Northland residents question official’s ties to controversial housing development
In more than two dozen letters, Northland residents detailed a litany of reasons they oppose a proposed 50-home development near Parkville. Most echoed concerns heard in rooms across the metro when new housing is coming: fears of flooding or falling property values, risk of wildlife endangerment, unwanted changes to the character of a neighborhood.
But some of this criticism was more pointed, accusing Platte County Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker of having a conflict of interest with the project and calling for him to recuse himself from voting on it.
In a statement to The Star Tuesday afternoon, Fricker said there is no conflict, claiming the accusation is “a tactic by the opposition to keep me from voting.”
“I will not be intimidated out of doing my job as a commissioner,” he said.
The controversy stems from a proposed housing development in unincorporated Platte County that has drawn significant pushback from neighbors in recent weeks.
A local developer is looking to rezone around 20 acres of land at the northwest corner of the NW Brink Myer Road and NW Union Chapel Road round-a-bout near Parkville from agricultural use to residential.
The development, dubbed Hidden Oaks, would include the construction of 50 single-family homes on the 21.6-acre parcel of land currently made up of forested area, with lots ranging between 8,311 sq. ft. to 21,505 sq. ft.
In a joint letter, residents Robyn Anderson and Matthew Roberts claimed that it would be a conflict of interest for Fricker to vote on the matter because his wife, Kelly Fricker, works for RE/MAX Realty and Auction House, of which the developer, David Barth, has been affiliated since 1985, along with his wife, Jennifer Barth, according to the website.
Roberts also sent a second letter requesting each of the three commissioners disclose their personal relationships with the Barth family to “confirm no potential conflicts of interest.”
However, Fricker said “there are no financial conflicts of interest of any kind.”
“My wife and son are licensed real estate agents who have their licenses placed with Jennifer Barth’s ReMax brokerage,” Fricker said. “They are independent contractors, not employees. They receive zero compensation of any kind from the Barths and they never will.”
The Platte County Commission was set to take a vote on the proposal during its Monday morning meeting — despite the project failing to gain approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission last month.
But commissioners ultimately tabled the item at the request of the developer.
The Planning and Zoning Commission rejected the proposal during its May 19 meeting when it received a split vote, with four members voting in favor of approval of recommendation and four voting against.
The proposal will likely return to the planning commission after some revision before officially being put to a vote by commissioners, according to County Commissioner Joe Vanover.
