The Current Online

by JENNIFER GARRISON

David Smith, new Dean of Instruction at Metropolitan Community Colleges’ Blue River branch, was appointed to his present position months ago…July 1, to be precise…but he still feels like the new guy.
“I had been division chair of the English/Philosophy Department at Central Missouri State University, and I like administrative work. I’ve been here for a few months, but this is still a bit new to me.”
Dean Smith, a University of North Carolina alumnus with his Ph.D. in English, is a Virginia native. He came to Missouri for the division chair position at CMSU.
Smith claims that Blue River and the rest of MCC have made a good impression on him.
“I like the openness of the people here. There is a kind of community here that I didn’t quite expect.”
Plans for Learning Communities were already underway when Smith came onboard in July, so he is currently helping with utilizing the communities with math, English, and other courses.
“I kind of showed up in the middle of it. It’s an experiment we’re currently working on, and so far it’s been going well.”
Smith’s hopes for his future at Blue River are very optimistic. “An architect has already been chosen to build an already-financed building at our branch in Independence. Right now our main branch is in Blue Springs, but we’re gradually shifting more attention to Independence.”
Smith’s sunny outlook and will to assist in the ongoing changes at Blue River are sure to be a benefit to the entire MCC community.

by JENNIFER GARRISON

Developer to create a new villiage environment near Longview historic sites

by JENNIFER GARRISON

From September 26th through October 2nd, developer David Gale, President of Gale Communities, Inc. and his design team held a series of public meetings for the community of the Longview Farm area. Gale, who also designed Winterset Park in Lone Jack, has purchased the last remaining 260 acres of Longview Farm that includes the grassy areas south of 3rd Street and east of View High Drive. He has designed a development for the area, which involves new retail stores, restaurants, houses, and apartments.
Dubbed a “charette,” the meetings were intended as “a brief but intense design workshop in which stakeholders and interested citizens are invited to contribute to the work of an interdisciplinary team of urbanists during the earliest stages of design and planning,” according to Gale’s project website, found online at www.newlongview.com.
Gale said that “the charette process was designed for very difficult properties, and the community plays a big role in all of the planning.” Representatives from Longview and Lee’s Summit attended and were encouraged to share their ideas and concerns about the project.
The developer claims that he has modeled the project on the concept of “new urbanism,” which he says creates “a village environment where all genres of people can work, live, and interact with each other without having to leave the neighborhood.”
New urbanism is a concept that can be seen in other neighborhoods, such as downtown Lee’s Summit, and the Volker and Sunset Hill neighborhoods. Its goal is to make a neighborhood with less automobile traffic and more walkers by presenting many levels of jobs and housing, as well as parks and grassy areas, all in one accessible location.
Prior to the charette, some were worried about the future of the historical buildings and structures on Longview Farm. The Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation included Longview Farm on its 2000 survey as one of the most endangered historical places in Missouri. However, many are now saying that Gale’s plan to utilize as many of the structures as possible for other purposes is probably the best way to save the historical site. Mayor Karen Messerli is assured that Gale is providing the best means of saving Longview Farm, according to the project website.
David Gale has promised to protect the major areas, such as Longview Mansion, the Show Horse Arena, and the columned walkway known as the pergola. He has also assured the public that other buildings will be analyzed for other uses as well, which could include creating a new elementary school in the housing of the Show Horse Arena.
Also proposed is a $5.6 million, 800-seat public performing arts center on the north side of the Calf Barn, which is located two blocks from Longview Community College. A new boulevard perpendicular to 3rd Street and parallel to View High Drive is also planned to take drivers directly through the business area of the planned neighborhood.
A transformation of the water tower across the street from LVCC into a cell tower is already in the works. Sprint PCS is in the process of refinishing the tower in a farm theme, complete with a red roof and white sides, all while preserving the appearance of the site. Gale claims that, along with Preservationist Architect Patrick Pinnell, the team has introduced an environmental theme in the project to help protect the site as a whole.
Gale states that, thanks to the assistance of the community, he is “very confident that this project will go forward.”

by JENNIFER GARRISON

Longview Community College president Dr. Fred Grogan was among the LVCC representatives who were invited by local developer David Gale to a series of meetings. The meetings, called a charette by developers, were held from September 26th through October 2nd to discuss building plans on Longview Farm, which was recently purchased by Gale.
Gale had personally contacted Dr. Grogan shortly before the charette was made public in order to introduce his ideas and to allow Dr. Grogan, on a one-on-one basis, to present any concerns he might have for the LVCC community in regards to the plans.
“My main concern was of the volume of traffic having room on View High Drive in front of the college,” Dr. Grogan said. David Gale and his design team have attempted to solve the traffic dilemma by creating a concept in which a boulevard would be constructed branching off of 3rd St. and parallel to View High Drive.
“The idea of a new road going through the area to be developed would take a lot of weight off of View High,” Gale explains.
After attending the meetings, Grogan seemed pleased with the outcome. “I was really excited when I got out of the charette for what was presented,” Dr. Grogan said.
Part of the excitement may stem from the possibility of building a $5.6 million, 800-seat performing arts center on the farm. The performing arts center, a facility that has been one of Grogan’s recent goals, would be used by Longview and other organizations in the area.
“Fred Grogan is a community-minded president, and this is deemed to be a community-minded project,” Gale states.
When asked about a performing arts center especially for LVCC use, Dr. Grogan explained, “We can’t have a performing arts center on campus because there is a lack of fundraising and private funding, and we can’t get government funding for something like this. This is the best we could do in this situation.”
According to Gale, the concept of a performing arts center will be presented to the Planning Commission in the spring, and it will then go to the City Council for approval.