Overland Park sends controversial $55M Ranch Mart project back to drawing board
In a meeting that lasted until after 2 a.m. Tuesday, the Overland Park City Council decided unanimously to send plans for a $55 million redevelopment project at Ranch Mart South shopping center back to the drawing board.
The council voted to have the city’s planning commission reevaluate the project to address concerns voiced by hundreds of residents over the past few months.
EPC Real Estate Group is looking to build an apartment complex — redeveloping a strip of duplexes and an existing parking structure at the shopping center, on the southeast corner of 95th Street and Mission Road. But residents have argued that the apartments would tower over their ranch-style homes, worsen the characteristics of the neighborhood and cause more traffic congestion.
“We are pro-development. We want improvement in our neighborhood. And we are happy that they’re looking to improve that area that has been neglected for years,” neighbor Eric Hernandez said in an interview before the meeting. “With that being said, this project is inappropriate for our neighborhood. The massive size, the proximity to our homes: It would diminish the quality of life here.”
More than 100 red yard signs have popped up near the site, reading “Stop Ranch Mart high-rise apartments.” And hundreds have signed online petitions opposing the development.
Several residents brought similar red signs to Monday night’s City Council meeting, which began at 7:30 p.m. But it wasn’t until after 2 a.m. that the dozens of residents who showed up to the meeting heard the City Council’s decision on Ranch Mart.
Project plans call for 210 apartments, with buildings standing three to seven stories high, on top of a parking garage. To make way for the apartments, the developers would demolish a block of outdated duplexes and replace the 60-year-old parking structure on the site. Developers also want to turn the mostly unused first level of the Ranch Mart South building to be a 365-unit storage facility.
Austin Bradley, vice president of development for EPC, said the apartments will be advertised for older, but still active adults, ages 55 and up. He hopes to attract seniors to live in the area who could walk to the neighboring businesses, restaurants and Glenwood Arts movie theater.
“North Overland Park is ripe for infill development. And this is a way you can save some of these retail centers from becoming obsolete,” Bradley said in an interview. “I think some may say this isn’t the right place for it. But this is the perfect opportunity to bring in new development and a better overall community that will keep this site alive for the next 30 years.”
Because of the large scale of the project, the Overland Park Planning Commission was divided on whether to approve rezoning on the site. Many also worried that demolishing the duplexes would remove the transition and buffering space between Ranch Mart and the nearby homes.
But last month, planning commission members voted 6-5 to bring the project to the full council.
And early Tuesday morning, many City Council members shared similar concerns before deciding to send the plans back to the planning commission.
“From a broad conceptual perspective, I see some positive things. I don’t have a problem with it conceptually,” Councilman Fred Spears said. “However, I do have three issues that I don’t see as appropriate in this particular case. First is the height; second is mass; and third is transition. I think those need to be addressed.”
Many argued that Ranch Mart was the wrong location for a project of this size, especially since nearby homes are down a slope and look up at the site.
Councilmen Faris Farassati and Scott Hamblin said they would have rejected the project entirely.
The project would sit on more than 11 acres at the center, which borders Leawood — home to Ranch Mart North —and sits kitty-corner to Prairie Village. In January, the city of Leawood approved a $47 million redevelopment plan for that portion of the shopping complex, with updated facades, a new plaza and mixed-use spaces.
Developers held two neighborhood meetings this summer, and slightly reduced the scale of the project to accommodate residents’ demands. But neighbors argued it wasn’t enough. They worry about the buildings crowding their single-story homes and congesting streets, including Mission Road.
Neighbors also argue that the existing duplexes provide a buffer between Ranch Mart and their quiet neighborhood, and this project would leave them with an unpleasant and obstructed view out their windows. Bradley said EPC would plant trees and provide other natural buffering.
Developers have tried to lower the height of the complex by designing it in an E shape, with the bulk of the project farther away from the homes. Green space is also part of the design, along with several public pocket parks.
While some agree that Overland Park could use more housing for its older population, many said it was the right project in the wrong location. Bradley disagreed, and instead argued that adding housing to Ranch Mart would help the shopping center survive despite the challenges retailers are facing.
“It’s a way to keep one of the most iconic retail centers and intersections in Overland Park alive and give it a life for years to come. That’s ultimately what it boils down to, which will be a huge benefit for everybody,” he said.
EPC has already made a name for itself in Overland Park, helping to drive the redevelopment downtown with new luxury apartment complexes and senior living options.
If the City Council were to eventually approve the rezoning request, Bradley said developers would likely later request tax incentives for the project. He would not specify the type of public financing or amount that might be requested, but said that demolition of the structures on the site would likely require subsidies.
