Tornado Task Force Heard Enough from Developers

An ad hoc task force grappling with the future of a tornado-ravaged corner in Sunset Hills determined Wednesday it was ready to report findings to the city's Planning and Zoning Board in September.

Chairman Jim Williams of the Residential Recovery Task Force urged the 10-member group to wrap up their weekly debates and prepare to provide some answers on the fate of the idle corner of Lindbergh Boulevard and Watson Road/Eddie and Park. 

"I keep hearing the same things we went over," Williams said after two hours of meeting.

The group did not appear to have reached consensus, yet the directive to find a feasible solution was looming.

Task force member Frank Pellegrini said it was possible there was no feasible solution for development other than let the free market take its course, despite potential hardships for some.

Two local, experienced developers told the task force that without rezoning the impacted 10 acres for higher density housing—i.e. villas, condos, rebuilding there would not be very lucrative for developers.

Therefore, if the city did not ultimately take steps to rezone the area, the task force and residents have described a variety of untenable situations for tornado victims:

• sit on the empty lots while continuing to pay upkeep and taxes
• attempt to sell property without a home on it, with a lot too small to meet the current zoning standards for a new home 
• have nowhere to call home with money tied up in property without a house, while continuing to pay off mortgage
• accept insurance that pays only a percentage of the cost to move beyond the disaster
• those without sufficient insurance coverage or none at all would have few good outcomes.

Additionally, an estimated four acres of the 10 already have 50-year-old houses there that owners want to keep intact.

Developer Mike Borzillo talked about the fiscal viability of such a mixture of homes—new villas or condos among established homes.

"As a developer, if I'm gambling $4 million dollars on this project, with villas sitting next to 50-year-old houses, I'd think twice about it, " Borzillo told the task force in a public meeting. "It would concern me."

City Alderman Scott Haggerty, who is a residential real estate broker and on the task force, agreed that the mixture of old and new would typically make it a tougher sale for new villas.

(See last week's testimony by contractor .)

Several houses and one commercial building were demolished by a New Year's Eve EF-3 tornado at the site, with winds up to 150 mph. Other damaged houses have been torn down or owners have repaired them.

City leaders already voted last month to keep the area zoned residential, despite its location on a busy corner of Lindbergh Boulevard across from O'Learys Bar and Grill, next door to Telle's Auto Tires and Repair, and across the street from the city police department.

While several homeowners in the Court Drive area already have options to sell to commercial realtors, there is little indication right now that the city would allow commercial development.

Task force member Bob Mayer said he does not want to see commercial development move into that corner on Lindbergh Boulevard, since he helped decide on the city's Master Plan for Development years ago, that he described was done by experts.

The task force agreed to firm up a recommendation for the city's Planning and Zoning Board at a Sept. 7 public meeting. 

The task force was appointed by Sunset Hills Mayor Bill Nolan and acts only in an advisory capacity to city leaders. It's meetings are open to the public and meet Wed., 4pm, City Hall.

Residential Recovery Task Force members: Jim Williams as chairman, Bob Baer, Bill Bollinger, Nick Dragan, Scott Haggerty, Bob Mayer, Frank Pellegrini, Drew Stitz, Jim Suellentrop, David Witbrodt.