An area of western Shawnee considered mostly unable to be developed in its current state could one day be home to new conventional neighborhoods, low-density multifamily housing, sprawling park space and commercial zones.
Late last year, the city council authorized the formation of a 1,650-acre improvement district that stretches between Monticello Road and Woodland Drive from Shawnee Mission Parkway to the southern city limit. Recently, the Shawnee city staff presented a basic conceptual plan for the now-dubbed Hickok Zarah conservation tax increment financing, or TIF, district to the planning commission.
“We’ve got a really neat opportunity here, let’s do it right,” planning commissioner Leo Nunnink said.
The Hickok Zarah TIF district is unique
- TIF districts spur development or redevelopment by turning over tax funds from increased property value, called tax increments, during a certain time frame usually to a developer or private firm.
- The increments made in this conservation TIF goes directly to Shawnee to pay for road and other infrastructure work and improvements in the area.
- The Hickok Zarah TIF district is a rarity because the funds raised won’t go to a private developer but back to the city.
- This TIF district is also specifically designed to preserve a certain percentage of greenspace, which has been identified in the concept plan through natural storm water detention areas and open spaces.
Commercial and housing developments are proposed
- At Monticello Road and 75th Street, the concept plan identifies the area for small-scale, neighborhood commercial developments that would be made up primarily of single-story strip centers for boutiques, retail shops, services and offices.
- Nearby would be an area of horizontal mixed-use, which would put some commercial buildings next to low-density multifamily housing options.
- These wouldn’t be stacked uses, like those found in downtown Overland Park or Lenexa City Center, where apartments are on top of shops, but would place them next to each other, the conceptual plan says.
Single-family homes are also included
- Mixed density with some senior living, row houses or townhome-style buildings would be built at Monticello from 76th Street to 79th Street.
- There could also be an area of more conventional, single-family-home neighborhoods with subdivisions and different size lots.
- All of this would then back up to the existing Bristol Highland subdivision near 83rd Street and K-7.
A series of infrastructure improvements are planned
- The concept plan also shows a mix of open space, trail access, pedestrian connections for Maranatha Christian Academy and Horizon Elementary and the construction of a on- and off-ramp for K-7 at 75th Street.
- The plan also calls for extensions or improvements to Woodland, 72nd, 73rd, 75th and 80th streets in the area.
- Many existing homes in the area are not plugged into the county wastewater system either, which means that may need to be installed, as well.
These plans aren’t a done deal
- As a concept plan without a master developer identified or a set green light from the Shawnee City Council, there aren’t specific renderings or aerial drawings for the TIF district yet.
- At this time, some of the property within the district is still privately held by several different owners for residential and other uses.
- Also, hardly anything on the site is currently zoned for the uses identified in the concept plan, though it does align with the city’s long-term comprehensive plan aims for the area.
- Additionally, there is very little public infrastructure in the area to support these plans, so the city will likely be paying for some of the improvements ahead of the development through cash or bond debt and be required to reimburse itself later on, deputy city manager Caitlin Gard said.
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