As part of its consent agenda June 1, the Perryville Board of Aldermen were to take action on a preliminary plat from JKDS Properties LLC for Steven’s Crossing.
Ultimately, the board tabled the matter, and will discuss it again at its June 15 meeting.
Jay Kirn, in cooperation with the late Doug Schreiner, was developing property on Stevens Street.
“I kinda want to protect the people I’ve already sold to even though I don’t have to,” Kirn said. “It just makes sense to get that (road) through, and Brenda (Avenue), I don’t know how it was set up 25 years ago, but now to put that street through, to get commercial (property) through there, I don’t think it’s the best idea.
“The people that live back there that are here tonight, they like that back there, it’s peaceful, it’s a dead end, that’s what we’re trying to do. Hopefully, we can come up with some resolution where everybody is happy.”
The city of Perryville’s Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval of a preliminary plat, prepared by Bear Engineering, for duplexes to be constructed on six lots at its most recent meeting May 26.
Dave Richardet, owner of property near Brenda Avenue, was one of several individuals to speak on the matter.
“We’re all for development back there,” he said. “We’d love to see Matt and Jamie (Lauck) get their duplexes back there. I do agree with Jay, they do a real good job with what they have. They would be beautiful back there with what they’re wanting to do. Ourselves, we’d like to see Brenda Avenue go on through for the future of the city, and the right things for the city, and also for future development back there.”
Rich DeWilde, the developer of commercial property on Brenda Avenue, now referred to as the Professional Plaza, also addressed the Board.
“At the time, when we talked to the city, we were going to adjoin Brenda Avenue with another lateral street,” DeWilde said. “At that time it was Montenot or Moulton or whatever they were going to call it at the time. The purpose of all of that was to give access, rather than people having to go straight from Brenda Avenue on to the bypass, which we know can be very dangerous. We were going to have a back entrance for people to come in.”
DeWilde said they sought multiple entryways from Highway 51.
“The Richardets have been good neighbors, and their idea of development back there has been really, really well but it’s going to be important to have some sort of access,” DeWilde said. “By shutting off Brenda Avenue, that makes everything go straight to Edgemont (Boulevard) or Big Spring Boulevard possibly or Alma Drive. I think this gives them another route when it comes to that. We are for the development. We embrace it. We are happy to see that these guys are thinking about doing something, that part of it doesn’t bother us whatsoever.”
DeWilde was surprised there was not prior notice to nearby homeowners ahead of the May 26 Planning & Zoning commission meeting.
“We thought possibly we would have some notification so that if we opposed it or at least had some viewpoints that we could have stated,” DeWilde said.
However, no advance notice was provided, according to DeWilde.
Alderman Curt Buerck raised a similar concern.
“Why is it some people got letters and some didn’t? (It) sounds to me like you’re not mailing them all out,” Buerck said.
“The city complains (about) not having lots, for one, to build on and actually the cost of building, so we’re going to lose out on two lots there,” said Matt Lauck. “I get it.”
Residents in that area don’t want more traffic, Lauck said.
“I never understood why we can’t get commercial and residential separated,” Lauck said. “…All I’m asking for, there are other ways to develop. Nothing against anybody’s point of view. I was suggesting Brenda Avenue doesn’t have to dead end.” The street could go toward Buchheit, parallel to Highway 51, Lauck said.
“We’ve got different point of views from 20 years ago,” he said. “That’s just our thoughts. We liked the idea that we could buy it, put in seven nice duplexes and start getting more money and more places for older people to sell their houses to younger people and the older people can move into new duplexes.”
Beulah Schweigert spoke favorably of the neighborhood, as it is not very noisy and provides opportunities to walk along the street.