A new rule in Kansas City could delay demolitions of historic buildings

Update: The City Council approved the new demolition rules on Dec. 19.

A proposed new review process could help save potential historic buildings from bulldozers in Kansas City.

City officials are reviewing a proposal for a new process to delay and review some demolitions before they happen. The review would include a waiting period and a chance for public input on proposed demolitions of certain buildings that could have historic or cultural value.

Brad Wolf, the city’s historic preservation officer, told the plan commission at its Wednesday meeting that the proposal comes in response to instances of demolitions with no proposed development for the properties.

The new review proposal follows the demolition of over 20 homes in the Valentine neighborhood between Southwest Trafficway and Pennsylvania Avenue. Neighborhood residents have been documenting the history of each home as they continue to protest the demolition of properties owned by Kansas City Life Insurance, which has called the buildings “non-viable” and a safety risk.

The review would allow more notice to the public and a more predictable timeline for property owners who would apply for demolition.

Proposed demolitions of buildings that are already listed on the local historic register, or have a pending application to the historic register, would follow a separate existing process. Demolition permits for buildings that are not part of a historic district or do not have possible landmark status would require review by city staff or the historic preservation committee.

Under the review proposal, city staff could automatically approve demolitions of buildings that are less than 50 years old, are small accessory structures with less than 200 square feet, or are considered dangerous under city code.

Structures that have been officially found to not have national historic status in recent years would also be exempt from further review.

However, the city could refer a demolition permit to the historic preservation commission for any reason.

For other cases, city staff could determine a building would not be eligible for listing on the national historic register and approve the demolition permit. Notice would be provided to the historic preservation commission, on the city website and to the area neighborhood association.

If no one on the historic preservative committee objects within seven days, the demolition would go through.

If there is an objection, the demolition would then be subject to further review by the historic preservation commission, which would have 45 days to schedule a public hearing. If city staff find that a building could be eligible for historic status, it would also be forwarded to the preservation commission.

The preservation commission would decide whether a building slotted for demolition is eligible for historic status based on its historic, cultural, aesthetic or architectural significance. If so, the city could not approve a demolition permit for 45 more days.

That would leave up to 90 days for owners and city officials to work on a possible alternative to demolition.

The plan commission voted to recommend the new ordinance on Wednesday. The City Council is expected to consider the changes at a later date for approval.

Some neighborhood associations support the new ordinance.

“Cities of all sizes have similar ordinances which have helped prevent inadvertent demolition of structures that have historic value and offer potential for continued contribution to the urban fabric through renovation, restoration and adaptive reuse,” the Union Hill Neighborhood Association Board of Directors wrote in a letter. “It is time for Kansas City to allow extra time for the wider community to assess this potential before resorting to demolition.”

City officials have also turned an eye toward addressing vacant buildings and empty properties across the city, including a proposed vacant land tax and a new program to encourage redevelopment of empty lots in the Washington Wheatley neighborhood.

This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 4:57 PM.