If the discussion at the April 22 work session meeting of the Branson Board of Aldermen is any indication, no one has a clue when Forsythe Road will reopen and the board is losing patience with the reasons for the delay, financial or otherwise. Frank Schoneboom, Branson’s Acting City Administrator, gave a report on the progress of the TanStone project and summed it up by saying, “The long and the short of it is that now the developer is in negotiations with their bank and the financing is not complete, still”
Schoneboom further indicated that the city has asked for a time table and they not only haven’t been given one but have not received a firm response. He further indicated that City Attorney Paul D. Link had talked with the developers attorney, but “Nothing had moved as of yet, except gravel.”
Alderman Stephen Marshall asked, “Isn’t there something we can do? They can’t hold us hostage for this length of time.” TanStone Plaza is a commercial development located at 284 Forsyth Boulevard covering just about the whole area between Highway 76 and Roark Valley Road. As part of the project, the developers were going to improve Forsythe Road to an all season road. In Fall of 2007, the city let the developer close and demolish Forsythe Road without any agreement in place as to who was supposed to do what when or a specific date by which the road would be done. Forsythe Road is a well used north south connector road between Roark Valley Road on the north and the Wal-Mart area of State Highway 76 on the south.
Schoneboom said there were two issues that he was concerned with. One of them was the reopening of Forsythe Road. The second he said, “Is the buildup of materials on the city’s right away down there at Roark Valley Road.” There is huge pile of fill material that will be used for the construction of the Roark Valley and Forsythe Road intersection. He indicated that the idea of a developer’s agreement is being held out to the city by the developer, but that it was getting to the point where the developer either “moves rock” or signs an agreement.
Schoneboom continued, “What is concerning me is the level of the pile up and, from a public safety perspective, how close that is to the blacktop.” Alderman Bob McDowell asked for staff to prepare a list of the options available to the board specific to each issue, the reopening of Forsyth Road itself and the removal of the materials from the city’s right away. He said, “It’s one thing to talk about it, but when push comes to shove what kind of tools do we have in our tool box to move this thing along because I have to think that we are to the point where we are going to have to start looking at those.”
City Attorney Paul D. Link reminded the board that he had talked with the developer’s attorney recently and that the holdup was because the developer was now negotiating with their bank for financing. McDowell said, “I’m getting to the point where I don’t care what their relationship is with the bank, I want to know what the options are and what tools we have to manage this.” He went on to say that he wasn’t sure they were going to get their loan and if they don’t the city needed a plan of action ready to go. Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley said, “I do think that it is getting to a crucial point” and that the city has been more than patient and understanding.
Furnished Courtesy of the Branson Daily Independent.
