Correction: The planning commission has the final say in approving a final plat for this project. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the city council would have final approval.
Developers are moving forward with a plan to remake the former Deer Creek Golf Club at 133rd Street and Metcalf Avenue into a new single-family subdivision.
What’s on the table: At its meeting Monday afternoon, the Overland Park Planning Commission is set to review preliminary and final plats for a new single-family residential project dubbed the Highlands of Deer Creek.
- This comes more than two months after Deer Creek closed permanently on April 1, a move attributed in part by its owners to the Overland Park City Council’s decision to deny rezoning of a proposed apartment complex on a portion of the golf course property.
- The property owner, GreatLife KC, which previously owned the golf course at Deer Creek, first submitted preliminary plans for a new subdivision at that site in late April.
The details: The Highlands of Deer Creek plan that will go before the commission Monday comprises a single-family neighborhood of 68 home lots.
- The neighborhood is proposed to be built in at least five phases, though there is no clear plan for the last phase at this point.
- The project would also include redevelopment on the Deer Creek Clubhouse, which city documents say there isn’t any proposed new use for yet.
- The neighborhood would be built on a 158-acre property in total.
- The proposal also includes the building of some new streets, which would connect to existing streets in the neighboring Deer Creek subdivision.
Why it matters: This marks the next step of redevelopment to the property after owning company GreatLife KC announced permanent closure of the golf course earlier this spring.
- The closure came shortly after the Overland Park City Council rejected a proposal from owners to build a higher-density $65 million multi-family apartment building there.
- The original apartment proposal was met with opposition from many surrounding residents, including some who thought that single-family homes might be a more appropriate residential use for the property.
- Unlike the apartment proposal, the proposal coming before the commission Monday is the type of residential property the land there is currently zoned for.
- But some neighboring residents have expressed skepticism about any residential development at Deer Creek, arguing that the golf course should remain a golf course.
