A long-vacant property in Shawnee that was previously planned for an apartment complex will see new life as an area for a single-family home.
Last week, the Shawnee City Council unanimously approved the undeveloped property at 7460 Renner Rd. to be rezoned from the PUDMR (Planned Unit Development
Mixed Residential) Zoning District to the R-1 (Single-Family Residential) Zoning District.
The rezoning demand came at the request of the property owner, Hal Boyles. The vote was 8-0.
The property was originally a single-family home
Around the 1940s, the property contained a home and an out building, according to city documents. Both were demolished nearly 20 years ago.
In March 2002, the property was rezoned from AG (Agricultural) to PUDMR (Planned Mixed Residential) to make way for Mill Creek Apartments, a planned 360-unit apartment complex built on more than 32 acres.
The project never came together and the property has remained vacant ever since, with 12 acres of it being purchased by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District, making development of the originally approved plan unfeasible, according to city documents.
The rezoning gives the land new use
After remaining dormant for decades, the property being rezoned back to a single-family residence gives it purpose again, city staff noted.
“The apartment development is no longer viable, nor desired at this location,” city documents stated. “Lack of public sewer in the area limits development of this property for more intense uses. The adjacent Johnson County Parks and Recreation District has no apparent desire for the property.”
Boyles plans on building a two-story home for his wife and him to live in and enjoy their retirement, city documents stated.
“All these combining factors, this remnant piece, its highest and best use is single-family,” said Doug Allmon, Shawnee community planning director.
The request had council talk about the comprehensive plan
The rezoning request followed a vote by the council to reject plans for an XPO trucking facility.
During that discussion, Councilmember Kurt Knappen noted what he viewed as a large discrepancy between the facility’s rezoning request, which would have rezoned the area from Agricultural to Planned Industrial, while the comprehensive plan’s Future Land Use had it designated as mixed-use.
In contrast to that request, Councilmember Laurel Burchfield noted that this request is also different than what was in the comprehensive plan, but is much more suited to the area.
“I just want to acknowledge just how important that (the comprehensive plan) is as a tool for us to evaluate as we look at these proposals as they come before us,” she said. “I think this is a good request for something that is totally different than what was proposed, and I feel very good about this.”
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