Once again, it’s election time, as you can tell by the proliferation of political signs, letters to the editor, and junk mailings filling up our mail boxes. There are politicians who say they represent our interests, politicians who say they aren’t politicians, and opinion column writers, current and former politicians. How do we weed out the facts from the spin and make good decisions in selecting our next leaders? It’s difficult if not impossible to effectively verify the statements made by politicians in a timely manner. We often believe what we read or hear, especially if we know or trust the source.

As I read the letters to the editor and added my own comments to several, it occurred to me that those letters have been written with the best of intentions, usually to help friends with their efforts to win an election. Letters of support to express our own individual opinion of the person, not necessarily that the person we are supporting will in the end vote the way we think they should. Our elected officials surprise us at times with their comments, and their votes not always in sync.

So how do we as voters figure out whom to cast our vote for? Whom do we believe? The answer is simple and hard at the same time. We should make every effort to learn more about the people we are supporting, and we should dig more deeply than just our personal relationship with that person. Friendship is one thing; voting is another.

I really wasn’t surprised when I read Ron Fowler’s letter to the editor supporting Sheila Solon, as they are longtime political friends with similar positions on local issues. Ron wrote about how Sheila voted against multi-family housing complexes. What he didn’t mention is that she votes for them as well. Right or wrong, she is inconsistent on this issue. Once in February 2003 she voted to put multi-family zoning on Adams Dairy Parkway and twice that I recall in 2007 while I was on the council serving with her.

Ron also talks about Sheila voting against sales taxes. Those votes were actually against the new retail development on Adams Dairy Parkway. The next time you sit down for dinner at Olive Garden or shop at Target or Gordman’s, consider that she fought hard to stop Adams Dairy Landing from coming to town. Just before she left city office, she worked very hard to scale back Missouri Innovation Park from its original 500 acres to just 100 acres. Her actions would have restricted job growth in Blue Springs at a time when we need more high-quality jobs. Again, she is inconsistent after making “real jobs” a focal point of her council campaign.

Former Councilman Solon, as pointed out by Mayor Ross in a recent article, was very ineffective as an elected official while on the City Council. I expect it would be no different in Jefferson City. Fortunately, the voters have a choice on Aug. 3. I would recommended giving strong consideration to Mike Parker. I’ve spent some time getting to know him and believe that he will best represent the interests of his constituents and will be an effective leader.

There is a lot of talk around town regarding the Missouri Innovation Park, a development that is sure to change the face of the future of Blue Springs. A “Show Me” attitude is part of the culture in Missouri, and some need to see dirt moving and buildings under construction to truly believe that the Innovation Park, bringing with it the desired growth of quality jobs, is a reality.

Community leaders in Blue Springs laid a path many years ago, putting in place the key components to support the development of the Innovation Park by establishing the vision for Adams Dairy Parkway. As that vision has evolved, we have seen the addition of retail and restaurants, which add another component necessary to the realization of the original vision for Adams Dairy Parkway.

Two and a half years ago, as the first details regarding the park began to emerge, Blue Springs Economic Development Corporation President Brien Starner and I had long conversations about the potential the park brought to our community. It was clear that the stars were aligning for success. A project of this type normally takes, on average, approximately five years to develop the support of all the various organizations necessary for success.

In this instance, the Missouri Innovation Park has the support of the City of Blue Springs, the University of Missouri, the Blue Springs School District, the Central Jackson Country Fire Protection District, the Blue Springs Economic Development Corp., the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the Kansas City Area Development Council, Jackson County, the Mid-Continent Public Library system, and many other entities in the region and state in just two short years.

This support by so many public and private organizations is vital to the success of the project and is a direct result of the passion and commitment of current and past mayors and councils, Brien Starner, and the Blue Springs Economic Development Corporation members.
Despite the current national economy, the project has continued to move forward. New legislation, referred to as “Jobs for the Future,” has been filed and would enable projects like the Missouri in Innovation Park not only for Blue Springs, but also for progressive communities all over Missouri. This legislation would allow cities more control over their own economic destiny, with the intent of attracting high-quality public and private jobs.

