Action taken by Branson Board of Aldermen
BOARD APROVES HIGH RISE HOTEL
By a 4-3 vote, aldermen approved a bill that will allow a 300-foot high-rise resort hotel at U.S. Highway 65 and Missouri Highway 248. This action reverses a decision by the Board two months ago to scale down the 25-story hotel to 12 stories. At the September 25 meeting, the ordinance allowing the 300-foot hotel was amended and approved that scaled down the hotel to 12 stories. But the motion that amended the ordinance to 12 stories did not address the allowed height of the proposed structure in feet. Therefore, the ordinance had to be reintroduced to provide clarification on the actual height allowed by the ordinance. The hotel is part of “The Point Entertainment Complex†that also features a classic car museum and parking garage. At the November 27 meeting, 15 people spoke in favor of the 300-foot hotel while nine spoke in opposition. The bill now goes to a December 11 second reading and final passage.
BOARD VOTES TO PROTECT BRANSON NAME OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS.
Aldermen voted to have the city attorney continue sending letters to businesses outside the city limits that use “Branson†in their name. The letters ask that the businesses get permission from the city to use the name. In more than a dozen letters already sent, not one business has been asked by the city to not use the “Branson†name. The city wants to protect its name by setting a precedent so it can control future adult entertainment or gambling businesses that may open outside the city and use the Branson name.
BOARD APPROVES TIME LIMIT ON TREE DEPOSITS
Developers who remove trees must now pay $50 per tree in the form of a deposit to the city. The deposit is refunded if the developer replaces the trees. However, there is no time limit for this replacement. This ordinance puts a six months time limit for replacing trees or the developer loses the tree deposit. This ordinance was approved on first reading. Final passage will be on the December 11 meeting agenda.
