Jackson aldermen approve annexation, rezoning for Trussworks property amid resident concerns

The Jackson Board of Aldermen annexed and rezoned a parcel of land containing the future site of Trussworks Jackson LLC during its Monday, May 6, meeting.

However, during a public hearing regarding the issue, a group of residents expressed concerns about what bringing the construction supply-manufacturing facility could mean for the community.

The aldermen received three documents before their meeting: a letter of opposition signed by around 30 members of the Cold Creek Estates subdivision; a letter in support of the facility from the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce; and a response from Trussworks Jackson addressing the Cold Creek residents’ concerns.

Jason Comstock was one of three current or former Cold Creek residents who spoke out against building the factory at its Cane Creek Road location directly next to the estates.

“A lot of the people I talked to expressed frustration because it was told to us that this was going to happen whether we liked it or not. Whether it stays in the county or is in the city, it’s going to happen,” Comstock said. “When somebody tells me that something has only one way, I don’t like hearing that. I’m a Missourian. Show me. You’ve got to show me before I’m going to accept what you say is true.”

Comstock said Steve Stroder, a Jackson alderman and president and chief executive officer of Trussworks Jackson’s parent company Trussworks Mid-America, had dutifully addressed many of the concerns residents had about the facility in his letter.

"I don’t want to downplay or diminish that at all. I do think that he went above what he was required to do ... so I do thank him for that," Comstock said.

Even so, the signees were still concerned about noise, dust and traffic from the facility spreading into their neighborhood.

Comstock said this is the first time he is aware of, in the city, a heavy industrial (I-2) zone being added adjacent to a single-family residential (R-1) zone.

“We do ask that, if the city would consider the applicants’ annexation to I-2, they make them at least have some sort of concessions so that we can enjoy our peaceful way of life as much as we can,” Comstock said.

The annexation and rezoning of the Trussworks location in Jackson was a subject of frustration for several residents of the adjacent Cold Creek Estates, who did not want dust, noise and traffic from the site spreading to their community. The Trussworks property is outlined in black, with the highlighted red section showing where tall trees and brush form a barrier between the facility and the subdivision. Canyon Trail is on the left.Christopher Borro ~ cborro@semissourian.com

He suggested a concession could be made to subdivision residents by not extending Canyon Trail, a currently dead-end street in the Cold Creek Estates. This would prevent it from being used as an alternate exit from the facility and having trucks drive on it regularly.

Though Comstock said he thought the residents’ opposition to the annexation and rezoning would not stop it from going through, he did want to be a voice for people who felt like their own voices were not being heard.

He said people were frustrated because they thought there was nothing they could do to prevent the Trussworks facility from being approved. Current subdivision resident Mike Giudicy and former resident Robert Lichtenegger joined Comstock in speaking against the rezoning.

Before and after the residents spoke, Stroder presented some of his plans for the property and answered questions from the other aldermen.

“We’re very excited to join the City of Jackson, that’s our hope. Trussworks has been working now for several months to make our way to this parcel of ground and get things started,” he said.

He addressed some of the frustration residents had and apologized for the annexation coming across as though they wouldn’t have a say in the matter.

“… I wasn’t intending to give anyone the impression that it is what it is, you don’t have anything to say about it," he said. "... It wasn’t my intention to upset anybody about that, so I apologize for coming across that way."

Stroder said the facility’s location was chosen because it was county land and he liked the way the property was laid out for its future operations in a way that wouldn’t affect neighbors.

“The trees and the brush that’s already there, it was kind of a perfect barrier and a significant amount of distance so we felt good about it,” he added.

The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission had approved sending the rezoning decision to the aldermen by an 8-1 vote. Ultimately, aldermen Wanda Young, David Hitt, Eric Fraley, Dave Reiminger and Mike Seabaugh voted in favor of annexation and rezoning. Stroder, along with alderwoman Katy Liley, abstained. Alderwoman Shana Williams was out sick and did not vote.

Brian Gerau, president of the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, also spoke in favor of the Trussworks Jackson facility during the public hearing.

“We believe this is a good, strong project. It’s a great economic development project. It’s going to create jobs and it’s going to create revenue for the City of Jackson,” he said. “… Projects like this don’t land in your lap every day.”

In other business, the rest of the decisions during the regular session were more straightforward.

The aldermen accepted a $253,899.27 bid from Putz Construction LLC of Millersville for its 2024 concrete pavement improvement program and approved a $12,100 task order authorization to KimHEC LLC of St. Louis to provide engineering services under the NPDES Permit Renewal Project.

They also approved Mayor Dwain Hahs’ appointment of Wade Bartels to the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment, filling an unexpired term ending in 2025.