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Housing
Most retail businesses evaluate the viability
of a market based on the number of residents within a particular
radius of the proposed location. Increased housing lures
businesses, which in turn subsidize community necessities and
amenities. Many residents wonder why we don’t have the restaurants
and stores that our neighbors have. There are many reasons for this
problem. One is a lack of new housing.
According to the Home Builders Association, the
number of building permits for single family homes increased 21% in
Jackson County from 2001 to 2002. Blue Springs experienced a 26%
decrease. As for our neighbors, Independence saw a 26%
increase, Lee’s Summit a 19% increase and Grain Valley a 124%
increase. According to many housing developers, the decrease in
Blue Springs is in no small part due to the difficulty in developing
in Blue Springs. These developers are now helping our neighbors
grow while we deteriorate. The developers aren’t greedy. Many of
them live here, too. They want to see the city prosper. We need
rooftops for that to happen.
There is an understandable bias in Blue Springs
against multi-family housing because there are few quality examples
in town to observe. Many young adults with decent disposable income
(many saving for their first home) have few quality options and
choose to locate in other communities with decent rental options.
Most stay in those communities when they eventually do purchase
their first home.
Quality multi-family housing
would increase the population on less land, which is a lure to
retail businesses. Multi-family buildings pay more taxes per square
acre then single family homes, which helps pay for the required
improved infrastructure, necessities and amenities. |
