New 200-home subdivision could be coming near fast-growing Northland high school
Hundreds more homes could soon be built across the street from a fast-growing Northland high school as Kansas City considers approving a proposed nearly 90-acre development.
A North Kansas City-based developer is looking to build 200 single-family homes on an 87-acre parcel of land directly across from Staley High School, where enrollment has been growing rapidly in recent years, along Shoal Creek Parkway.
In the past two years, the high school in the North Kansas City School District, built in 2008, has grown by around 200 students, according to a report from the school’s student newspaper, the Staley News.
Plus, the Northland as a whole has seen significant growth in the past five years, with nearly every municipality in Clay and Platte counties growing in population since 2020, some by just 1%, while others increased by upwards of 20%, according to the latest census data.
“This is a development that the area really would like to see happen, especially as we’re trying to build up the parkway,” said Councilman Nathan Willett, who represents the First District, where the project would be located.
The development site, located across NE Shoal Creek Parkway from the school at 10501 NE Staley Rd., is currently undeveloped and owned by the developer, Pure Design.
If approved, the development, dubbed Pure Staley, will be completed in five phases and feature a 60-foot “no build” buffer between homes and the parkway. It will also feature three access points, including two off of Shoal Creek Parkway and one off of Staley Road.
The city’s Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee discussed the proposal during its meeting Tuesday and opted to hold the plan for a week due to some disagreement on whether the city or the developer should pay for the necessary water infrastructure improvements to support the new residential area.
Michael Heitsman, a partner with Pure Design, said they agreed to dedicate part of the property and up to $500,000 to help improve the intersection of Falcon Drive, Shoal Creek and Staley Road, in exchange for the city running the water line.
“Which is an extremely dangerous intersection right now for all the kids going to that high school,” he said.
Heitsman agreed to meet with the city’s water department to discuss additional ideas regarding the water issue to present to the committee at its next meeting on July 7.
During the meeting, Willett urged the committee and developer to come to an agreement.
“If we don’t figure out the water, then it’s going to make it difficult to get this thing done,” he said. “Let’s find a common sense thing. Let’s find some kind of compromise.”
