With the voluntary annexation of approximately 4700 feet of Empire District Electric (Empire) property the northern city limits of Hollister have been extended about nine tenths of a mile north along the shores of Lake Taneycomo. The voluntary annexation of the approximately 27 acres, consisting of Lake Taneycomo and the shoreline Empire owns was given final approval by the Hollister Board of Aldermen at its June 5 meeting by a unanimous vote.
The annexation extends the city limits of Hollister north and east. Hollister’s city limits are extended north from their current northern boundary, just south of Coon Creek, along the Lake Taneycomo shore line to a point just south of the mouth of Roark Creek. The annexation also extends its city limits west about halfway across Lake Taneycomo to the point where its meets the eastern city limits of Branson throughout the entire length of the annexation.
The only public comment on the matter as it was being considered by the board came from Don Frank, Chief Financial Officer of Kanakuk Camps. Frank inquired as to the northern boundary of the annexation as relates to Kanakuk’s property. The question was answered by Doug Tiemann from Pickett Ray & Silver, a development firm headquartered in St. Peters, MO, with a local office in Branson, who was representing Empire. The firm was also representing Ahmed A. Salama in a separate request for the voluntary annexation of approximately 6.76 acres located immediately contingent to the Empire land being annexed. Tieman said that the northern boundary of the Empire annexation would extend out into the middle of Lake Taneycomo from the southern boundary of Kanakuk’s property where it meets the northern boundary of Salama’s property.
Immediately after the Empire Annexation, the board considered the second and final reading on the voluntary annexation of approximately 6.76 acres owned by Ahmed A. Salama located immediately contingent to the northeastern end of the Empire land that had just been annexed into Hollister. The only public comment on the Salama annexation came from Don Frank. He said that Kanakuk was not necessarily against Hollister’s annexation of Salama’s property but did have some concerns.
Frank pointed out that about a year ago 160 residents of the area along Lake Shore Drive signed a petition and took action to stop the development of a very aggressive condominium project proposed by Salama on the property. He said that even though it appears that the project has been scaled back, the primary concern today is the same as it was a year ago, the ability of Lake Shore Drive to safely handle the traffic that would be generated by the development of the property and the challenges that such traffic would pose for emergency services such a ambulances and fire protection.
Frank also acknowledged the creativeness of the unusual process of using Lake Taneycomo to create the situation where the Salama property became eligible for annexation into Hollister. He said that the procedure could ultimately lead to the point where the city of Hollister would have several parcels mixed in intermittently with other parcels not within the city limits of Hollister and expressed concern over the challenges that would bring to the city in terms of providing services. Frank also was concerned about the potential commercial implications of the C-3 zoning that the annexed land would have.
The board approved the annexation by a vote of three to one with Ward I Alderman, Dr. Howell Keeter voting against the annexation.
Reprinted with permission of the Tri-Lakes Tribune, a free newspaper published and distributed three times weekly, Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Please call 417-336-NEWS (6397) for classified and display advertising opportunities.
