Monett City Council advances subdivision plans as developments near

Four new housing proposals under consideration, some met with push back from concerned neighbors
 
The Monett City Council advanced plans for four new subdivisions at its Dec. 11 public meeting.
Council members gave first reading for an ordinance approving the next part of the North Hills subdivision that borders Farm Road 2230 on the north and 17th Street on the east. At the Nov. 19 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission, Vaughn Construction proposed a change in its plan for the east end of the subdivision, where duplexes would be located. The rest of the subdivision will be single family houses.
Alyssa Vaughn with Vaughn Construction explained that in response to concerns about having six driveways feeding onto what is now a 20-foot-wide street, the company redesigned the section to have only one entrance/exit facing east. The duplexes, rather than being located back-to-back, will now have a north-south street running between them, with a previously unplanned north exit onto Farm Road 2230 added.
Council members also gave first reading to a rezoning proposal for property owned by the Curtis, and Raynel Schallert Trust and the Margaret Schallert Trust, located west of Fairway Avenue, south of Country Club Estates, and east of the Brandermill and Kolpin subdivisions, bordered on the east by Marlan Avenue. The undeveloped section in question is located in the northeast corner of the property, closest to Fairway Avenue. The proposal calls for rezoning from single family to multi-family housing.
At the Oct. 29 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission, pushback to the plan came from neighbors wanting this land as a buffer between single family and multi-family zoning, particularly from more multi-story apartments like the ones on Fairway, which would be allowed under multi-family zoning. Developer Keith McCracken appeared at that meeting and said plans called for building only duplexes, which would have garages, like patio homes but unlike triplexes. With that assurance, the Planning and Zoning commissioners recommended the change.
A third planned subdivision rezoning proposal came from property owner Daniel Sanchez, who owns three triple-sized lots on property at 1509 Glen Street in what is known as Callan’s Addition, property originally zoned industrial due to its proximity to the railroad tracks. The land is bordered by 13th and 16th streets and is located south of Glen Street.
Andrew Miller, development assistant in the building code office, reported Sanchez’s plans would fit with rest of the neighborhood, which has developed into smaller residential homes. Under existing codes, those houses would likely not be approved for construction today in an industrial site, as they were likely built before zoning went into effect. The rezoning “reflects the reality of his residential neighborhood,” stated the code office, in its recommendation for the change.
A fourth proposed subdivision came from developer Kip Cullers of Purdy, who proposed carving out an undeveloped section of Hall’s First Addition, platted in the Myrtle Street area in 1913, also known as Hubert and Gilbert’s Minor Subdivision. The land borders east and west between 515 and 521 W. Myrtle Street, with Myrtle on the north and the railroad tracks to the south. Cullers proposed dividing oversized Lot 25 into lots for two single family houses along Myrtle plus one duplex, then running a street south into a cul-de-sac with three additional duplexes facing the street from each side, for a total of seven duplexes. The deed suggests the lot for the six duplexes could not be divided for 99 years, essentially making them one lot.
Cullers initially applied for a variance from the Board of Adjustments to work around frontage and setback regulations. To reduce the need for a variance, the proposal changed to creating a subdivision.
The issue of having to constantly issue variances led to a major proposal that will impact properties throughout the oldest part of the city. The proposal called for creating a Legacy Lot Overlay District, extending south from Cleveland Avenue to Dairy Street, bordered on the east by 13th Street to the north and Kyler Street to the south, and Central Avenue on the west and extending south on South Lincoln Avenue, otherwise known as Hwy. 37.
Mayor Randy Burke explained that when the city expanded lot sizes to 60 feet in 2018, that created a conflict for older lots that mostly measured 50 feet. Property owners of older lots had to apply for a variance for rebuilding efforts. Burke said under these rules, builders faced buying an adjacent lot for construction plans.
Doug Potts, community development director, said the change would primarily allow road frontages and lot sizes to stay the same, without requiring a variance for construction. The city brought this proposal to the Planning and Zoning Commission’s Nov. 19 meeting. The proposal as presented “provides flexibility for the use, repair, and reconstruction of existing residential lots while maintaining compatibility with surrounding development, stabilization of property values, and preserving the character of the neighborhood.”
All five of these proposals will be open for public comment at the council’s next meeting on Jan. 8 at the Monett City Annex, 100 S. Maple, prior to final passage.