Our city now stands at a precipice of key decisions and actions. As citizens, we need to join with our elected leaders and the leaders of these supporting organizations to see the fulfillment of this vision for our city. In the coming weeks there will be announcements that will show visible progress and the beginning of construction of the Mizzou Innovation Center which will anchor the project and provide the intellectual property that will spur the creation of high-tech jobs in the park. The possibilities are endless, and I am excited to see this vision come to fruition.

As you drive through Blue Springs, there continue to be signs of development. The first phase of Adams Dairy Landing is preparing to open Oct. 11. The McDonald’s that has stood on Missouri 7 for more than 36 years has been demolished and will be rebuilt. The shopping center on Woods Chapel is getting a long needed facelift. The first tenant is getting ready to open in the Southridge Shopping Center. Virtually every part of our city is seeing some kind of development.

Still, much work remains to be done to keep our city moving forward. In a work session last week, the City Council began considering changes to our sign code. This important part of our development code is involved in managing how businesses in our city make us aware they are here and open for business.

During my time in office I heard from many business owners who felt our sign code is too restrictive. If you watch our Planning Commission meetings you will see that time and time again business owners run into obstacles that keep them from getting the signs they want and need to advertise.

The codes are strict to help improve the appearance of our business corridors. Yet if they are too strict, businesses can’t get the signs they need. Parkside Books, behind Einstein Bros. on M-7, is a prime example. Our codes keep them from placing a sign near the highway to let customers know they are there. They have been working with the city for several years to find a way to make their business more visible to no avail.

McDonald’s on M-7 had to limit the length of time for the reconstruction of its store to keep its signature golden arches, which don’t meet our current sign code requirements. Panera Bread had to get special permission for its highway-facing signage because it didn’t meet the requirements of our current sign code. These are just a few examples.

My encouragement to our mayor and council is to listen to the needs of our existing and new businesses and find creative ways to make our city more inviting to the businesses we want and need. I am confident the sign code can be modified to accommodate those needs while keeping our business districts attractive. Be sure to speak with your councilmen and give them your guidance on this important issue for our city!

Over the predictable objections of Councilmen Ron Fowler and Sheila Solon, who represent the residents of southern Blue Springs in District 3, the City Council voted 4-2 to continue to advance the Adams Dairy Landing project.

RED Development asked the council to consider allowing the issuance of bonds to pay for the street improvements earlier than originally anticipated and to allow the bond underwriters to consider the city’s credit rating when selling the bonds. It should be noted that this isn’t without risk, but city staff worked very conscientiously to mitigate that risk and put multiple layers of protection into the plan should sales tax revenue decline further.

While I doubt anyone was surprised by the comments of the various councilmen, given the history of this project, I was baffled by Councilman Solon’s comments as she read from a script. As I watched the meeting on the city Web site – http://tinyurl.com/bscouncil – I observed Councilman Solon tracing each word in her statement with her finger as she stated her opposition to the proposal. You might ask, what is wrong with that? It shows that she is prepared when she comes to the meeting.

Councilman Solon has long been praised by some of her constituents for coming to meetings well prepared. However, Dan Lowe, president of RED Development, was so surprised by her misstatements that he reapproached the podium and said to her, “In my opinion your comments may be a bit half-baked and certainly aren’t on target.” He went on to outline point by point the inaccuracies she was using to justify her vote. Based on the information provided in the meeting, Mr. Lowe was right on target with his comments.

The concern in this situation, as I see it, is that by pre-determining her position and writing her statement before hearing the full presentation, Councilman Solon’s statement no longer reflected the facts, making her position on the issue look arbitrary. This is the kind of behavior that results in lawsuits and wastes taxpayer money, as recently occurred on the Parkway West project. This is not a new behavior with Councilman Solon, as misstatements and a failure to follow the city attorney’s advice almost resulted in her removal from the Planning Commission several years ago.

In the end, the calm voice of reason was Councilman Kent Edmondson. He did an excellent job of describing the risks and benefits that the council was considering, and showed that he carefully, and without prior prejudice, weighed risk versus reward. His thorough evaluation indicated that the benefits far outweighed the risks in considering this resolution. In the end the council made the right decision to keep the project moving forward.

