KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
It's been a few years in the making, the final review of an Airpark development in rural Belton, Missouri.
Arrowhead Airpark is a privately funded development that would be home to a 3,000 foot paved runway and about 90 airplane hangar homes, adjacent to that runway.
"This would be an odd place to want to put and airport," Vanessa Porembski, a neighbor said.
In earlier phone calls with KSHB 41, the private developer emphasized this isn't an airport, but an airpark.
Pilots should be able to taxi from their subdivided hangar homes, to the runway, and take off.
"I mean there’s a plane right there, so I can’t imagine having a hundred of those flying over my house every day," Porembski said.
KSHB 41 met with five different neighbors near the proposed development site at 203rd and S Prospect in rural Belton, Missouri.
They all admitted they were simply acquaintances before the Airpark Development began.
"We got know our neighbors very well right when we moved in," Jason Walker said laughing, a resident near the beginning of the proposed runway. "But, I guess that's a good thing."
The Walker's invested their life savings into their quaint corner farm house.
They told KSHB 41, they didn't know much about the development before they moved in.
Their decision to leave the hustle and bustle of the city was to immerse themselves into what living in the country had to offer — peace and quiet, nature, and safety.
"Out here it’s just so peaceful," said Julianne Walker.
Jason and Julie Walker's dreams shifted as the development proposal took flight when they moved in three years ago.
"It really felt like the crushing of our dreams," Julie Walker explained. "It’s incredibly stressful."
The two joined forces with their neighbors to push back on the development.
Peter Hallberg is not an immediate neighbor, but lives in the flight path.
"Everyone within about a mile radius of this will be impacted by increased flights and noise," he explained.
Hallberg emphasized to KSHB 41, that he and his neighbors are not opposed to development near their homes.
"We want responsible development," he said. "We’re worried about safety, we’re worried about noise, and pollution. We’re worried about the impacts to the environment and wildlife and there’s financial impacts as well."
Hallberg hired a local civil engineering company, Site Consulting Engineers, LLC to review Arrowhead Airpark's proposal to the Cass County Commission.
KSHB 41 obtained a copy of the report.
Much of the report indicates Cass County violations in Arrowhead Airpark's Special Use Permit application.
"We request that the process be formally restarted, including submission of a new application, a new public hearing notice, and a complete repetition of the review process — beginning with the Planning Commission," the engineer wrote in the report, Hallberg states he provided to the Cass County Commission.
Additionally, the report states the development would require the roadway infrastructure surrounding the project would need significant improvements.
"The developer has pledged it would contribute $383,000 to that project," Hallberg explained.
In Hallberg's report, provided to the Cass County Commission, it is expected that project would cost approximately $3.4 million.
"The Cass County taxpayer would front that bill," added Hallberg. "That's about $100 a household, that the Cass County resident would not receive any benefit in return for."
Hallberg says, he's not opposed to new development or subdivision development near their homes. He told KSHB 41, he'd feel more comfortable with the development if it were to meet County code.
"To this day the developer hasn’t addressed those concerns adequately," Hallberg said. "We haven’t seen them yet demonstrate how they would be good neighbors."
Darrell Smith lives about 2,600 feet from the north tip of the runway.
He's also privately funded a survey of the project by an Federal Aviation Administration Biologist.
Smith's concern surrounds the environmental impact of the project.
Spring Lake, a small spring-fed watershed, he tells KSHB 41 often has hundreds of migratory waterfowl, sits up the road from the north end of the runway.
KSHB 41 obtained a copy of the FAA wildlife risk assessment.
"Three species of geese were observed not only in the surrounding area, but crossing the airpark property and within the standard traffic patterns of the proposed airport," the FAA biologist wrote in the report. "Geese are considered among the most hazardous species of wildlife by the FAA and two of the top four riskiest species to aviation safety are geese. Collisions with geese have caused many millions of dollars of damage to commercial, general aviation, and military aircraft and also caused numerous documented fatalities."
