Seven Bridges in Platte City (real estate, custom home, landscaping)

[MoNative34]

I don't know about incorporation. Those areas already have services from the Southern Platte Fire Protection District, Platte Co. Public Water Supply District and the Northland Regional Ambulance District.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by MoNative34

I don't know about incorporation. Those areas already have services from the Southern Platte Fire Protection District, Platte Co. Public Water Supply District and the Northland Regional Ambulance District.

So those areas would have a rural Platte County address and not a KC, MO address?

[MoNative34]

The maps have it in the same zip code as Platte City.

If I could ask, why the interest??

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by MoNative34

The maps have it in the same zip code as Platte City.

If I could ask, why the interest??

I just want to be as informed as possible when answering other individuals questions about the area

[MoNative34]

I wasn't sure if you were talking about mailing addresses or if it were acually in the city limits of Kansas City. If it's west of 435, it is not. They start east of 435 towards the airport.

Sometimes the mailing address is deceiving since the zip codes were drawn up long before the area was ever annexed by anyone. I have a friend in Platte Woods and the zip code is the same as Kansas City. The same is true for Parkville.

[relhak]

Originally Posted by Plains10

I hear that a lot of development is occuring outside of Platte City (city) limits right now. Do you think that Platte City will incorporate those areas over time, or will they have a seperate identity? You mention that the neighborhoods are mostly upscale. However, I think the majority of new home construction is very cookie cutter. I don't get why they build stucco exterior houses in the Central Plains/Midwest region due to climate.

Seven Bridges and Lakes of Oakmont are both upscale and not representative of Platte City at all. Running Horse is a bit below that. Platte City has a fair number of new 'cookie-cutter' subdivisions in the upper 100s and lower 200s, but I just don't know anything about them other than having driven past them. Platte City is not particularly 'upscale', it's simply growing very, very fast.

I doubt that SB will ever get incorporated. I believe that the unincorporated status is so SB residents don't have to pay the full property tax percentage that regular PC residents pay. If they did, they would likely pay a 50% higher rate, which would be 3-4 times the average PC household's tax bill, for the exact same services. As it is, an SB household still probably pays twice the property taxes of the average PC household. Being unincorporated lets the subdivision essentially negotiate 'lower' property taxes and still have full access to PC's snow plows, schools, library, FD, PD, water, sewer, etc... It's a lucrative deal for both sides, so breaking it seems unlikely.

I don't understand the trend for front exteriors full of stucco (and dormers and gables for that matter) either. All I can figure is that midwesterners generally hate anything that resembles vinyl or aluminum siding. The most common exterior is board and batten, which is ugly. Stucco is similar in style, but better quality, so it's used on the front in mid to upper end housing. Most of the homes in SB only have stucco on the front second floor. The lower section is usually a fancy stone veneer. The sides and backs are still almost universally board and batten. I think midwestern weather just doesn't lend itself to lounging around in the yard enough to make it worth beautifying your home from every angle. You can certainly do a more traditional wood siding, cedar shingle, brick, or stone exterior on all four sides if you want to pop for that, though. Just don't expect to make it back on resale.

There is a slight cookie-cutter-ish feeling in SB, if you have an aversion to the neo-eclectic style. Almost every house in SB is neo-eclectic. Most of the homes have three car garages on one side and a room - front door with small gabled porch- room combo on the other side. A minimum of three gables run along the top floor, which has 2-3 front facing bedrooms. Some builders set a gable into another gable for decoration. Some builders go wild and incorporate a dormer (a mini-gable). If you hate gables, you'll want to kill yourself halfway into a trip through SB. Welcome to the midwest... Gable.

There are no ranches, queen-annes, greek revivals, a-frames or anything that doesn't conform to the 2-story, 1.5 or reverse 1.5 mold. Nothing that requires a detached or basement garage. Nothing that's super wide or super deep. Very few large porches. Because of the garages, there's nothing symmetric.

But there is a lot of variety in the way they're finished. The neo-eclectic homes have arts&crafts, stick style, cottage, bungalow, tudor and other styles. There are also a few reverse 1.5s and one spanish and one neo-colonial home. There are 15 builders who each have their own floorplans, so there's little repetition. And since each home is custom built, there are variations in colors, stonework, garage and front door, windows, shutters, columns, and all the decorative trim before you even enter the house. The spec home at 12700 overbrook is a slightly stretched version of the main office, but you'd never believe it until you have the plans laid out in front of you. One has a very fancy, refined look, the other has an expertly handmade, yet natural and rustic feel. The internal finish of every home is done almost completely from scratch. Whatever you want inside, you should be able to get.

Gable, gable.

[relhak]

Originally Posted by Plains10

So those areas would have a rural Platte County address and not a KC, MO address?

You worried about KC taxes or your kids getting bussed to KC schools? Of course, living outside of KC doesn't excuse you from paying the 1% KC income tax if you work in KC.

[MoNative34]

Not an issue. The Kansas City Missouri School Districts lie in the historical boundaries of Kansas City south of the river.

[relhak]

Originally Posted by MoNative34

Not an issue. The Kansas City Missouri School Districts lie in the historical boundaries of Kansas City south of the river.

But if you make $150k/year and don't work in KC, then you might consider living in KC to be a $1500/year (KC city tax) mistake.

[relhak]

I was in SB recently, and the crews have started back to work on the patio behind the clubhouse. Forms for the faux rock and other edging were being put up.