Mayor breaks tie, in 25 story high rise complex
The 25-story, 300 ft. tower issue has had the community split over whether or not it should be built. The Branson board of aldermen has also been split. Monday night, they agreed to move the bill allowing the tower from the consent agenda to the regular agenda to allow more public input. And the public was ready.
There was more than two hours of debate. Speakers on both sides of the issue spoke eloquently, and the board members listened to all. Co-founder of Silver Dollar City, Jack Herschend, called for a review board to determine what Branson’s future growth should look like. He considered the tower to be a mistake, saying, “The passionate customer of Branson is more critical” of drastic changes to the area.
Herschend stated that in recent years, he’d had the idea that Silver Dollar City should change from “1880s mining town to 1890s Victorian village,” and that loyal season passholders had turned in their passes for refunds when the amusement park made the changes. “That particular mistake was my fault,” said Herschend. “Luckily, we were able to reverse the error and change it back.”
Herschend continued, “We need an architectural tool that tells us what Branson should look like….I doubt the property will turn into a cow pasture if the development does not go through. Hopefully, we’ll get a yardstick to measure what Branson should look like.” Loud applause followed his statements.
Candace Davis owns a company that builds high end homes, and likened the tower to the Space Needle in Seattle. “I feel there is room for the project,” she commented. Jim Cox worked for the Herschend family at Silver Dollar City in 1963. He cited that experience as leading him to approve the development, because Herschend told him in 1963 that “it is all about the customer.” As a current business owner in Branson, Cox feels that “I do know what’s going on, I do know what’s happening, and I do know what brings visitors to Branson.”
After discussing the need for more high end motel rooms, Cox addressed Aldermen Huff, Edie, and Purvis. “It’s a changing dynamic, gentlemen. The future of Branson depends on growth.”
Local motel owner Chris Myer worked with a graphic designer to prepare a site study, showing what a 300 ft. tower would look like, both at the proposed site and from around town. He had copies passed out to aldermen and the audience. The papers rustled through the chamber as Myer spoke with intensity for nearly 20 minutes. Summarizing his address, Myer said “The more we make it look like a city, the less we have in natural beauty.”
Many people were able to speak, to the board’s credit. While the amount of his or her own time each member has spent on the issue is incalcuble, there have been more than 12 hours of public time devoted to the issue.
In the end, though, the results were the same. Alderman Dave Edie noted that this particular
ordinance is an exception to Branson’s ordinary height restrictions, which is seven stories or 100 feet. He also said, “(Aldermen) Ron Huff, Jack Purvis, and myself combined have over 120 years of experience” owning and operating a business in Branson. “We’ve seen a lot of people come, we’ve seen a lot of people fail.”
Edie also said, “We’ve received many letters about this project. Branson is distinctive in character, distinctive in appearance.” He went on to say, “A project of this scale will change the character of this town.”
Huff, Edie, and Purvis voted against allowing the development. Gass, Barker, and Martin voted in favor.
As happened at the Nov. 27 meeting, Mayor Schaefer then cast the deciding vote in favor of the project.
Developer Rick Huffman of HCW Development Company, which is one of the partners in the project, has said in the past that a feasibility study would be conducted before construction on the tower begins at the north end of Branson, near the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 65 and St. Hwy. 248.
Courtesy of Branson Daily Independent