OSAGE BEACH, Mo. -- Four white tables pushed together, framed by moderately comfortable chairs, at the center of an arena formed by dozens of seats: here, “Osage Beach Parkway/Business 54” was born. The Osage Beach Board of Aldermen gathered at the center of City Hall’s main chamber the evening of Thursday, Sept. 27, to discuss the second rechristening of the road known as Highway 54 before the expressway’s completion.

A handful of local citizens, many of whom have a financial interest in the ongoing infrastructure conundrum, watched and listened closely as the board debated and decided the details of the road’s new name. At the heart of the issue is the declining business activity and property values on Osage Beach’s west end; many believe that the ambiguous name “Osage Beach Parkway” is at least partly to blame. While locals learn quickly where the city’s businesses are located, vacationers -- whose patronage helps keep the town afloat -- are not generally so savvy. Since the name “Osage Beach Parkway” does not suggest a business district, many citizens claim drivers and visitors are more likely to bypass the town than to stop and spend.

The solution? Add “Business 54” to the signs. And in an interesting turn, at the Board of Aldermen meeting on Sept. 20, MoDOT Central District Engineer Dave Silvester revealed, to the relief of the board, that the department would cover the full cost of the sign-changing project.

At this last meeting of September, the board members viewed several proposals presented by MoDOT, along with financial projections. They picked the most expensive one.

The members agreed with Alderman Olivarri’s sentiments: “I’m wanting to make sure that whatever we come up with meets the needs of all the businesses,” he said. Then they put the matter to a vote.

Per the board’s decision, signs on Highway 54 that point to Osage Beach Parkway will refer to the road as “Osage Beach Parkway” and “Business 54.” The aldermen strongly rejected one of the proposals, which would remove the words “Osage Beach Parkway” and essentially change the road’s name to “Business 54.” Several mentioned that such a change would create more expenses for local businesses, who would have to purchase new stationary and change the wording in advertisements.

The aldermen discussed the need to make the “Business 54” portion prominent, but MoDOT representatives said the department will not allow a U.S. Highway placard or the official outline of the state, since those designs imply the road would be maintained by the federal or state governments. Because the maintenance Osage Beach Parkway/Business 54 is the responsibility of the City of Osage Beach, the board has been forced to resort to other considerations. The design details are still pending, but the decision was clear: add “Business 54” to the signs and let drivers know they have a reason to exit.

The second part of the meeting was spent debating yet another proposal from MoDOT regarding the long-term solution to the “west end” and the Key Largo Road intersection.

The newest proposal was the result of prodding by several aldermen at the previous week’s meeting, when the board expressed displeasure with MoDOT’s drawings of a potential exit ramp west of Key Largo Road. That project had been estimated to cost between $2 and $5 million, and MoDOT refused to commit to any financial contributions for it. The newest proposal, however, still featured an exit ramp, but was projected to cost under $700,000, and MoDOT offered to split the cost of this project with the city.

The board praised the plan. Acknowledging that “an outer road” -- MoDOT’s previous proposals would extend Osage Beach Parkway west to Y Road -- would be a great idea in the future. Alderman Steve Kahrs said, “To me, this is a no-brainer.” Alderman John Olivarri agreed, saying, “On a temporary basis... I think this is probably the best option I have seen to date.” MoDOT Area Engineer Bob Lynch said the area around the entrance/exit ramps could be used to create a “Welcome Garden,” as this would be the first highway exit leading into Osage Beach’s west end.

The plan’s weakness, as board members and MoDOT engineers acknowledged, is that the ramp would only serve eastbound traffic on Highway 54. “I don’t like the fact that we don’t have westbound traffic,” Olivarri said, “but at least it gives us eastbound traffic.”

The MoDOT representatives acknowledged that the new proposal had been hastily assembled, and the board asked MoDOT to add more details to the plan and to present it again at its meeting scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 18.


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