The report goes on stating the presence of five different birds that were present in the area at the time evidence was gathered in March 2022.
In the Liability Issues section of the report, the biologist touted the research residents have done regarding FAA requirements surrounding wildlife hazards to aircraft.
"It is very clear that the potential hazards presented by birds in the immediate vicinity of the airport and other terrestrial wildlife in the area can present a significant risk to aviation safety if the project is permitted," the report stated. "Should any incidents or accidents occur as a result of hazardous wildlife, affected landowners, individual pilots, or aircraft owners would have a strong basis to sue the airport, the local Zoning Board, or the Missouri Department of Transportation Aviation Department for any damages incurred."
Smith told KSHB 41, his home sits on property that has been in the family for decades.
He and his wife moved to the property about five years ago.
To tell you the truth, if the airport is built and the planes are flying very low over our house, my wife and I have discussed it, we will probably be moving," Smith said.
KSHB 41 asked the residents who have also privately funded an attorney if they feel they should be responsible for conducting the research for projects like Arrowhead Airpark.
"I hope that in the future, the county commission won’t have to rely on the funding from private citizens groups to get engineers, environmental experts, like the ones we had to hire," Smith added. "I think in the long run it would be better if the county would approve a system, that any developer has to fund an objective study before a development is considered before the county. And not count on private citizens groups to rally together and privately fund them."
In July, the Cass County Commission held a public meeting for the development.
According to meeting minutes approved on August 6 — 25 people spoke in public comment against Arrowhead Airpark.
Out of the six pro-development speakers, only one was local — the other "pro" speakers lived out of the area including:
- A Realtor, with offices in Liberty, Missouri
- Overland Park, Kansas
- Shawnee, Kansas
- Parkville, Missouri
- Smithville, Missouri
The developer also resides out of the area and declined to interview in this story, issuing KSHB 41 a statement:
"Arrowhead Airpark appreciates that the Cass County Commissioners are taking adequate time to conduct required due diligence as they consider our application for this luxury subdivision. We’re confident they will recognize the numerous benefits this development will bring to the area, and we look forward to their decision soon."
Presiding Commissioner Bob Huston requested the Commission return in 30 days to consider the proposal. The Commission voted in favor of the continuance.
"We are extremely grateful the Cass County Commission is taking the time to review the proposal," Hallberg told KSHB 41.
The last meeting was July 23 and it's been 30-calendar days since the continuance was agreed upon.
KSHB 41 reached out to the Cass County Commission to gain a clearer picture and has not received a response.
In early July, KSHB 41 News Reporter Ryan Gamboa was canvassing houses in the area to gauge the public's perspective on the topic.
Gamboa came across some resident's who felt they would like to see the Arrowhead Airpark project move forward.
"There could be a lot worse things that come into an area, like a mobile home park," one man told Gamboa.
During the visit with multiple neighbor's in opposition, another resident along 203rd St. stopped to speak with Gamboa and expressed that he would be in favor of the development.
The man said the tax dollars the county would receive from luxury style homes would be a positive for the county.
Both men Gamboa spoke with declined to be interviewed for this story.
Porembski says, during the years long fight against the Airpark, many in the community have labeled them as crazy and called them vulgar names, including the neighbor Gamboa spoke with during his visit to the proposed development site.
"It’s really frustrating that we’ve had to defend our homes where as developers can come in an rather than they’ve just been given the opportunity to come into our community," Porembski added. "We are not against development, we understand its going to happen."
The group simply wants the County Commission to weigh the pros and cons and make an informed decision that will support the entire Cass County community.
"We just pray that we can stay here and not be forced out," Julianne Walker added with tears in her eyes. "It’s not fair that we put all our savings into this home. And someone comes in and thinks what they want to do is more important."
KSHB 41 will follow up on the decision made by the Cass County Commission when public meeting details are made available.
