A draft copy of Carthage’s proposed comprehensive plan is now available online. Prepared by Planning Works, of Leawood, Kan., the document has taken the better part of a year to complete.
On first reading, the plan appears to be — dare I say it? — more “comprehensive” than the usual cookie-cutter plans provided by some companies that use the same format for all cities, throw in local statistics and expect high-dollar compensation.
Carolyn Wyatt, a member of the Planning and Zoning Board for more than 20 years and a member of the steering committee for the plan, agrees.
“They worked with us. They listened to us,” she says. “This company has been so nice to work with. Before, all we ended up with was a map on how we should let the city grow.”
The plan projects strong population and housing growth through 2030, along with continued demand for public services. The population, currently at around 14,000, is expected to exceed 22,500 by 2030.
The most immediate need identified for Carthage is middle-income housing.
Carthage has not had an aggressive annexation policy, allowing annexations to happen voluntarily for the most part. This has left “islands” of unincorporated land, the plan states. It recommends that the city adopt a more proactive annexation policy. It also suggests that the city work with the county to establish an Urban Service Area, extending three miles from the existing city limits, to ensure that any development therein be an asset rather than a detriment to the city, should the area be annexed.
Land use for economic development is projected to increase from about 20 acres to 147 acres. Having appropriate commercial and industrial sites available will not ensure economic growth, but not having them could certainly limit it.
The document recognizes that Carthage is strongly identified with rich historical and cultural assets — from the Civil War to Route 66 — and recommends preservation and capitalization of these assets to support the city’s unique character and identity. A key recommendation is for the city to participate in the Certified Local Government program run by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ State Historic Preservation Office. Benefits include training, technical assistance and a higher priority on grant applications.
The plan also calls for department heads to build master plans for streets and parks. It encourages the development of an expanded trail network to connect various areas and to take advantage of natural features.
At our present rate of growth, the wastewater treatment plant has sufficient capacity for the next 15 years. But, 20 years out, a second treatment plant probably will be needed on the south side of town, as well as a new lift station for the hospital.
This plan includes an implementation strategy that prioritizes each goal, assigns the responsibility for accomplishing it either to the city administration or to various city departments, and categorizes each by need.
This 83-page document will be honed by the steering committee before it is presented in a public hearing at a Planning and Zoning Board meeting, probably in November. It then will go to the City Council. Take a look and give your input. It’s your city.
Carthage’s comprehensive plan may be viewed at www.ourplanningworks.com/docs/carthage/Plan.
Carthage, Jasper County
Jo Ellis: Looking into Carthage's future
- Carthage, Jasper County
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Carthage attorney, reformer of revenue department, dies
James R. Spradling, a Carthage attorney who was noted for his reform of the Missouri Department of Revenue in the 1970s, died at 5:50 a.m. Monday at McCune-Brooks Regional Hospital.
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Bondswoman charged with false imprisonment
A bail bondswoman from Carthage is facing a charge of false imprisonment for allegedly attempting to put a man in jail without a judge’s order, then taking him home and handcuffing him to the banister of a staircase until a friend of the man paid her his bond money.
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Man’s last statement to be given to defendant
A judge ruled Monday that the Jasper County prosecutor must provide attorneys for Darren J. Winans with a videotaped statement co-defendant Matthew D. Laurin made about the Sheldon murders shortly before killing himself.
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Carthage proposes 1.6-cent rise in city property tax
A drop in the assessed value of Carthage real estate will translate to an increase of about 1.6 cents in the city’s proposed property tax rate.
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Open house to celebrate projects at courthouse
Projects completed last year at the Jasper County Courthouse will be celebrated in ceremonies Thursday in the courthouse lobby.
County officials will join representatives of local chambers of commerce and others for a ribbon-cutting and open house to mark the opening of a Route 66 display in the lobby and a new “peace star” atop the building. -
State budget cuts reduce county funds
County officials are bracing for more state budget cuts to translate into a loss of county revenues.
In an effort to balance Missouri’s budget, the state earlier this year cut the amount it reimburses county assessors for work to determine property values. The budget approved by lawmakers for fiscal 2011 calls for cutting the amount the state reimburses counties to house prisoners bound for state lockup. -
Jo Ellis: County home to rare yellowwood tree
In late spring, drifts as white as snow fill the gutters and curbs on the east side of the Jasper County Courthouse. It isn’t snow, of course; it’s the fallen petals of the yellowwood tree that grows squarely in front of the door to the Jasper County Extension office.
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Jasper County Commission gets building project update
Plans to close out one building project and start another were reviewed by the Jasper County Commission last week.
Darieus Adams, Western District associate commissioner, met Thursday with officials of the firm who designed a $292,400 project to upgrade the lighting and make other changes to make four county-owned buildings more energy efficient. -
Two men running for associate judge in 39th Circuit take case to court
Two men running for associate judge in Missouri’s 39th Circuit began battling it out in a Jasper County courtroom this week.
Jasper County Circuit Judge Gayle Crane heard arguments Wednesday concerning the disclosure of documents sought by Robert “Bobby” George, Aurora, the current Lawrence County prosecutor. -
Unveiling ceremony celebrates CHS tiger
Kandy Frazier, Carthage High School principal, summed it up once the new addition to the CHS campus was unveiled Thursday.
The bronze tiger sculpture created by Carthage artist and sculptor Bob Tommey, she said, is the kind of work that would be found at a big university. - More Carthage, Jasper County Headlines
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