The city of Shawnee has advanced plans for a townhome subdivision on the western side of the city near K-7 Highway.
Located on about two acres in the 7300 block of Silverheel Street, south of where K-7 meets Shawnee Mission Parkway, Willow Ridge Villas comprises 21 residential units in six attached townhome-style buildings, including one duplex, one triplex and four quadplexes.
Project plans also include the addition of a cul-de-sac, private drive access to the property on the north side, landscaping and a gazebo.
City Community Development Director Doug Allmon said the developer, Howard Builders LLC, extended the depth of driveways on the project to create more on-site parking, in addition to on-street parking.
The Shawnee City Council on Monday unanimously approved rezoning the site from agricultural to planned unit development mixed residential.
City leaders and staff discussed addressing potential traffic congestion issues as that area of western Shawnee grows in residential population.
Kevin Manning, transportation manager for the city, said there’s no definitive timeframe on addressing traffic flow, but there are long-term plans to turn 75th Street where it meets K-7 into an interchange.
Neighboring residents have raised concerns about the potential for traffic congestion in the area with the addition of Maranatha Christian Academy, a private school under construction nearby
However, one neighboring resident, Kris Durbin, spoke in favor of the project as a better fit for the neighborhood as opposed to a commercial or retail development.
The Shawnee Planning Commission will consider final plans for the project at a future date.
A recording of the meeting is below and on the city’s website. Discussion begins at 38:24.