I would like to compliment Mayor Ross and Council members Lauer, Edmondson, & Reed on their continued support of positive progress in our city. It is encouraging to see that a majority of our elected leaders have a vision for our future and are working together to help overcome the challenges that the current economic situation entails. Many people have worked diligently for years to improve all areas of our city, and I am excited and optimistic about the future of Blue Springs.

Development of new restaurant opportunities continues to move forward. The planning commission reviewed and recommended approval of the site plan design for the new Panara Bread that will open soon in Coronado Place. RED Development continues to move forward with the Adams Dairy Landing development, bringing minor changes to the restaurant/retail section of their development between I-70 and Coronado Drive to the commission for approval.

Other restaurants that have recently opened in Blue Springs include Harley HotRods Bar & Grill on north MO-7, Colorado Pete’s BBQ on Hwy 40 and Miyabi Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar in the Mall at Fall Creek. I recently spoke with the owner of Side Pockets and he expressed excitement that the Mall at Fall Creek is now fully leased, with the addition of Club 7 Fitness as the final anchor location in the Mall.

With so much happening in our city we should all be encouraged that perhaps the worst of the recession will pass by us. That is not to say that there won’t be challenges, but by pulling together and continuing to patronize our area businesses, we can weather the storm and find ways to prosper. I believe that our city is facing a much brighter financial picture than most municipalities in our country.

My wife Wanda and I are hosting a community “All You Can Eat” pancake breakfast on Saturday March 14, from 8am to 11am to celebrate progress in our community and raise funds to support the www.AboutBlueSprings.com website. The Steamin’ Bean has graciously agreed to allow us to have the breakfast in their coffee shop. I hope you will come join us and bring your neighbors for a festive celebration of all that is good in Blue Springs! Tickets are $6 at the door and $5 in advance. Check the website for details about advance ticket purchases.

I recently received the following letter from the developer of Parkway Place.  It is addressed to the residents of Blue Springs and I provide it here for your viewing.

LtrtoCitizensconcerningParkwayPlaceandParkwayWest.pdf (8.44 mb)

To contact your Mayor and City Council please click on the following link:

http://www.aboutbluesprings.com/page/City-Council-Contact-Info.aspx

The text of the letter follows:

Meeting Cancellation Notice from Blue Springs City Clerk More...

A much divided Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of zoning and comprehensive plan changes for two commercial projects on Adams Dairy Parkway Monday evening.

Several planning commissioners expressed concerns that these projects do not reflect the original flex/tech office plans for the parkway in Blue Springs. Adams Dairy Parkway and the Mall at Fall Creek are just two examples of projects that stagnated for more than a decade because our leaders refused to be flexible when reasonable alternatives were presented. In the more recent past, City Council and Planning Commission members have recognized that our city must be open to new ideas for development and must let go of long-held concepts that were not being realized.

For many years, the Mall at Fall Creek sat mostly empty, with only a few tenants open for business. I’m happy to report it will soon be fully leased. When our leaders are willing to adapt to changing needs and trends in the marketplace, the business community responds. By agreeing to change the requirements for the project, doors of opportunity were opened. Similarly, when the council agreed to modifications to the plan for Adams Dairy Parkway, new projects immediately began to come forward. More...

At the most recent meeting of the Blue Springs City Council, the Multi-Family Task Force presented its final recommendations. Its stated objective was to address our residents’ concerns regarding the increase in multi-family developments and to reduce the ratio of multifamily developments in our city to its historic level of 25 percent.

While the task force was unable to identify a definitive method to accomplish those objectives, it did recommend higher quality design standards – better materials and more open space – and it proposed three new zoning categories. The new standards allow developments to be five stories tall, instead of three. The council adopted the recommendations by ordinance. You can watch the meeting and get more details on the city Web site at www.BlueSpringsGov.com.

RED Development announced today that Kohl's will be locating in Adams Dairy Landing.  While this has been on the streets as a rumor for some time, RED Development confirmed that Kohl's will be locating a new retail store in their development in Blue Springs.  Stores that have now been announced include:

Target
Lowes
Books-A-Million
Kohl's

Keep checking back, as new stores are announced you will find that information here at www.AboutBlueSprings.com!