Mayor Julie Sayers provided the deciding vote to approve a planned multifamily residential development in Lenexa.
On Tuesday, Sayers gave the required fifth vote to pass a rezoning request and a preliminary plan for The Residences at Woodsonia, a development between Woodsonia Drive and Monticello Road.
Both passed with a 5-3 vote. Councilmembers Bill Nicks, Joe Karlin and Courtney Eiterich were in dissent. Melanie Arroyo was absent.
The plan calls for two zoning districts
The project is split into two parts: 10 three-story apartment buildings containing 240 units total in the north section of the property and 62 duplex residential building units to the south. It will also include shared amenities, such as a clubhouse, pool, dog park and pickleball courts.
They would be divided by 86th Street, a public street that will be built out as part of the development.
Because of that, the rezoning asks for the property to be zoned as high-density residential for the apartments and intermediate-density residential for the duplexes.
Some councilmembers had problems with the zoning
Councilmembers Nicks, Karlin and Eiterich all said they were uncomfortable with the combined zoning.
“We’ve driven by this site for years. (There’s a) big sign that says ‘Medium Density.’ To me, that means RP-2 or RP-3,” Nicks said. “Especially changing it to (RP-4) and that increased density, even though it’s only on half that would smash them together, and we come up with RP-2 virtually. I don’t like the density.”
Eiterich agreed with Nicks.
“Even though it means RP-4 requirements, I still feel like that is, in conjunction with the surrounding areas, that sort of thing is too much going on in this space,” she said. “I have real concerns. I’m not supportive of this much going on in this area.”
Other councilmembers were supportive of it
Councilmember Chelsea Williamson praised the developer Sunflower Development for remanding the project in January and coming back with a more realized vision.
“I really commend the staff for coming back with something that I see as much more cohesive,” she said. “It really looks like a total project as opposed to the two separate kind of odd-shaped north and south (properties).”
After hearing from his colleagues who spoke in dissent of the project, Councilmember Craig Denny said the developer is doing the best that it can with the area it’s given.
“I kind of think this fits and I think you’ve done a good job with a tough site,” he said.
What happens next
A final site plan will be submitted to the Lenexa Planning Commission in the future.
Go deeper: Lenexa commission approves revised plan for 300+ apartments and duplexes
