Leawood approves massive new development on 135th Street over neighbors’ opposition
A massive mixed-use development along 135th Street in Leawood that has drawn the ire of neighbors over the past two years won preliminary approval from city leaders this week, despite their own split on the plan.
Cameron’s Court project by Oddo Development will transform more than 116 acres of long-vacant land along 135th Street and State Line Road into a master-planned community with more than 830 residential units, an assisted living facility and nearly 380,000 square feet of retail and office space.
The east side of the project along State Line will be dominated by office and retail space while the western will be anchored by a two-acre central park surrounded by about 650 luxury apartments, more than 80 brownstone homes and dozens more premium duplex villas, condominiums and single-family houses.
The almost entirely undeveloped property had been zoned for agricultural and office uses, but sat vacant for decades along the bustling 135th Street corridor. City officials believe it is the largest remaining undeveloped plot in the city.
After more than 18 months of hearings, including several major revisions, the Leawood City Council voted 5-4 late Monday night at the end of a five-hour hearing to grant rezoning and preliminary approval to Cameron’s Court plan.
Half of the council members sided with outraged neighbors living just north of the site who have argued strenuously against the project at meeting after meeting, and outlined detailed land use and economic reasons to deny the developer’s plans Monday night. But the other half of council members countered that Oddo’s team had adjusted its plans to better blend with the surrounding neighborhood and that the development will bring much-needed rental stock and business activity to that corner of the city.
Mayor Peggy Dunn cast the deciding vote in favor of the project, lauding neighbors for their work on the plan, even though many were disappointed it will be allowed to proceed.
“Some people tonight, residents that were here, were dismissing the improvements made,” Dunn said. “If it were not for the residents’ involvement, we wouldn’t, I don’t believe, have seen this many improvements. I do think it’s really come a long way from that first plan.”
Revisions to the plan since it was last heard in early December included a reduction of 10 residential units, increased park space and adjustments to the project’s intersections with 132nd and 135th streets.
But neighbors, who mounted an organized campaign against the project, argued the changes were minimal and the overall development still clashed too much with the character of the residential area on its northern edge.
“The consequences to our community are unprecedented,” said Rachel Rubin, one of the neighbors opposing the plan.
More than 1,800 nearby residents signed a petition asking the board to deny Cameron’s Court plan and more than a dozen who spoke gave detailed arguments against it Monday night, including several who said it would set a “dangerous precedent” for over development throughout the 135th Street corridor.
“There is not anywhere in Leawood — anywhere — a development of this size and this number of units,” said Councilwoman Julie Cain, who shared neighbors’ concerns and voted against the project. “It does not exist. Not only are we making a decision about this 116 acres, we are setting the tone, no mistake about it, for the rest of 135th Street.”
Several council members argued the project should include more retail and fewer rental units in voting against the plans, but Councilmen Jim Azeltine noted that the city has sought more diversity in its housing stock for years.
Council members also implored both the Oddo Development team and neighbors to continue to work together as the group finalizes its plans.
“Really the crux of the matter is we have a very broken relationship between the developer and the residents,” Councilman Andrew Osman said. “If both parties can’t agree that the sky is blue, then we’ve got an issue. I don’t want to say it’s Hatfields and McCoys or North Korea and South Korea, but there’s some very big animosity between the two parties.”
With preliminary approval in place, the development team will spend the next four to six months creating the final plans for the governing body’s approval sometime this summer, Oddo Development President Rick Oddo said after the vote. Permitting would follow late this year in anticipation of construction beginning at the site around March 2023, he said.
This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 11:16 AM.
