Editorial: Brookridge plan can’t satisfy all

The proposal to reuse the Brookridge Golf and Fitness Club site in Overland Park benefited from almost two years of vetting by city officials and nearby residents.

The final rezoning plan was endorsed early Tuesday by the Overland Park City Council.

It didn’t satisfy the developers, Curtin Property Co. They wanted a larger, overall project than what they got in the end.

And Tuesday’s vote didn’t take care of all the objections raised by neighborhood leaders. They properly pointed out that a highly taxpayer-subsidized project should follow all the rules set by public officials.

As approved, the site near Interstate 435 and Antioch Road is now on track to yield up to 5 million square feet of redevelopment.

If all that comes true, the city will gain new residents as well as office space for new jobs. Parts of the project also will feature retail and entertainment venues that could make the area an attraction for people from all around the Kansas City area.

Of course, all those people have to come from somewhere, and usually in their own cars and trucks. That’s why some nearby residents are concerned over increased traffic for the project.

The final victory Tuesday came with promises from Curtin Property officials, especially on how they will make road improvements to try to handle the increased traffic. The city must hold the developers to those pledges.

In addition, the developers will be required to make good on their plans to provide high-quality construction of residential and office spaces.

City officials were divided at times on how to reuse the large Brookridge site. But council member Terry Goodman made an excellent point: Change is coming to the former golf course, and the city should grab this chance to guide redevelopment with the help of Curtin Property.

This story was originally published June 7, 2016 at 3:57 PM with the headline "Editorial: Brookridge plan can’t satisfy all."