Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

[music] [music] Good evening. I'd like to call the Monday, December 22nd, 2025 Blue Springs Planning Commission meeting to order. Please rise and join me in the pledge of allegiance. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America to the republic it stands one nation indivisibley and justice for all Tracy if we can get a roll call please. Of course present. Commissioner Pumprey present. Commissioner Stokenberry

present. Commissioner Smith present. Commissioner Sanderson. Commissioner Kred present. Commissioner Graham present. Commissioner How here. Commissioner Chairperson Henning. All right. You have a court.

Thank you very much and thank you and welcome everyone this evening and those watching us from home. Tonight's [clears throat] agenda consists of item one, the minutes from the October 27th, 2025 planning commission meeting. Items two and three, vacation and P sorry, site plan design review for Blue Springs Public Works. Item four, master alternative plan sign plan for the Kansas City Cannabis. Item five, strate strategic plan presentation. And item six, adjournment. At this time, I would entertain a motion on the consent agenda for approval of the October 27th, 2025 meeting minutes. So moved. Thank you. Do I have a second? Second.

All right. Uh, all those in favor say I. I. Opposed? That motion carries. I will open the public hearing for agenda items two and three. VAC11259743 and site plan design review SPDR11259732 for Blue Springs Public Works. I will ask for exhibits from our city attorney. The city would like to admit exhibits one through eight. Thank you. All those who would wish to speak, please stand and be sworn in as a group. We're not doing that anymore. All right. Sorry about that. At this time, I'll ask for staff for his presentation. Nick.

Nope.

Hi. Uh my name is Steve Hawk. I'm an associate planner with the city of Blue Springs. Uh thank you, chair and commissioners. Uh before you this evening is a request for the vacation of a 60oot portion of rideaway on uh on Mellan Drive in a site plan design review for the city of Blue Springs public works facility renovation and expansion. Uh the right of way to be vacated on Mellan Drive is currently undeveloped and cuts cuts through the middle of the existing Blue Springs public works facility site. This vacation is being requested so that the new building addition as well as the service yard area can expand south into this vacated portion. The new building area is 26,040 square ft and includes interior renovations, visitor and staff parking expansion and yard improvement improve improvements. [clears throat] The proposed building addition meets all setback requirements and building design. However, the applicant is requesting an alternative development standard to wave the maximum building height requirements and allow a six-foot deviation. Staff supports the request to vacate the ride ofway on Mellan Drive as it is currently undeveloped with no future development plans. Staff does not feel as though anyone else would be negatively impacted by these requests. Utility providers have been notified and either do not have facilities interests or objections in the right of way to be vacated or are waving their objections under the condition that existing [clears throat] utility easements will be retained and

facilities will be protected. staff staff supports the request for the site plan uh design review and alternative development standard and this support was also shared by the appearance review committee. Staff recommends approval of the vacation request with one condition noted in the staff report. Staff recommends approval of the site plan design review request with the three conditions noted in the staff report. [clears throat] Um, I'll be happy to answer any questions and the applicants are here as well. Thank you. Thank you. Anything from up here on the commission? Any questions or comments? All right. Hearing none. Uh, is the applicant here? Yes.

Would you like to speak? Hi. Uh, I'm Terry Parsons with Olsen. My address is 6722 Haskins Shauny, Kansas. uh we we accept all the uh uh everything in the report. We're we're good with it. So really, I don't have any comments. So, right. Thank you. Uh is there anyone in the audience that would care to speak in favor of this project?

Uh seeing none. Is there anyone in the audience that would like to speak in opposition to this project? All right. Seeing none. Uh at this time the public comment section of the public hearing is over. [clears throat] Uh any further discussion from staff? Um no. Thank you. Uh any further from the No. How about the commission? All right. Uh let's see. Uh I will ask for a motion for the vac vacation uh from a commissioner. Chair.

