"New Heights" was meant to be literal. On one of the highest elevations on the most picturesque ridge along Blue Ridge Boulevard overlooking the Blue River Valley to the west and Rock Creek Valley to the east, there are large piles of demolition waste that tower up an additional 40 feet in the air. Due to this vantage point and elevation on Blue Ridge Boulevard just north of 23rd Street, the piles can be seen from miles away. If you recall, the City Council rezoned this property in May 2017, against the wishes of over 4,000 citizens/voters and neighbors and the City's Planning & Zoning Commission for a company ironically called "Blue Ridge Mountain," LLC, owned by Lance & Janet Houston. The heavy equipment used on the uncontrolled land fill reverberates noises to decibels never heard in this once quiet residential neighborhood adjacent to this landfill. There is even dumping going on as late as 2:00 am. In a 1932 community planning document prepared under the direction of Jackson County Judge Harry Truman, Blue Ridge Boulevard was referred to as "Kansas City's main sight-seeing suburban road." The document called "The Results of County Planning" highlights plans for greenways and recreation features that align with natural geographic and picturesque settings such as ridges and waterways. It makes no mention of retail, high density housing, and, of course, landfills of waste. Does the City Council and the Mayor really believe these 4,000 voters do not matter? Do the visionary plans of our forefathers that wanted to highlight the natural beauty of our community matter?
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