Did Olathe choose town homes over new shops? What’s next in rezoning effort
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Olathe council voted 5-2 to overturn the planning commission’s denial of rezoning.
- Developer New Bedford proposed townhomes after reducing density from 71 to 64 units.
- Final rezoning and townhome plans must still pass a future city council ordinance vote.
An undeveloped parcel of land in northern Olathe could later be a spot for new townhomes after the city council went against the planning commission’s stance on how the land should be used.
The city council voted 5-2 Tuesday to overturn the planning commission’s denial of rezoning the land from a commercial neighborhood center district to a residential district. At the center of the proposal is a developer who purchased the land at 119th Street and S. Lone Elm Road — which has long been marketed as a commercial development area — now asking to build town homes there.
The rezoning proposal was unanimously struck down by the Olathe Planning Commission in December last year. It first came before the city council in January and was sent back to staff for further review.
At the time, city council members disagreed about how the 7.7 acres of land should be used. Tuesday’s conversation about the rezoning also sparked debate, with dissenting members Robyn Essex and Jeff Creighton saying they wished more commercial options were considered by the developer.
Even though the council overturned the planning commission’s denial, it has not yet officially approved the rezoning, or plans for the townhomes. Another ordinance authorizing the rezoning will be up for a vote at a future council meeting.
City staff cited policies in Olathe’s Comprehensive Plan for why they initially opposed rezoning.
“There are several policies within the plan... one of those main components is ensuring there is an adequate supply of residential and commercial land within our city,” said Kim Hollingsworth, Olathe’s planning and development manager.
Developer changes plan
Between January and Tuesday’s meeting, the developer, New Bedford Land Development, met with residents who live in the area and the Foxfield Village Homeowner’s Association to develop a letter of understanding, addressing city and resident concerns.
New Bedford revised its plan to reduce density from 71 to 64 units, add landscape buffers, maintain consistent architectural design and other changes, according to the letter of understanding.
Even with the changes, some council members were hesitant to support the plan.
Council member Kevin Deneault pressed New Bedford on why it did not explore commercial development, knowing the land was zoned commercial at the time of its purchase.
Curtis Holland, an attorney representing New Bedford, spoke at the meeting, arguing studies showed insufficient traffic for any commercial success at the location.
“There isn’t any real opportunity for commercial at this corner, because of the size of the property, the access to the property,” Holland said. “The trips or traffic that you would need to support retail development on a site like this isn’t there.”
Council members debate land use
While Deneault eventually voted in favor of overturning the planning commission’s denial, he said that he felt like neighbors in the area would be missing out on having more businesses in the area.
“As I’ve said, I love the neighborhood center idea. I would love to see it work,” he said, talking to Holland. “Personally, I think there’s a sliver of a chance, but I understand where you come from, the access and stuff like that.”
“(I’m) a little bit more sold on (the town homes)... as more people talk here, but I do definitely would have liked to have seen a little bit more ideas on the commercial side.”
Essex shared a similar view, saying she heard from neighbors in the area who were not consulted about New Bedford’s plans.
“I don’t think I can support this... I just hate seeing more and more commercial getting pushed out, because ultimately we want to broaden our property tax base too,” Essex said.
Council member LeEtta Felter said she was in support of the rezoning because of the city’s need for more affordable housing options.
