire.

Oh yes, I definitely know about the housing proposal. It's a little controversial around these parts. It's proposed to be in the Missouri Research Park and connected to the golf course going out to the Mo. River bluffs. 400 acres, 315 lots ($500k - $1M each home), 120 villas/cluster homes w/ supposedly no binding agreements for tree preservation or grading restrictions and minimal pedestrian improvements (e.g. no sidewalks and few walking trails). An attorney from the Katy Land Trust and other locals are opposing it.

A square of 400 acres would be almost a mile long. Southwest of the gold course that could be a lot of bluff. The view in that area as it is now is timeless!

Apparently not timeless enough for some high dollar real estate.

Apparently timeless enough for the Planning and Zoning commission!

True - and thank goodness for that!

I'm not convinced. You've already got a double-truss 10-lane bridge cut into the bluff right there. I wouldn't call that pristine (though, as an engineer, I find it rather attractive in its own right). And, it's private property, so we can't use it regardless. Might as well build some nice houses. Now, if they were going to develop the MDC land, I'd have a much different view about that.

Although that land was sold to the university by the federal govt. for $1, they have more than fulfilled their legal obligation (use for research for 20 years) so I can understand their desire to do something w/ it from a business standpoint.

I mostly don't want to see an increase in foot/vehicle traffic in that immediate area. Purely selfish!

OTOH, having more wealthy people live right next to the Katy (as opposed to the rednecks who would break the trail so they don't have to look both ways when driving their pickup to their fishin' hole) probably bodes well for that parks future.

I don't have a problem w people building houses...there is a real simple way to reduce their visual footprint on the landscape. Don't build within 100 yards of the bluff, leave all the trees in the buffer zone, limit to 24' height above grade. Then its just a real short walk to a wonderful trail along the bluff for everyone to enjoy.

P&Z delayed the decision for a bit and asked the builder to do a traffic study so I guess we'll see what happens.

Again, I don't see how building a house next to a 10-lane bridge is an eyesore. Pretty houses on the bluff can actually add to the aesthetics. But then, not everybody sees technology the way I do. I accept that reasonable people may disagree.