Wanted: Public input into Lake Ozark Comp Plan update - City of Lake Ozark

City of Lake Ozark Awarded $300,000 Community Development Block Grant for Demolition Project: Lake Ozark, MO — The City of Lake Ozark has been named the recipient of a $300,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Missouri Department of Economic Development to support a $433,030 building demolition project focused on improving safety and redevelopment opportunities in the Bagnell Dam Strip area. The remaining $133,030 required to complete the project will be provided to the City by the property owner, Reese Development. As a result of the grant award, 23 structures on and around the historic Bagnell Dam Strip will be demolished. All properties included in the project are owned by Reese Development. Among the structures slated for demolition is the former Shoreland Motel located on the Bagnell Dam Strip. Additional buildings included in the project consist of a series of residential and commercial structures located along Carls Drive, Ballenger Road, Thornsberry Road, Beach Drive, and School Road. These structures were determined eligible for CDBG funding due to their advanced state of blight and lack of structural safety, in accordance with adopted building codes. Several of the buildings contain asbestos and other environmental contaminants, and all have been formally certified by the City as dangerous buildings. Buildings were prioritized based on safety concerns, structural deterioration, and overall risk to the public. To qualify for the grant, each structure was required to have been vacant for an extended period of time. Demolition work associated with this project is expected to commence in 2026. “We are proud to partner with the City of Lake Ozark and the Missouri Department of Economic Development to continue the momentum of the last two years on the historic Bagnell Dam Strip,” stated Peter Colovos, Chief Operating Officer of Reese Development. “Brick by brick and block by block we are committed to redeveloping this jewel of the Midwest,” he added. Reese Development has invested more than $600,000 over the last two years in cleaning up the Strip and demolishing dilapidated structures. City Administrator Harrison Fry expressed appreciation for the state’s support:“We are grateful to the State of Missouri for recognizing the opportunity to breathe new life into the Bagnell Dam Strip corridor. This project begins by removing long-standing, dilapidated structures so that safe, meaningful redevelopment can move forward. I would also like to thank Reese Development for their cooperation and commitment to property revitalization, as well as grant writer Tonya Raines for preparing a successful application that made this project possible.” For more information, please contact the City of Lake Ozark.

Posted on June 14, 2021, Edited June 14, 2021 by dan

Wanted: Public input into Lake Ozark Comp Plan update

The City of Lake Ozark has issued a special invitation to its residents and business owners to help shape the future of the community.

The second of three public Focus Sessions on updating the city’s Comprehensive Plan will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 23, at Willmore Lodge, 1 Willmore Lane, Lake Ozark.

Housing and infrastructure are on the agenda. The final session will be held July 22.

The turnout at the first Focus Session in May drew about two dozen individuals to discuss economic development and quality of life, creating a useful dialogue that city staff and plan developer Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments will use in developing the new Comp Plan.

Focus Sessions are open to residents, property owners and business owners in City of Lake Ozark.

The plan, which is a long-term guide for the community, hasn’t been updated since 2006. While the city’s economic base and infrastructure have evolved in the last decade, the city’s master development plan has remained unchanged for some 15 years.

Citizen participation is highly encouraged to develop a comprehensive plan which will guide the City of Lake Ozark in decision making for future development that suits both City of Lake Ozark and the community.

“The plan gives the city a vision as to how it wants development in the future,” LOCOLG Executive Director Linda Connor explained when the board voted last year to move ahead with the process. “We want to make sure we put in the plan what the city wants to look like in the next 10-15 years.”

An updated Comprehensive Plan is important when the city applies for state and federal funds.

“A new Comprehensive Plan will serve as the guiding force for the city as we continue to grow in the near future,” Fry said. “This document will provide a rationale for decision-making for our boards and commissions and will also show the world what the priorities and direction are for the City of Lake Ozark.”

Anyone who has questions pertaining to the focus session can contact the Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments at 573-346-5692 or email matt.kostelnik@loclg.org.