Yes. I would move to approve the vacation for Blue Springs Public Works BAC-11-25-9743 with staff conditions. Thank you, sir. Do I have a second? Second. All right. Uh, this will be a roll call. Tracy, please. Commissioner Pumprey, I. Commissioner Stokenberry, I. Commissioner Smith I. Commissioner Kra I. Commissioner Graham I. Commissioner Ingresol. I. Vice Chair How I.

All right. That motion carried. And this will be heard. Recommended hear by the city council on their Monday, January 5th, 2025 meeting at 6 PM. Is there a motion for the site plan design review? Sure. Chair. All right. Do I have a second? Well, I have a move. Oh, my apologies. [laughter] I would move for approval of the site plan design review for Blue Springs Public Works SPDR-11-25-9732 with staff conditions. Tremendous. Is there a second now? Second. All right. Thank you. Um for all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed?

All right. That motion carried with the three staffs. The next item on the agenda is item number four, the master alternative sign plan ASP12259737 for Kansas City Cannabis. At this time, I will ask for staff's presentation, please.

Good evening, uh, commissioners. The applicant is requesting approval to amend the masterative sign plan for the installation of an additional cabinet sign for Kansas City Cannabis at 100 100 1,117 North 7 highway. Uh the property is generally located north of I70 and west of 7way and it is zoned GB general business includes 1.28 acres. The applicant is requesting to amend the existing master sign plan to install one 25 square foot cabinet that reads 24-hour drive-thru. Staff believes this request is warranted since the property is continuous with I70 and northwest uh Jefferson Street. Uh staff does not feel as though the additional sign will interfere with visibility or add visual clutter uh since the sign is directed towards I70 and is continuous with the interstate. Uh staff reviewed the application and found that the only code deviation was the quantity of signage on the property. However, the proposed additional cabinet sign would still fall within the allowed square footage of a pole sign with the addition of the accessory cabinet. Uh with this staff recommends approval for the amendment of the master sign plan with one condition.

Wonderful. Thank you very much. Any conversation here on with the commission? Is the applicant here? Unfortunately, he could not make it as he was out of town for a holiday. All right. [snorts] Then we just go for for a motion. All right. Then I would ask for a motion for the master alternative sign plan, please. Nobody wants to chair. Yes, ma'am.

I move to approve master alternative sign plan ASP-12-25-9737 can Kansas City cannabis. Thank you very much. How about the conditions? Sorry. With the conditions. Absolutely. Do I have a second? I'll second it. Thank you. Uh all those in favor, please say I. I. Opposed? No. No. You want to do [snorts] a roll call? Uh, sure. We can do a roll call. Let's do a roll call. Okay. Stokenberry. I. Commissioner Smith. Hi. Commissioner Kraov. I. Commissioner Graham. No. Commissioner How? I. Commissioner Ingresol. No. Commissioner Pumprey.

No. All right. The eyes have it. All right. That Oh, motion will be carried. Um, up next on the agenda, is the strategic plan presentation and staff is going to provide that George. George, thank you very much, George. Hi there. Hi there.

Pull that up here. Okay. Good evening, members of the planning commission. uh and thank you for allowing me time to speak tonight on the city strategic plan 2025 to 2030. So what I have here today for you is a presentation detailing the city of Blue Springs strategic plan. Uh you have laminated copies in front of you. It's this beautiful item right here. Um so if you would ever like to not pay attention to me and look at the laminated copy. It's right in front of you. [laughter] Um this presentation um will be a fairly thorough overview of the strategic planning process, the city's core values identified in the strate um strategic priorities uh areas as well as next steps with implementation. So I would like to start with some historical context on how the city approached the strategic planning process. So, the strategic plan, it's a uh it was the culmination of a 10-month process working collaboratively with the mayor and city council, city staff, community leaders, and residents to create a framework to help guide the city's decisions, investments, and priorities for the next five years. Now, I've been on a traveling, I guess, road show with this presentation, kind of talking about the strategic plan to all city staff and then various uh community uh stakeholders and residents. And the first question that is always asked is what is a strategic plan? So, at its core, a strategic plan, it's a living document that guides decision-making. But it's more than just a document. The strategic plan is a roadmap for how city leadership can work together, stay aligned, and deliver results that matter to the people of Blue Springs. So, naturally, the next question is why

