KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Grain Valley. Share your story idea with Claire.
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A stretch of land along Interstate 70 and Woods Chapel Road in Blue Springs that was once dense with trees has been cleared, and neighbors say the sudden change has left them devastated.
A 'For Sale' sign now stands at the cleared land parcels near Woods Chapel Road. The property is currently owned by I-70 Partners, LLC. KSHB 41 News attempted to reach the property owner multiple times for this story, but never heard back.
The City of Blue Springs addressed the clearing in a statement, saying the property owner is in compliance.
The property at 1300 NW 36th Street, adjacent to I-70/Woods Chapel is currently listed for sale, and the property owner has cleared the land to increase marketability and prepare the site for potential redevelopment. At this time, the City has not received any development applications or plans for the site. A development plan was approved for a portion of the site back in 2012 that included a large retail site and smaller commercial pad sites. However, that approval is no longer active, and any future development would require new reviews and approvals through the City’s development process.
The property is currently zoned General Business, and the purpose of the zoning district is to accommodate general trades and commercial services outside central and neighborhood business districts. Typical uses in this district could include restaurants, service stations, hotels and shopping center developments that serve highway corridors. But if a development proposal is submitted, it would go through the City’s standard review and public approval process. During that process, the City will work with the developer/property owner to review the site design, traffic, buffering and other factors to help ensure that new development is compatible with surrounding properties, and nearby residential areas.
It’s also important to note that the City of Blue Springs does not build or generally finance private development projects. Instead, the City’s role is to facilitate the development process by providing clear regulations and reviewing proposals for compliance with local regulations.
Jon Knipp, a Blue Springs resident whose backyard backs up to the property line, said the change has been jarring.
"We used to not be able to see any of this. You know, all the lights and the, you know, noise and everything, you know, at all because it was all trees," Knipp said.
"It's like we lost a friend," Knipp said.
Neighbors Brenda and Jeff Larrabee said the loss goes beyond aesthetics.
"I cried. It's and it's not just the noise pollution, it's not just the light pollution, for lack of a better word, it's losing the wildlife. It's losing that feel of being in the country while you're in town. It's losing privacy, and I literally have been sick over it," Larrabee said.
Nextdoor neighbor Lynn Banks said her home has also been directly affected.
"We face north, so we've lost the north protection from the trees," Banks said.
Banks said she always knew development was a possibility, and would've considered buying a portion of the property to keep her tree view if she had known this was planned.
"I mean, I knew it was, it was going to be developed one day. I just hoped I'd been dead before it all went away. I said, 40 years I've been here," Banks said.
They're also worried about how this will affect property values.
"We've lost the park. We lost the serenity," Larrabee said.
All of the neighbors said they wish they had been given advance notice before the clearing began, that the work had been done with more care, and that buffers had been left in place to block their homes from view.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
