Commission waives sidewalk along steep section of Rock Quarry Road for 1300 Fellows Place redevelopment

The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a design adjustment Thursday to waive sidewalk construction along the Rock Quarry Road frontage for redevelopment at 1300 Fellows Place. Staff and applicant representatives described the southeastern corner of the property as steep and constrained by an existing ravine and vegetation; the applicant reported a wish to provide sidewalks along Fellows Place but said the Rock Quarry Road frontage would exceed a 20 percent grade in a short segment, making compliant sidewalk construction impractical and potentially unsafe for pedestrians and people with disabilities. Staff said a payment‑in‑lieu calculation for the sidewalk would be approximately $83 per linear foot and noted that the University of Missouri owns the adjoining property to the south, meaning adjacent sidewalk construction there is unlikely in the near term. The commission evaluated the five design‑adjustment criteria (consistency with the comp plan; impacts to adjacent lands; pedestrian and vehicular safety; whether the request addresses a unique site feature; and public health and safety). Staff recommended approval of the design adjustment, citing the steep topography and the applicant’s offer of a payment‑in‑lieu as mitigation. The applicant’s engineer, Keenan Simon, said a sidewalk in the steep segment would be difficult to build and maintain and reiterated that sidewalks would still be constructed along Fellows Place and the north side of the site. The commission voted to approve the waiver. The decision will be recorded and forwarded to City Council for final action as appropriate; site plan and building permits will still be required and will address grading, ADA access and other pedestrian connections where feasible.