a strategic plan? The city of Blue Springs is growing and evolving, and with that growth comes the need for a clear and intentional strategy to help guide the future. These strategic priorities, goals and objectives provide a framework for focused effort and meaningful progress. So throughout this process, um the city evaluated our current mission and vision statements and decided they were in need of updating to align with this strategic plan's priorities. So the mission is why do we exist? And the vision is where are we headed? A clear mission keeps everyone focused on what matters most while a compelling vision provides a shared picture of our future. So the city's mission statement that was crafted is the city provides services that promote a safe and welcoming environment, support sustainable growth and strengthen community for today and tomorrow. The mission defines the essential purpose of city government and its role in serving the residents. our vision statement. So this is uh a unifying picture of where the city is headed and keeps the community focused on the future it wants to create. So the vision statement is Blue Springs is a growing community with the heart of a small town driven by big opportunities and a commitment to a high quality of life for all. So throughout this planning process, um, and it really was this iterative 10-month process of collecting a lot of data and feedback from residents, stakeholders, mayor and council, and developing what the strategic priority areas for the city would be. So what focus areas are we um dedicating time and resources to toward achieve achieving the city's vision? So these strategic priorities there are six areas and they are being given focus because they were identified as being the most important areas for opportunity and

improvement via the community and employee engagement. So the strategic priority areas that we have identified are downtown revitalization, balanced growth, community identity, infrastructure, community safety and well-being and organizational health. So, starting first with downtown revitalization, the stated goal is to continue to develop downtown to be a destination for the entire Blue Springs community with a variety of residential housing opportunities and diverse dining, entertainment, and retail. So, up on the screen, you'll see some of the objectives that we have identified. And I won't go verbatim reading them all. It's a lot of words, but um the uh downtown revitalization efforts, you know, downtown Blue Springs, it's the heart of Blue Springs and the adoption and implementation of the 2024 downtown master plan has given the city renewed energy with its approach to downtown revitalization. And uh these goals serve to help make downtown a distinct and unique destination, attracting culture, commerce, and community for the city. So up there under objectives, you'll see the streetscapes project, the development of Central Park, which is at Walnut and 11th Street, just right over there. Uh the lumberyard development project that we've been working on, as well as the uh request for proposals that we have just put out for the former First Baptist Church property at 15th Main Street, and that went out last week. So the next priority area and this is one that particularly affects the city development uh department as well as the planning commission is balanced growth which the stated goal is to expand and grow the city strategically and thoughtfully for residents and businesses to adequately prepare to accommodate growth. So Blue Springs is growing. Uh the census statistics that we were presented with during the

community engagement process shows that Blue Springs is forecasted to grow to nearly 65,000 residents by 2029. So these objectives will help prepare the city for this growth and change. And we have a focus areas um on the completion of new plans or the reevaluation and updating of existing plans. Uh the city is at work right now interviewing um different consultants for the comprehensive plan process that we're undergoing, which is the first time the city has undergone a comprehensive plan process since 2014. So it's an exciting time to be developing these types of things. [clears throat] With that, we'll have things like updating build codes and property maintenance codes. We'll be working on a housing needs assessment and we will also be uh working on annexation plans that will tie into the city's comprehensive plan. And we also have some parks goals that are tied into this. The parks department is currently underway on their parks, recreation, and open space master plan that will be set for adoption in the uh early months of next year, which we are particularly excited about. And all of these plans will be in dialogue and interact with one another. The next goal is community identity. So the stated goal is enhance community engagement and identity by developing a comprehensive brand that reflects the unique culture and assets of Blue Springs. So, this seemed like a kind of ambiguous priority when we were initially working through the process, but the more we talked through it, the the more we understood that what we're trying to um achieve here is to enhance what Blue Springs has by defining what Blue Springs is, uh whether it's our world-class park facilities, uh our recreation programs, the community small

