Maryville council says ‘yes’ to paintball park

Before the June 14 session, the Maryville City Council held three public hearings with only one having any feedback from the public.

Renee Schlag, East Crestview Drive, spoke about the placement of the The Fields Paintball Park. She was concerned about the closeness of the park to her property’s backyard. She requested a buffer zone on the northwest corner of the park. She also noted the C-3 zoning could lend itself to other developments in the future.

Scott Copeland, owner of the Maryville Board Game Cafe, shared the lack of variety of things to do in Maryville for youth and adults and that most of the objections came down to ‘I don’t like paintball.”

Dr. Becky Albrecht, Maryville R-II superintendent, shared about how the development had come to fruition. The school district had the piece of property for sale for several years for development. She noted the board studied the park at length and considered the paintball park as a good solution for development for the city. The sale proceeds are to aid in the maintenance of the district’s facilities.

David Baker and Chelsey Clark, owners of The Fields Paintball Park, addressed the council about their 3-phase build that would span five years of the park and presented the survey results of 200 respondents.

Two other Maryville residents: Rob Sheil and Corrie Sowards spoke in favor of the paintball park.

Later in the open meeting prior to the council’s unanimous vote to support the development it was noted by city staff, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3-2 to advance the C-3 zoning and park development. Two ordinances, one to rezone the property to C-3 Commercial District and the other to amend city code to allow for discharging of the paintball guns within a commercial and recreational operation were approved.

Other business items addressed:

• Appointed four applicants to the Maryville Public Library Board: Jim Rash, Marilyn Rhea, Paula Cobb, Bill Richardson and board member Jenny Rytting’s term is eligible for renewal and she has expressed her desire to serve another three year term.

• Reappointed Ashlee Hendrix to the Maryville Public Art Committee.

• Liquor licenses were renewed for all 27 establishments in the town.

• Authorized a resolution to participate in the annual Back to School Sales Tax Holiday to be held August 6 through August 8.

• Executed an amendment number 2 for design services for the South Main Corridor Improvement Project with Sk Design not to exceed $21,000, which will outline the power service underground lines.

• Executed an addendum number 1 to a grant agreement with the United States of America US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration for the South Main Corridor Improvement Project that allowed for the revised project scope and for rebid.

• Amended the zoning of 1751 North Main Street as a C-3 zone. The property was recently annexed into the city.

• Amended the zoning of 320 Larry Lane as a C-3 district which was also recently annexed into the city.

• The council with input from City Manager Greg McDanel discussed the composition of city advisory boards. There are only three where the members do not have to be residents of the city: Northwest Missouri Regional Airport Authority, Maryville Public Art Committee and the Maryville Tourism Committee. Ferluknat business owner Holly Cronk addressed the council about the positives a business owner, who might not reside in the city limits could provide.

Reports

McDanel gave his city manager report telling work continues with firms contracted to handle a comprehensive water and sewer rate study and the GAC adsorber project; plus plans being studied for the use of the $65.1 million the city will receive from the American Rescue Plan. He reported a masonry repair is being made to the east side of city hall, a $5,000 grant for more photography to be used for tourism and the annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration Saturday, July 3 at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park.

Councilmember John McBride asked if there had been any action on the drainage project of the Robertson Crist Park.