Despite opposition from some area residents, the Jefferson City Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a rezoning proposal Thursday for a new preschool and skilled nursing facility, which would be designed to serve hospice patients.
The measure now goes to the full City Council for consideration with a public hearing scheduled for June 19.
The request was filed by property owners Debra and Ralph Rankin for rezoning of 3.25 acres from RS-2 Single Family Residential to Planned Unit Development to redevelop (PUD) the property on the west side of Vieth Drive, just north of Colonial Hills Road.
Cindy Juckette has entered into a contract to purchase the property from the Rankins. She is part owner of Jefferson City Manor Skilled Nursing, located north of the property. Juckette said she wanted the close proximity of the preschool and nursing facility to allow the children to interact with the nursing home residents.
A preliminary PUD plan, which includes a maintenance facility to go along with the other two buildings, was also approved unanimously at the commission's Thursday meeting.
The plan calls for demolishing two existing single-family houses to construct the 6,500-square-foot preschool on the south side of the property, the 8,000-square-foot skilled nursing facility on the east side of the property near Vieth Drive, and the 1,800-square-foot maintenance building west of the nursing facility. All the buildings would be single story with a wood frame.
The properties were annexed into the city in 1968 and since then have been zoned for single-family residential use, which doesn't allow for a skilled nursing facility or preschool.
Susan Atkinson has lived in this area of Vieth Drive for 47 years and feels this will add to the heavy traffic already on the street. Another resident said there was not a need for another nursing home in the area and the added traffic would include delivery and maintenance vehicles that would come at all hours of the day.
"Vieth Drive is practically a straight path to Walmart and Cedar Hill School, and the nursing home generates a lot of traffic," Atkinson said. "The sidewalk the children use to walk to and from the school is on the same side as the entrance to the rezoned area. These children would have to walk across the driveway, and I think we should think of the safety of that."
There was a proposed amendment to put a speed bump at the driveway entrance, but it died for lack of a second.
City staff has recommended approval of the plan, noting since the early 2000s traffic on Vieth Drive has dropped by as much as 1,000-1,500 drivers thanks to the opening of the 179 Connector. They felt the area could handle the proposed traffic generated by this development.
A parking lot would be constructed to serve both the preschool and nursing facility. Access would be through a reconstructed driveway on the southern portion of the property and a shared driveway with Jefferson City Manor to the north.
A pond/water-quality basin would be constructed on the northwest corner of the property for stormwater collection, and buffer yards are to be constructed on the south and west property lines.
Also at Thursday's meeting, it was announced a work session is being planned for May 26 to discuss a plan to revitalize the Historic Southside and Old Munichburg area during the next 20 years.
Capital Region Medical Center hired H3 Studios of St. Louis to assess its surrounding neighborhood, which encompasses U.S. 50 and several educational institutions, including Lincoln University and Helias and Jefferson City high schools. The firm spent several months last year observing the neighborhood and talking to residents.
Proposed changes include U.S. 50 corridor improvements and beautification as well as expansion of Monroe Street for two-way traffic.