KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Northland neighborhood scores a major victory at City Hall. They're one step closer to having a city barricade removed from an entrance into their neighborhood.
Call For Action broke the story last June, and exposed how just one entrance into the subdivision violates International Fire Code. Pine Grove sits near Staley Road and Interstate 435.
There appears to be a compromise after several heated debates at City Hall. A council committee finally agreed this barricade should be removed.
"We're absolutely thrilled," Pine Grove resident Kristin McGrath said.
McGrath called for action last spring when City Hall refused to remove the sign. The city added the barricade after the developer illegally built the road. Under city ordinance, the road wasn't supposed to be built until Shoal Creek Parkway or Northeast Staley Roads were improved.
Internal memos from City Hall show several departments were against opening the road even after Call For Action showed Councilman Ed Ford the problem firsthand. After seeing how many cars were driving around the barricade and hearing an earful from neighbors, he introduced an ordinance to open the road.
The developer and City staff have been meeting to reach a compromise. The ordinance was tabled for several weeks to come to this agreement. Wednesday, the Planning and Zoning Committee agreed to open the road but restrict traffic onto Staley. A pork chop shaped island of sorts will be added on the subdivision road at the developer's expense. This will keep traffic from turning eastbound onto Staley and thus avoiding a dangerous curve.
A homeowner living on Staley road to the west of Pine Grove, says there are dangerous curves westbound too.
"I think I'm going to have dead people on my property -- it's that simple," Glenn Courtney said.
Courtney showed pictures of accidents near his home on Staley -- just west of Pine Grove subdivision.
As for the decision Wednesday to open the road, Courtney said, "You got them on camera. The council member had to do something. He did something and it's not what they would have done if they weren't forced into it. The developer forced them into it."
The developer's attorney said the issue is not the road in front of Courtney's home because cars already travel that stretch of Staley -- barricade or not.
"I'm just glad the council folks could see beyond that today and see that's a separate issue," McGrath said.
That other issue is improving rural Staley road that now has schools and subdivisions built around it. Right now, there's no funding for improvements.
If the full council approves opening the pine grove subdivision, the barricade may be removed by the end of spring.
