A plan for a new multifamily residential development between Woodsonia Drive and Monticello Road gained approval from the Lenexa Planning Commission this week.
The commission on Monday approved rezoning and a preliminary plan for The Residences on Woodsonia, both by 8-1 votes. Chairperson Chris Poss was in dissent on both items.
More than 300 apartment, townhome units are included
Kansas City-based Sunflower Development Group is leading the project.
The project would be split into two parts: 10 three-story apartment buildings containing 240 units total, along with 11 other buildings containing a total of 62 two-story townhomes.
It will also include shared amenities, such as a clubhouse, pool, dog park and pickleball courts. The townhomes will also have garages.
The two sections would be divided by 86th Street, a public street that will be built out as part of the development.
A nearby HOA has signed off on the project
The rezoning request changed the site’s current zoning from an agricultural district to intermediate- and high-density residential zones.
While it will be near other residential areas like Watercrest Landing, Jason Swords, Sunflower founder, said the apartments and townhomes will hopefully blend into the area.
“We’re not putting giant, tall buildings next door to single-family properties,” he said.
Swords said he met with the neighboring homeowners association to get their blessing.
“The consensus of our [HOA] was very supportive,” Paul Griesemer, a Lenexa resident, said. “We appreciate their several efforts to be a good neighbor to our development.”
A nearby gun range owner did raise concerns
Jason Spengel general manager of Powder Creek Shooting Park nearby, said he worried that neighbors at The Residences would have a problem hearing shooting range gunfire throughout the day.
“We really appreciate being at the site we’ve been at for 75 years,” he said. “The last thing we would like is 600 people to move in next door and start calling and complaining because they were unaware of a shotgun range being directly adjacent to [them].”
Swords assured Spengel that tenants would be warned about the noise before they signed their leases.
The planning commission approved the project
Curt Katterhenry praised Sunflower for doing due diligence with its neighbors.
“Whenever there’s a project that goes next to single-family residences, it’s always tricky,” he said. “I’m just glad to hear that it sounds like the neighborhood’s in support of this.”
Poss, who voted against the rezoning, said he had reservations about the project because of the number of people it would bring into that area.
“I think it’s a good-looking product, [but] I just think the density’s a little too much,” he said.
What happens next
The plan and rezoning will be taken up by Lenexa City Council at 7 p.m., on Dec. 19.
If the project moves forward from there, then the plan is to begin construction on the apartments in late 2024 and the townhomes in 2025, Swords said.
Other Lenexa development news: Empty Lenexa office tower to get new life as apartments
