Spring came a little early and gave us a few wonderful days of weather in Platte County.
Don’t let the recent rain dampen your spirit, there seems to be plenty of reason for optimism right now. Even the precipitation granted the area a reprieve from drought conditions that have been plaguing us.
During recent weeks, I ended up with the chance to pass through much of the county. That’s not necessarily out of the ordinary, but during my drives, I’ve been noticing a lot of dirt on the move.
For years, we’ve heard about all the ongoing and future growth expected in southern Platte County — Twin Creeks Watershed, etc. The new Menard’s store has opened along Highway 152, and the Costco just down the road will make its anticipated debut later this year.
All of that remains true, but the northern, more rural part of Platte County has been showing growth, as well.
Take notice at the groundwork being done east of Platte City for a new subdivision where developers hope to add 177 single-family homes. The once dormant project known as Windmill Creek sprang back to life last year with the 80-acre plot now starting to show signs of building.
The designs presented last summer show that the main entry to the land would extend from Highway 92 just east of the Bank of Weston location. Infrastructure and buildings could soon be on the horizon.
Directly west on Highway 92, the new subdivision in Tracy, Mo. does have houses popping up with plenty of work continuing on the site. The buildings will be a much-needed boon for the small town that once thrived.
Tracy doesn’t own the best reputation, but the new growth — dubbed Riverview — could provide a nice facelift and create some desirable housing options for those looking to move into the Platte County R-3 School District.
The City of Weston nears completions on its street renovations that have updated the entrance into its historic downtown. The mess hasn’t completely been resolved, but look for those infrastructure upgrades to be well received once the inconveniences come to an end.
And I never want to forget about the North Platte area.
I’ll need to do more checking, but one of the first lots on Highway Z on the way into Edgerton appears to have a new building going up. Dearborn, Mo. could be the recipient of a new junior high school building if voters next week approve a no-tax proposition to provide funding for more building projects.
Of course, Camden Point, Mo. has the new Northland Regional Ambulance District/Camden Point Area Fire Protection District that provided a wonderful new building to its profile.
Not everyone who reads this paper treks through the rural parts of Platte County. Maybe take a chance to do so when the rain goes away. There’s more to see than you might remember.
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And of course, the dawn of spring means another election will be here next week.
During the past few weeks, The Citizen attempted to provide previews for many of the local races for public office in addition to questions and proposals. I’ve been tinkering with the idea of trying to do short write-ups on other smaller municipalities in the area (Weatherby Lake, Tracy, etc. as applicable).
Of course, this requires help from municipality staff in getting us candidate info. That can be an issue.
The lone preview of a potentially interesting election for the Ferrelview Board of Trustees was limited to a mention in a story about a pending audit of the village. Other contact info was never received from the city clerk there, same with Riverside.
I’d like to spend more time chasing down the info, but we are limited in staff and time. If anyone reading the candidate previews finds them useful, please don’t hesitate to drop me an email or a note and tell me of the benefits.
I’ve preached involvement in local elections since I took this job, and I do believe in it. I think it is our newspaper’s job to inform voters about the candidates and issues, but sometimes I need a little reassurance that what we are providing has value to you, the readers.
Catch a full election wrapup in next week’s issue. We will be here late on Tuesday night to get the final results of all races out to you in a timely manner.
Ross Martin is publisher of The Citizen. He may be reached via email at editor@plattecountycitizen.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Citizen_Ross.