What’s the buzz? Beekeeping, with limits, will be allowed in this Johnson County city
A yes vote for bees
The Leawood City Council has agreed to allow beekeeping within city limits, but only on larger lots.
Under an ordinance adopted in September, a residential property is allowed up to two beehives, which must be kept in the rear yard. The hives must be at least 50 feet from the boundaries of adjacent developed property, 75 feet from any building on an adjacent lot and 100 feet from the traveled portion of a street, pedestrian path or sidewalk.
The hives can be no more than 5 feet tall, and a barrier must be installed to limit the area the bees can travel when they leave the hive to collect pollen and nectar.
Such barriers, consisting of dense landscaping or a structure, are designed to limit the contact that adjacent property owners would have with the bees, Leawood Planning Director Mark Klein told the planning commission last summer.
Africanized honey bees, sometimes called “killer bees,” are prohibited, and the beekeeper must obtain a city permit for the beehives..
Hives will be permitted on agricultural land and three types of residential zoning districts where the required lot size is 12,000 square feet or larger. They are prohibited in areas with smaller lot minimums, even if a particular property meets the 12,000-square-foot threshold.
City officials studied regulations in several cities — including Lenexa, Overland Park, Shawnee, Olathe and Prairie Village — before drafting a proposal. The City Council removed a provision allowing a beekeeper to place a hive on someone else’s property if granted permission by the owner. Instead, all hives must be on property owned by the beekeeper.
98 dogs rescued from fake shelter
A Mission-based animal welfare group has taken custody of 98 dogs living in unhealthy conditions at a property that allegedly posed as an animal shelter.
Unleashed Pet Rescue said that in late September, two vans were sent to the location six hours south of Kansas City to retrieve the dogs. Shortly after the rescue, the agency began looking for donations and foster homes to help with the sudden influx.
“Of the rescues we’ve been involved in, this one is especially sad considering we had to rescue dogs from someone posing as a rescue,” Danielle Reno, founder of Unleashed Pet Rescue, said in a news release.
The release said that the property owner used fraudulent paperwork and a relative’s unrelated non-profit status to operate the fake shelter. The owner allegedly took in the dogs and accepted sponsorship money, but then neglected the animals. Some animals were kept in crates without food or water, and others were shot by neighboring property owners. Deceased animals were found on the property.
“Despite the Unleashed Pet Rescue facility already being nearly at capacity, an immediate response was taken,” the agency said in the press release.
New criminal justice coordinator
Mike Brouwer began work in late September as Johnson County’s new criminal justice coordinator. His job it is to look at data to identify the root causes of criminal behavior and find ways to improve the justice system.
“We are confident Mike’s vast and nationally recognized experience will help us continue to advance innovative approaches to criminal justice reform,” Deputy County Manager Maury Thompson said in a news release.
Brouwer began his career in community mental health, including 14 years with the Johnson County Mental Health Center. He has worked for the sheriff’s offices in Johnson and Douglas counties and in 2019 was named criminal justice coordinator in Douglas County, which includes Lawrence.
The county said Brouwer’s work has been presented in two White House briefings and one congressional hearing.
119th Street bridge reopens in Olathe
The 119th Street bridge over Interstate 35 has reopened, and motorists can now use the diverging diamond interchange that has been built there.
“The new diverging diamond interchange will enhance safety by reducing traffic conflict points and increase traffic capacity by improving turn movements to and from I-35,” the city said in a news release.
The bridge reopened on Sept. 30. Work is to continue until year’s end on other parts of the project, including the 119th Street bridges over the BNSF railroad tracks.
Solidarity in pink
To show its support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the Shawnee Police Department has outfitted one of its cruisers with a graphic containing pink. The department’s graphic application company will remove the large sticker once October is over and apply the usual police graphic package.
Lenexa to outline police ‘use of force’ protocols
Again this month, Lenexa residents have a chance to learn how city police officers handle the use of force on the job. The experience will allow attendees to get an officer’s-eye-view of realistic scenarios by using a firearms video simulator.
”We have found that the public sometimes has misconceptions about this topic, which were primarily derived from movies, television shows, social media and news stories,” the city said in a news release.
The workshop, scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to noon Oct. 23 at City Hall, addresses the department’s policies, practices and training on the use of force, as well as the legal issues involved.
The free workshops have been held annually since 2016. Attendees must be 18 or older. Registration is required at lenexa.com.
Blue Valley sets academic record
Fifty-eight seniors in the Blue Valley School District have been named National Merit semifinalists this year, a record for the school district and the highest number for a district in Kansas, the Blue Valley district announced.
Semifinalists are chosen for their scores on a qualifying test, and are in the running for prestigious college scholarships awarded by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Oct. 23 is drug ‘Take Back Day’
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has designated Oct. 23 as “Take Back Day” for prescription drugs.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., various law enforcement agencies will accept prescription drugs, no questions asked, for proper disposal. In Leawood, for example, drugs can be brought to the city justice center, 4201 Town Center Drive. Liquids, sharps and inhalers will not be accepted.
Some police departments, including Overland Park and Lenexa, accept unwanted prescriptions year round. For a complete list of Oct. 23 take-back events, visit deadiversion.usdoj.gov and click on the Take Back box.
This story was originally published October 8, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "What’s the buzz? Beekeeping, with limits, will be allowed in this Johnson County city."