St. Joseph City Council approves rezoning, school zone updates and Emergency Operations Center agreement

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The St. Joseph city council voted on a rezoning proposal, new school zones and an Emergency Operations Center design agreement.

The property at 2702 Ashland Ave. will be rezoned from a single-family residential district to a neighborhood shopping district.

The request was submitted by Michael Willoughby of Polaris Group Holdings LLC. City officials said the zoning change would align the properties’ zoning with their current residential use.

The council voted on an ordinance that will add, update and remove school zones across St. Joseph to improve traffic safety around schools.

A new school zone will be added on Faraon Street near the UMKC School of Medicine campus and the new Mosaic Life Care Plaza 4 building.

The new school zone would lower the speed limit to 25 mph when flashing lights are active because more students and pedestrians are crossing the street in the area. The city will be responsible for the installation, maintenance and operation of all signage and flashing devices.

The school zone near St. James School will be expanded to include additional nearby streets. School zones near Hall and Humboldt will be removed because the schools have closed.

Additionally, the ordinance would update school names in the city code to reflect recent changes. The changes will become part of the city’s traffic code, allowing police to enforce the updated school zone speed limits.

The council voted on a $148,000 professional services agreement with Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. to design a new Emergency Operations Center at Fire Station No. 8.

City officials said the current Emergency Operations Center at Fire Station 12 lacks adequate space, accessibility and resources needed to manage emergencies effectively. 

The new Emergency Operations Center would be built in the basement of Fire Station 8 and include backup power, upgraded safety systems and existing infrastructure to support emergency operations.

The council postponed a vote on an ordinance that would allow 723 S. 8th St. to be used as a tow lot. The request was submitted by Vincent Bradley Trigg through a conditional use permit.

The next city council meeting will be on June 8.