Proposed arena, condos, cabins, RV park would change quiet area of Christian County

April 13, 2011|by Marie Saavedra, KY3 News | msaavedra@ky3.com

ROGERSVILLE, Mo. -- A proposed development in Christian County could transform a quiet field into a busy event center. The area sits south of U.S. 60 and west of Missouri 125 at the intersection of County Line Road and Cypress Road.

Developers want to open for business in the spring of 2013. Even though there is much to do between now and then, just the proposition makes some neighbors nervous.

The quiet hills of the country draw hundreds of people who look for a quiet acreage to call their own.

“It's quiet, not a whole lot of traffic, and I know every neighbor around here,” said neighbor Donna Nettell.

That serenity along Cypress Road could change into a busy business draw if the Cypress Ridge Equestrian Event Center opens.

“We've had a lot of positive comments from a lot of people in the area that would like to have something like this that we're proposing to build. It could generate a lot of profit and a lot of revenue for the area,” said developer Adam Cassidy of Springfield in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

The proposal is to fill 477 acres with an arena for riding, space for 8,000 people to see shows or concerts, a manmade lake surrounded by condominiums and cabins, a restaurant, riding lessons and a lot for recreational vehicles. It would employ 125 fulltime and 75 part-time workers.

The proposal is the furthest cry possible from what's there now, and the development still has a long way to go. The Ozarks is no stranger to development announcements that go bust. Developers say this one will be different.

“Well, we’re hoping it’s not going to be like that. As long as we can get it through the Christian County Planning and Zoning Commission, we'll be ready to move forward. We have all of our investors backing us 100 percent to be able to do this thing,” said Cassidy.

The first step for this project is changing the zoning of the area from agriculture to a planned urban development. The commissioners plan to hold a hearing on the plan at their meeting next Monday night. It starts at 7 at the county courthouse in Ozark. The final rezoning decision would be up to the Christian County Commission sometime after the P&Z Commission's recommendation.

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