Outsiders wanting to see the Facebook discussions of the main citizen group behind the debate over housing in Prairie Village no longer can, at least not without being allowed into the group
Stop Rezoning Prairie Village, also known as PV United, recently made its previously public Facebook group page private.
It is unclear what led to the decision just weeks before the Nov. 7 election in which housing promises to be a defining issue at the ballot in Prairie Village.
Much of that electoral energy has been supplied by Stop Rezoning PV, which helped organized three citizen petitions that are also a key issue in the election and has voiced vehement opposition to any potential changes to zoning in single-family neighborhoods.
The group did not respond to the Post’s multiple requests for comment for this story.
The once-public Facebook page is now private, which means Facebook users must become a member of the group in order to view the posts. Facebook users need to request to become part of Stop Rezoning PV’s group, and requests can be accepted or rejected by the group’s administrators.
Who is Stop Rezoning PV?
- Last year, a group of residents banded together as Stop Rezoning PV to voice opposition to housing recommendations that the Prairie Village City Council advanced in summer 2022.
- That opposition turned into calls to remake city government and restrict zoning changes in single-family neighborhoods with the introduction of a set of three resident-led petitions, which ultimately gained thousands of valid signatures.
- Two of those three petitions, including one that would have overturned the 2021 election, were tossed out by a Johnson County judge last month. The same judge determined the third petition is eligible to go on a ballot.
- The group has also called on the city to be more transparent and communicative with residents.
- Read the Post’s timeline of how Prairie Village’s housing conversation unfolded over the past year here.
Facebook served as a platform for the group
- The group frequently used the Facebook page to rally supporters for city council meetings and, this past spring, petition signing events.
- In the past couple of months, the group used the Facebook page to encourage followers to vote for six specific city council candidates.
- A screenshot the Post captured Oct. 3 shows a Sept. 16 Facebook post in which one active user is encouraging Prairie Village residents to vote for the candidates challenging the incumbents on Nov. 7.
- “We deserve leadership that listens to and works with their constituents, not leaders who pursue their own agendas,” the post read.
The group still opposes changes to single-family
The group “wants the city council to officially declare R-1 (single-family districts) off limits to rezoning by-right,” according to frequently asked questions on the group’s official website.
Stop Rezoning PV goes on to cite a list of reasons why it is opposed to increased density in single-family neighborhoods, namely a strain on infrastructure and overcrowding concerns.
The group supports six candidates vying for city council seats in the Nov. 7 general election — five of whom are challenging incumbents — “because the city council has ignored requests to permanently remove R-1 rezoning from consideration.”
“As added protection from the whims of the City Council, three petitions were drafted, reviewed by the county counselor, signed by thousands of citizens and submitted for inclusion on the November ballot,” the FAQ reads.
Rezoning has never been part of the housing recommendations; rather, the original recommendations called for changes to the zoning code that open up the possibility of accessory dwelling units, courtyard patterns and small-lot detached housing in single-family districts.
A newer Facebook page calls for “saving” Prairie Village
- Last month, a Facebook page called “Save Prairie Village” came on the scene, encouraging followers to vote for the challengers on Nov. 7.
- Save Prairie Village makes similar posts to that of Stop Rezoning PV and specifically notes “rapid spending” and “the divisiveness” of the current governing body.
- The website connected to Save Prairie Village states it wants to “preserve the charm and character of a city we all love.”
- A man who identified himself as Mike answered the phone number associated with the Save Prairie Village Facebook page, but declined to speak with the Post and hung up.
Go deeper: Prairie Village’s housing recommendations have split the city — how did we get here?
