Parkville committee candidate withdraws

A potentially controversial suggested appointee to the Parkville Planning and Zoning Commission has withdrawn his application for that position.  The Parkville Board of Aldermen was set to hear Mayor Nan Johnston’s recommendation to appoint Tabb Reese to the P&Z Commission at its regular meeting Tuesday evening, but amid accusations from local residents opposed to the Chapel Ridge housing development, Reese withdrew. Johnston told The Citizen Reese gave no reason for his withdrawal and she had no further comment on the matter, but at the meeting asked the Board to postpone discussion of an appointment until a future meeting. The Board unanimously approved the request. Reese is a Northland real estate agent who has been connected to the proposed Chapel Ridge housing development just outside Parkville. According to the development website at chapelridge.net, he handles marketing for the potential subdivision. Last year, proposals for the roughly 360-lot housing development located off Highways 45 and K was twice denied by the Platte County Planning and Zoning Commission, but was later approved by a vote of the Platte County Commission. The battle over Chapel Ridge has now moved to the courts, with a first hearing date yet to be set. Soon after the agenda for the Parkville Board of Aldermen meeting was posted last week, Chapel Ridge opponents, including the owner of the South Platte County Voice blog, contacted Parkville officials and local media. In a statement from that blog, the owners questioned the suggested appointment, stating it was alleged Reese used a logo without permission when promoting Chapel Ridge last year. Also at the meeting, the Board appointed Greg Plumb as Ward 4 alderman to fill the seat vacated by Johnston’s election to the mayor’s seat. Alderman Marc Sportsman was again elected president of the Board. The Board approved several items given preliminary approval last week by the City’s finance committee, including a contract for a market feasibility and economic impact study for the Hwy. 45 and Interstate 435 intersection and for City credit and debit card processing. The budgeted cost for the feasibility study is $40,000, with $35,000 from the general fund and $5,000 from the economic development fund. City Administrator Lauren Palmer told the Board she was confident a possible gap in funding from the economic development fund was now covered by new projections for guest tax income and a contribution from the Parkville Economic Development Council.