Olathe approves first steps for new housing and commercial development on rural land

Olathe approved the initial steps of a housing and commercial development to be built on what is now land mostly used for agricultural purposes.

At their regular meeting Tuesday, the Olathe City Council voted 6-0 to approve the rezoning, preliminary plat and preliminary development plans for about 156 acres of land north of 175th Street and west of Mur-Len Road.

The applicant wants to build 207 single-family lots, 33 triplex buildings and 17 future commercial lots. There are no current tenants identified for the commercial lots, according to city documents.

An outdoor swimming pool, sand volleyball court, multi-use court, pickleball court, gazebo, play area and pavilion are planned as amenities for the single family area of the development.

The area is zoned as rural property, but the applicant requested to rezone it residential single family and residential low density multifamily for the housing plans.

The council also approved the commercial area to be rezoned as a community center district, but prohibits hospitals, pawn shops and public transportation facilities.

The property was annexed into the city in April, and city documents say it has historically been used for farming, and a farmstead exists on the southwest corner of the property.

Pedestrian plaza areas and connections will be constructed throughout the property and adjacent to future commercial developments, city documents say.

Two new roads will be made, one running east to west and another north to south, along with local streets connecting directly to homes.

Mayor John Bacon said that they need to make sure the commercial developments don’t just look like the back of buildings, because it is meant to be a walkable area. He also raised concerns that 175th Street will continue to grow and become a busier road, so when planning, there should be enough setback on the developments to allow for 175th Street to expand if needed.