KANSAS CITY, Mo. — River Market business owners went to the Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee Wednesday afternoon to show their resentment for an apartment project that was on the agenda, known as City Harvest.
The discussion on the project got tabled though.
“We apologize. It’s going to be held until next week,” Councilmember and Committee Chair Lee Barnes said to attendee David Lindahl.
“Then you need to… you need to communicate,” Lindahl said back to Barnes.
“It’s going to be held until next week!” Barnes said, raising his voice.
The situation angered Lindahl, who owns HyperKC, a T-shirt shop in the River Market.
Lindahl, who spoke with FOX4 Wednesday, does not want council members approving the project because he’s concerned it will take away parking spots for workers there, not to mention shoppers.
“We can’t reduce our support for people coming here by car,” Lindahl said. “Ideally it’d be great if we were a transit-oriented city, but we’re not there yet.”
Councilmember Eric Bunch is not on the Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee, but the project is in his ward.
“I think that there are some concerns from both business owners, employees, and some residents that there is a loss of parking,” Bunch said in an interview with FOX4 Thursday.
Bunch says he wants residents to look at the bigger picture of the development and address the concerns of the parking.
“I am supportive of the design and the overall concept,” Bunch said when asked whether he supports the project. “What I think still needs to happen based on the communication that I’ve received and based on what I know about the River Market is that there is not a ‘supply of parking problem.’ There is a management and overall district approach challenge.”
Council documents show 300 residential units could go at the northwest corner of 5th and Main. The developer, and the applicant of the project, KEM Studio, aren’t commenting.
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The committee has not allowed the project to move forward yet. They are scheduled to discuss it though Wednesday, March 8th, at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall.