About 15 years ago, former Prairie Village mayor Ron Shaffer appointed Nancy Wallerstein to the city’s planning commission.
Wallerstein — whose public service roles included a 20-year stint on the Johnson County Parks and Recreation District board of directors and a nearly decade-long run on the Prairie Village City Council — has been instrumental in making Prairie Village what it is today. That includes bringing the award-winning Meadowbrook Park to the city.
Now, after nearly two decades of service, Wallerstein’s time as a planning commissioner has come to an end.
This ending is about three years earlier than Wallerstein hoped
Wallerstein said she wanted to remain on the planning commission to see the current zoning issue through to the end, especially considering that she’s already put in at least a year’s worth of work on the issue.
But the mayor appoints residents to the planning commission, a decision that is formally approved by the city council.
Mayor Eric Mikkelson told the Post that “Wallerstein has been a tremendous asset to” the city for years. He said she was a driving force behind Meadowbrook Park and noted that the city is grateful for her dedication to public service over the years.
“After fifteen years of great, dedicated service and multiple re-appointment terms to the [planning commission], including her re-appointment last time by me, and more importantly with multiple new highly qualified PV-resident candidates eager to serve this year, we decided it was time,” Mikkelson said in a text to the Post.
Wallerstein said that even though it is about three years earlier than she hoped, she’s OK with moving on from her time with the planning commission.
Wallerstein fought for the clubhouse at Meadowbrook Park
At a social event years ago, Wallerstein said the Meadowbrook Country Club chief financial officer told her that the club was “going under.”
Wallerstein, who was also on the Johnson County Parks and Recreation District board of directors at that time, told the chief financial officer that the county parks district wanted to buy it.
She ended up involved in the planning of the park from two sides: On one hand, Wallerstein was involved in the park planning itself through her work with the county parks and recreation board, and on the other hand, she was involved on the development side with the planning commission.
Wallerstein said she had to dig her heels in and fight for the parks and recreation board to approve the clubhouse at Meadowbrook Park.
“This building would not have existed if not for me,” Wallerstein said. “I fell on my sword, I fought tooth and nail.”
Other big impacts and reflections over the years
In addition to her efforts with Meadowbrook Park, Wallerstein also worked on redevelopments of the Shops of Prairie Village, Corinth Square and Corinth Quarter as a planning commissioner.
She worked on the Mission Chateau project, an infill development off of 75th Street and Canterbury Court, and regular lot splits or signage requests, too.
Wallerstein said she’s watched Prairie Village’s art scene grow and witnessed the city gain more green space during her time on the planning commission.
As she watched Prairie Village’s love of the arts and parks explode, Wallerstein said she’s seen residents become more community-minded at the same time. People have stopped going inside their houses and isolating themselves from their neighbors, she said.
“Now, with the addition of trails and sidewalks, and people getting out for Village Fest and JazzFest and the arts … they’ve got Juneteenth coming up,” Wallerstein said. “I think it’s become more community friendly.”
Wallerstein remains involved with parks and recreation at the county level. She is currently appointed to the county’s museum advisory council and sits on the Parks and Recreation Foundation of Johnson County board of directors.
Wallerstein hopes Prairie Village keeps its character
For the past 15 years, Wallerstein has had her hand in forming the Prairie Village of today.
Wallerstein has been a Prairie Village resident for 45 years, since 1979. She worries about the lack of developable land — with Meadowbrook Park being the last real opportunity for development — and the lack of places for older adults to move to in the city.
Still, Wallerstein said she knows Prairie Village to be a warm place, somewhere a family can raise their children. The Prairie Village that Wallerstein knows is reflected in grocery store workers knowing patrons by name, asking about their job and their families, she said.
Wallerstein said she hopes that as time goes on, Prairie Village maintains its warm and welcoming ways.
She said she hopes Prairie Village continues to be what it is today, despite any divisiveness that has grown — alluding to the polarizing housing issue that took the city by storm over the past two years.
“Through the divisiveness, there is a good outcome,” Wallerstein said. “People are invested, they are starting to pay attention, and that is what democracy is all about. That makes me happy, that people are engaged.”
Keep reading: PV city councilmemebr Lauren Wolf resigns, leaving vacancy to be filled
