Foes of Vantage project prevail in Shawnee

Neighbors of the proposed Vantage development in Shawnee prevailed Monday night in their efforts to stop construction of an apartment complex they see as too dense and a potential traffic hazard.

The Shawnee City Council voted down a motion to approve the $35 million project near West 62nd Street and Pflumm Road and then took no further action. The only yes votes were council members Jeff Vaught, Stephanie Meyer and Brandon Kenig. Council members Jim Neighbor, Dan Pflumm, Eric Jenkins, Mike Kemmling and Mickey Sandifer all voted no.

The lack of action means developers America First Real Estate Group of Omaha will have to regroup to come up with another plan, said Curt Petersen, the developer’s representative. “We’re really disappointed,” Petersen said.

The preliminary plan failed despite a last-ditch effort by developers to make it more palatable to the neighborhood. Petersen showed the council an alternative plan that would have eliminated one of the 14 buildings and brought the number of units down from 312 to 288. Such a change would have resulted in a 7 percent reduction in traffic, Petersen said. The alternative plan also increased the setbacks and preserved more trees in the buffer zone close to neighbors. Petersen said the smaller project was the minimum that would work financially, but developers offered it because they like the site and the city.

The dispute was lately focused on the number of vehicles and potential for clogging Pflumm Road, but at times it has wandered into a discussion of renters versus homeowners. Opponents were concerned early on that the project would eventually become low-end or subsidized housing, despite developers’ assurances to the contrary.

That issue came up again briefly during public comments, when Lana Sutherland of Merriam introduced herself as a renter who recently moved to the area. “I’m just here as a renter, to say what a renter could look like,” she said, adding that she didn’t intend to push for or against the project. Sutherland said she could not find the apartment amenities she wanted in Shawnee, “but I was finding them in Overland Park and Lenexa.”

The proposed building site is adjacent to an area of single-family homes, and some of the residents have said they did not want to see an influx of renters.

Roger Chalk, who has spoken against the development, said he is happy with the outcome so far. “We know the property is going to be developed. We are not anti-development. But we are looking for a project that involves ownership,” he said.

Ken Bruning, who was skeptical of the traffic study on the project, said afterward, “I think the people of the surrounding area have made it clear they prefer to have property owners in that space rather than renters. Not to say renters are bad, but property owners have a higher commitment to maintaining their property.”

The Monday meeting was the second time the full city council had considered the preliminary plan. The first time was in December, during a sometimes heated meeting that lasted until after midnight. The council could not find sufficient votes to approve or deny the project at that meeting, so sent it back to the planning commission, which approved it again.

Opponents of the project packed into the Shawnee City Council chambers for the meeting Monday, just as they have for other public meetings on the issue. Spectators filled about 75 seats in the chambers, with an overflow group in chairs just outside the doorway. But the meeting remained orderly and comments were limited to people who were not able to speak at the previous meeting or who wanted to discuss traffic concerns.

Some council members expressed concerns after the vote was taken. Sandifer, who voted against the plan, said the city still needs affordable apartments for young adults who may not have enough for a down payment on a home.

“I voted against because I sided with the people and what they wanted,” Sandifer said. “I think it’s a good project. It’s a quality project and I don’t believe the density is too far out of line.”

Vaught, who voted in favor, warned that failing to approve a project that did not ask for tax incentives could create problems if a future project does include them. “It’s not as simple as everybody thinks. We don’t just kill it and go on with our lives. This is going to open up a can of worms. This is going to be a problem,” Vaught said. The fact that America First was willing to develop without public financing would make it difficult to justify tax incentives on future deals, he said.

The Vantage area was originally planned for a senior housing complex called Cobblestone, which got approval for a tax increment financing district in 2008 but never got off the ground.

This story was originally published January 26, 2016 at 11:32 AM with the headline "Foes of Vantage project prevail in Shawnee."