RESOLUTION NO. 010247

Directing the City Manager to comprehensively review the Central Industrial District Area Plan to determine the advisability and feasibility of permitting residential development in the West Bottoms Industrial Area and identify areas where residential development is appropriate.

WHEREAS, the West Bottoms Industrial Area is currently occupied by a number of commercial and industrial businesses, many of which have expressed concern about permitting the development of residential units in this area; and

WHEREAS, recent catastrophes in the West Bottoms Industrial Area emphasize the volatility that exists with some of these companies and their products and the impact this may have on any residential development; and

WHEREAS, the City has recently made significant investment in the revitalization of the West Bottoms Industrial Area through improvements to water and sewer lines, pump stations, bridges, roads and trails, Brownfields initiatives; and

WHEREAS, proposals for residential development in the West Bottoms have been submitted to the City Council for approval and more are anticipated in the future; and

WHEREAS, FOCUS Kansas City adopted by the City Council on October 30, 1997, recommends the development of mixed-use centers throughout the City and specifically recommends for the West Bottoms area that the City implement mixed-use zoning, develop new business in the Stockyards Area, encourage mixed-use development north of 13th in the Agricultural District, encourage the reuse of Brownfield sites, create a connection to the River Market and Riverfront, and create shuttle service to the Loop; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Barnes Housing Initiative calls for increased housing units in the River-Crown-Plaza area, potentially including the West Bottoms; and

WHEREAS, more planning, not less, is needed to change the character of this industrial and commercial area; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:

Section A. That the City Manager is hereby directed to comprehensively review the Central Industrial District Area Plan to determine the advisability and feasibility of permitting residential development in the West Bottoms Industrial Area and identify areas where residential development is appropriate and report his findings to the City Council in sixty (60) days.

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