by PJ Rooks
Landmark reporter
Sign violations and potential traffic dangers brought two local convenience stores to the attention of Parkville's board of aldermen in a meeting Tuesday evening.
After a brief discussion, the board voted unanimously not to revoke the business license of the Circle K convenience store (shown at right), located at 6316 Highway 9.
In violation of Parkville's signage ordinances, the convenience store received summons for erecting five unauthorized signs, one along the east side of the drive by Highway 9 and four flags on the frontage of the property.
Attorney Charles Brown, the store's managing officer, took full responsibility for what he described as a "product of miscommunication and failure of follow-through on our part."
Brown said that his office had received the notice that the signs needed to be removed, but when he delegated the responsibility of communicating the request with the store, his associates, he said, "didn't close the loop. They didn't finish the job, which was to take the signs down."
Brown said that when District Manager Craig Goodfellow received the summons, it was the first he'd heard of the issue and he went immediately to the store and removed the signs.
"We certainly appreciate the opportunity to do business here. We want to continue to do business here. We want to be a good business partner of the city of Parkville and our intention is to comply with the ordinance," said Brown. "This will not be a problem in the future."
Based on staff recommendations, the Circle K was placed on a one-year probation during which time any sign violations will bypass the usual grace period for notice and correction and will instead result in an immediate citation.
Regarding the convenience store at Brink Meyer Road and 45 Highway, Parkville citizen Kenneth "Scott" Ritchey, in a letter to the mayor, city council and planning and zoning department, expressed concern regarding a proposal to have a bar and open alcoholic beverages at a pizza restaurant there. He referred to store owner Alan Hoambrecker's interest in adding an enclosed outdoor patio and possibly updating his liquor license to allow for outdoor consumption to be a "behind-the-back proposal." In his letter to the city, Ritchey stated his belief that the establishment had already been "sold" as a gas station, car wash and convenience store.
Ritchey also expressed his concern that the additional traffic may increase the dangers on the surrounding roads.
Ritchey called the potential addition a "clear invitation for teenage drinking. To go eat pizza and then hang behind and drink."
"If they're going to drink and then drive and then get on 45, that's going to increase the risk, in both directions, to people driving on the road," said Ritchey. "I can't avoid them drinking but I think that the risk is going to increase because of it. What needs to happen is that there needs to be a left turn lane and a right turn lane and a median.”
Ritchey requested that city personnel work with the Missouri Department of Transportation in getting turn lanes added, warning signs erected and the speed limit reduced to a steady 45 mph along 45 Highway instead of the 45, then 55 mph speed limits currently in place.
Mayor Gerald Richardson said that many of the changes Ritchey was requesting were already part of a longer-term plan for that area.
"I think in terms of the widening for extra lanes, etc., there's still some work to be done on exactly when and exactly how that's going to be done," said Richardson. "That was called for in a plan when it was going to be a much larger development there than what is currently underway and there is some question as to whether or not the left turn lanes are merited at this time.
"Completely coincidentally," the mayor added, "we are working with MoDOT to see if we can get the speed limit lowered at that point. It's not necessarily the easiest thing and it is a MoDOT decision, not a city of Parkville decision."
City Administrator Shannon Thompson said that they have been discussing options with MoDOT regarding flashing lights in that area and that MoDOT plans to do a traffic count in the next couple of weeks regarding the speed limit there.
"There has been a lot of discussion regarding caution and lighting and whatever needs to happen until we can get the turn lanes in place," Thompson said.
"I probably should point out though," said Richardson, "that none of these changes that we're talking about are based on any expectation of drunken driving. We will have no tolerance for driving under the influence whether it be kids, or the attraction of pizza or anything else. There'll be zero tolerance for that sort of activity, period. But we do think that the speed limit there, especially until we get the turn lanes in, might best be reduced if we can find a way to do that.”
Ritchey also said that homeowners in the area, and particularly in bordering subdivision, Smart Estates, were concerned about a potential noise problem stemming from outdoor music and conversation.
"I did go through Smart Estates and everybody out there was adamant 'no' about all the music at this convenience store," Ritchey said.
In his letter of response, Assistant City Administrator Sean Ackerson had said that he'd forwarded Ritchey's letter to Police Chief Kevin Chrisman, and that the city would plan to enforce ordinances regarding disturbance of the peace and drunken and disorderly conduct. Ackerson also mentioned that store owner, Alan Hoambrecker, had not proposed any indoor or outdoor music thus far and had also "repeatedly stated his intent to have as little impact on his neighbors as possible."
A citizen who was not on the agenda, David Picco of Platte County, asked to make a comment and was granted two minutes.
"I'm here to disagree with that last statement that everybody in Smart Estates is opposed to this," Picco said. "It's the best thing that probably could happen. That area is zoned for the highest intensity thing you could have, and that seems to be a neighborhood fit for the area, so the neighbors aren't really complaining. I think they might have been led astray about what this is and the bar and the frequency.”
Picco said that he had been personally involved with the planning and zoning commission years ago and that a $9,000 escrow fund had been set aside to make the improvements in turn lanes that Ritchey sought. No one on the board or city staff was aware of the escrow account and Mayor Richardson requested that Picco contact the office of Shannon Thompson within the next few days to discuss it in more detail.
"It's been so long, people might have forgotten about it," replied Picco. "It was when the county still had the road.”
In a separate report, Kevin Chrisman, chief of police, mentioned that recently, in response to a request from a nearby pastor, he had sent two men to teach CPR and the instruction had gone well. Chrisman said that it is important for the community to know that the police department is available to other groups that might also be interested in CPR training as well.
|
