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As 2010 gets rolling, it looks like development in Smithville has bottomed out and could be on track for future growth, according to Jack Hendrix, director of community development in Smithville.

Hendrix said he believes housing permits have hit the bottom with last year’s low of 30 and should start edging back up to previous levels.

“I fully expect we will see slow but steady new housing permits coming in, but I don’t expect a big boom,” he said. “We’ve had 11 since Nov. 1, 2009, and we budgeted for 25, so we have about half of that a quarter of the way in to the year. I’m feeling fairly comfortable about where are now.”

Smithville should end the year with around 32 new housing permits, Hendrix said, about the same as 2008 with growth to follow.

Most of the new development, Hendrix said, is coming north of Missouri Route DD with sporadic development in other areas of town.

As for commercial development, Hendrix said the only construction projects on the horizon in the city are the new Good Shepherd Catholic Church planned for the southeast corner of U.S. Highway 169 and 188th Street and the possible expansion at Smithville High School contingent on the passage of a bond issue this April.

Outside of those projects, the city has seen some interest in commercial development, Hendrix said, but it’s still too early to comment on.

“We’ve had a couple of preliminary calls to staff but it’s too early to tell,” he said. “They might just be architects calling to find out the zoning rules because they’re looking at three or four sites in the area, but I get plenty of those calls a year and most never come to fruition.”

In a report given to the Board of Aldermen at the Jan. 15 meeting, Hendrix indicated that there was an inquiry from a group of Minneapolis based architects on planning and zoning issues involving a drive-through coffee shop.

Also, like the rest of the city, Smithville Commons is still quiet as well, Hendrix said, and will probably remain so because large commercial growth is at a standstill.

With development low and looking to remain low, Hendrix said his staff will mostly be focusing on infrastructure issues this year like sewer upgrades.

Staff writer Michael Westblade can be reached at 389-6636 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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