Planning Commission OKs proposal for new entrance to Austin

By Ralph Pokorny

"I'm not sure why I'm here," local developer Barry Clark repeatedly told the Nevada Planning Commission during a regular meeting Tuesday night.

According to the agenda for the meeting Clark was there to ask the planning commission to approve moving an entrance onto Austin Boulevard from a location west of 3M to a location between Barrett Street and Johnson Drive on the south side of Austin Boulevard.

However, Clark told the commission this is totally controlled by the Missouri Department of Transportation and the city has nothing to do with the process, In fact, Clark told the commission that the Department of Transportation has already given preliminary approval to the move.

He told the commission that the Department of Transportation had also agreed to take care of any traffic problems that might develop as a result of the entrance, which was a concern expressed by the city council in January.

The letter from the MoDOT Joplin office states: "If the new entrance is a city street and once the work is accepted by MoDOT, will maintain the street on the state right of way." The letter goes on to say "If a traffic problem develops at this intersection on Business 71, it is MoDOT's responsibility."

Clark told the planning commission that he wants to construct a north-south road, possibly with the use of Tax Increment Financing or some other source of financing, along an easement that the city had already approved in the plat for the Wal-Mart SuperCenter.

Clark told the commission that road would be used to access property where he wants to build a 28,000 square-foot shopping center that he estimates will generate $4 to $5 million annually in sales.

He said that he is currently in negotiations with a national restaurant chain and other businesses that are interested in locating in the shopping center.

At this time, Clark said that he did not have any firm estimates for the cost of building the road, however he thought it would run between $400,000 and $500,000.

The actual cost of the road and what will go in the development will depend on just what goes into the shopping center and at this point he cannot tell the city who he is talking to or what businesses will be going into the center.

Commission member Nancy Cramer, who examined the Wal-Mart agreement while the discussion continued, told Clark that the agreement did not include the proposed road in the plat. Ron Clow, building inspector and planning commission member, told Clark that since the road has not been platted yet, he will need to follow the same procedure that has been used for the last four years, and bring a site plan, showing the proposed road and utility easements to the commission at the April meeting.

The complete requirements for a site plan and development agreement are set out in Section 32-12 in the city code, which is available on the city's Web site: http://www.nevadamo.org.

"It won't be that difficult to work out," Clow said.

The road is a good thing, it will also provide another entrance to Burger King, he said.