town charm, there are reasons why residents choose to call Blue Springs home. And for us, this is an opportunity to highlight the city's accomplishments and encourage meaningful community engagement. Some of the objectives and performance measures identified under this include uh a comp the creation of a comprehensive brand identity for the city, which will help provide uh unified brand and build that trust with our residents and stakeholders. uh as well as a redesigned website which we we will be launching in the new year. We have infrastructure up next where the stated goal is to build and maintain infrastructure to provide safe and reliable services. This is the area that we heard the most feedback on which is why it has the most objectives and performance measures. Uh if you'll note in your um copy of the strategic plan, there are many performance measures and objectives under the infrastructure priority uh and the city is very uh motivated uh to hit all of those performance markers. So whether it is the neighborhood street preservation program, the preventive pavement maintenance program, or uh the long-term plans for our public works department, um the city has made it clear that this is a priority area that needed long-term uh strategic uh goals, which is what the strategic plan can provide for us. So we have uh goals that are focused on street preservation and maintenance, water and sewer system infrastructure. It's um it it's not I guess the most exciting um types of goals and performance measures um but it's the most important because it builds the solid uh infrastructure foundation for the city. And next we have the priority area of community safety and well-being where the stated goal is to maintain a safe environment where people feel and are go

um secure excuse me. Um, an integral goal of our mission statement, uh, is creating an environment where people feel safe. Um, our strategic plan identifies technologies that will help the Blue Springs Police Department with their operations as our community grows. It also prioritizes community outreach efforts and the need to develop plans for vulnerable populations here in the city. So the areas of focus uh are uh for performance measures being crime prevention. Uh we have technology updates and long-term organizational goals for the uh police department here. And lastly, we have organizational health. Uh where the state of goal is to create an environment that encourages collaboration, teamwork, integrity, and accountability to empower staff to deliver exceptional service for the community. And this was a priority that was identified internally and formulated by staff. The city identified opportunities to revise and improve internal processes and felt that our overall organizational health should be identified as a priority. Um so the strategic plan not only reflects our commitment to residents with the responsibility of good stewardship but also a commitment to ourselves and making sure that we are providing uh each other with the tools to succeed. [clears throat] So what's next? A dedicated implementation team comprised of city leadership, department directors, staff, and external partners will oversee the translation of strategic goals into action steps. We have been having implementation meetings since this plan's adoption in August and they are now occurring on a regular basis and uh the team will track progress, manage timelines and adapt as needed to ensure that every initiative remains aligned with community priorities. The city will also host annual review sessions with mayor and city council to assess the

outcomes and identify emerging issues uh and adjust the plan as necessary. Blue Springs residents can expect to see meaningful progress this year in areas such as infrastructure improvements, downtown revitalization, economic development, public safety initiatives, and enhancements to quality of life. And the shared vision that we built together will serve not only as a guide, but as a commitment. We will grow intentionally, act collaboratively, and strive to deliver results that make residents proud to call Blue Springs home. And with that, I'll turn it back over to members of the planning commission if you have any questions about the city strategic plan. Could you could you tell us who you are?

Oh, yes. Uh, I am George Schmidz. I am the assistant to the city administrator. Okay. Thank you. Well done. Uh, well put together. It's a heck of a packet there. Any questions or comments from commission? Appreciate what you did. Thank you very much. Yeah, of course. All right. Uh I believe that takes us to the sixth item of the evening and that is uh if there's no other business, is there any other business that we would like to speak of today? I have one other question. Yes, sir. For the administrator, I'm sorry. Could you tell us what the first Baptist proposal is going to be that you were talking about?

Uh yes. The city put out a request for proposals last week. Uh and it was um soliciting proposals for the property at 15th and Maine. Um the RFP did not include anything specific about adaptive reuse or anything that needed to be demolished. We're willing to accept any and all proposals. We just wanted to see what developers envision for the site. Thank you. Yeah, of course. All right. Thank you, sir. [snorts] I will uh if there's no other business, I would entertain a motion to adjurnn tonight. So moved. Second. Second. All in favor? I. Any opposed?

All right. This meeting has been adjourned. Good night. Thank you. Merry Christmas.