After some deliberation, the Shawnee City Council on Monday advanced plans for a controversial single-family subdivision north of downtown.
Why it matters: Located at 5527 Nieman Road, the planned Loma Gardens development would comprise 14 single-family homes on about three acres.
Heading up the project is Shawnee developer Kevin Tubbesing, who faced a second valid protest petition from neighboring homeowners opposing a project on that site.
Still, the city council unanimously approved rezoning the site from single-family residential to single-family residential overlay, as well as a preliminary plat.
The council approved the rezoning on the condition that only attached garages (and no carports) be part of home design.
The new designation allows Tubbesing to construct homes on smaller lot sizes and reduce setbacks from the street.
Tubbesing said the homes could be priced at $300,000 to $400,000, depending on building design and whether they’re one or two stories.
History on site: Tubbesing tried building townhomes on the same site, but after hesitation from city leaders and opposition and a valid protest petition from neighboring homeowners, he withdrew his plans in November 2021.
Meena Davidson, one of the homeowners who led both protest petitions, said the higher residential density of the proposed Loma Gardens project compared with the existing neighborhood pushed her and her neighbors to oppose it.
Davidson and another homeowner leading the petitions, Cierra Knight, both asked Tubbesing to reconfigure the site for lower density and also made offers last month to Tubbesing to purchase one-acre lots on the property.
Tubbesing is under contract with the current owners.
Key quote: “I think if this passes, these will be built and filled very quickly, because I think this is a housing type and stock that is much needed in our community.” – Councilmember Jill Chalfie
Next steps: The city will consider approval of a final plat at a later date. Groundbreaking is slated for this summer.
A recording of the meeting is below and on the city’s website. Discussion begins at 1:34:08.
