Holts Summit residents concerned about possible rezoning in their neighborhood

Nearly 100 Lake Park neighborhood residents have already signed a petition stating they’re against city officials rezoning approximately one acre of their subdivision into a commercial district.

In August, the Holts Summit Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-3 in favor of the proposed rezoning at 379 Karen Drive. Right now there are plans to build a low-income housing development with 40 total apartments.

“This is not something that we want in our backyard,” said Terry Donner, who has lived in the Lake Park subdivision for the past five years. “I think there are plenty of opportunities and places here in Holts Summit if you want to build something like that. But putting it right in the backyard of a great neighborhood is not the place to do that.”

Thomas Durham, Ward II Alderman, said the development would be for low-income senior citizens.

“I think it’s a good fit. I really do,” he said. “I haven’t found anything in here that I have a real problem with.”

Donner and other Lake Park residents said they don’t have a problem with the low-income apartments, but they do have several other concerns including how the development would affect the value of their homes.

“You’re bringing in anywhere from 40 to 60 units and putting them in a very small, condensed area,” he said. “Infrastructure such as road and the traffic coming in to our subdivision; things such as the safety of our children, there’s a lot of children in this neighborhood.”

City officials will have the first reading of the proposed rezoning at Monday’s board of aldermen meeting. Durham said he encourages any concerned citizens to attend the public hearing session.

“If anyone has any questions at all that they think they haven’t really gotten the right answer to or an answer to at all, just come up and ask them,” he said.