The public thirst for handcrafted and artisanal goods has become strong enough that Shawnee officials are considering adding a new land use category in the city’s downtown and eastern gateway districts.
Driving the news: The Shawnee Planning Commission Monday night unanimously approved “artisanal manufacturing” for its Town Square and Commercial Highway Overlay districts – a move intended to encourage small businesses like breweries, handmade clothing and food businesses.
Where is that? The Town Square district covers most of downtown Shawnee and runs along Nieman Road on a north-south axis, from roughly 57th Street to Shawnee Mission Parkway.
- Meanwhile, the Commercial Highway Overlay district, referred to in city documents as the “eastern gateway” into Shawnee, runs east and west along Shawnee Mission Parkway, roughly from Flint Street to the Merriam city line.
What it means: In addition to making room for the new “artisanal manufacturing” land use category, the new regulation is also meant to discourage a saturation of businesses oriented toward automobiles.
- Gas service stations would not be allowed in the highway district, and auto parts stores, convenience stores and gas service stations would not be allowed in the town square district.
- Neither district currently has existing businesses that would be disallowed under the new rules.
- Additionally, restaurants would need special use permits to add drive-thru lanes.
The details: The new category allows a business up to 2,500 square feet of space for manufacturing, but requires 150 square feet of storefront on the ground floor in which the product is sold.
- Screening and buffering is also required when the business abuts a residential district.
- The classification combines other types of light manufacturing currently allowed in planned industrial zones.
- However, if an artisanal business is larger than 2,500 square feet or has no retail area, it still would not be allowed within the downtown and highway districts.
Zooming out: Shawnee has become home to several breweries and other handcrafted stores, none of which uses more than 2,500 square feet for manufacturing.
- Commissioners briefly discussed whether artisan shops should be required to have a certain number of open hours for their retail store, but did not put it into the city regulations because they disliked the intrusion into the businesses.
- “I hate to see them write rules requiring people to sit around when they don’t have traffic,” said Commissioner Joe Van Welleghem.
What’s next: If approved by the full city council at its meeting Sept. 12, the new category would become effective Sept. 20.
