Residents spoke out against a development proposal that would add more than 100 homes just south of Platte City, in part due to complaints regarding other developments by the same developer.
Late last month the Platte County Planning and Zoning Commission approved a rezoning order and a preliminary development plan for Running Horse Village, a 71-acre multi-use development at the intersection of Running Horse Road and Northwest 120th Street by Sky Hopper Landings, owned by David Barth. The proposal includes 110 single-family homes as well as 33 duplexes and five commercial buildings.
In the Platte County Planning and Zoning staff report, staff recommended approval of the project, with some conditions, including improvements to public infrastructure such as construction of an additional travel lane on Running Horse Road and turning lanes on Northwest 120th Street at the intersection. A 10-foot public trail would also be built to Platte County Parks and Recreation standards along Running Horse Road to further the area trail system.
Barth said he’s developed about 20 subdivisions in Platte County so far and so is not new to the Platte County market. Additionally, he owns property nearby and has worked to bring up to date utilities and services to the area through previous projects.
Several residents spoke out at the meeting, raising concerns about increased traffic, property values, overcrowding and other topics typical to development proposals. Protests that were less typical were complaints about Barth’s previous developments, with a special emphasis on the Seven Bridges development south of Platte City.
The discussion has spilled over from social media, where discussions on the Next Door app regarding the condition at Seven Bridges and tying that example to Running Horse Village have been ongoing. Images of vandalism at the Seven Bridges clubhouse and tales of the condition of the kids’ pool have circulated on social media and residents both online and at the meeting have complained about the condition of the waterfalls at Seven Bridges.
In reaction, Barth said he was doing the best he could to maintain existing subdivision amenities by addressing problems as budgets allow and that no one was perfect.
After the complaints heard at the meeting, commission members asked what recourse residents had if they felt the subdivision was not being adequately maintained.
“Homeowners associations are private organizations,” said director of planning and zoning Daniel Erickson. “When you buy a lot, you become a member of that organization. It’s very common for the developer to maintain control of the homeowners association until very late in the development. Recourse is a civil action. The county is not over the homeowners associations. There have been homeowners associations that have tried to get the county involved and we have no jurisdiction.”
County attorney Bob Shaw added that within the last few years a suit was filed due to a conflict between a homeowners association and its residents and the circuit court dismissed the county from the suit as it has no involvement in that private arrangement.
The rezoning order and preliminary plan for Running Horse Village is expected to go before the Platte County Commission for a final vote later this month.