After a three-and-a-half month pause for architects to reconsider its density, Leawood planning commissioners gave the Chadwick Place housing development a green light on Tuesday with relatively little discussion.
Chadwick Place had been proposed in September 2025 as a development of 31 twin villa buildings — akin to duplexes — on about 15 acres south of 135th Street and east of Chadwick Street. That would have created 62 units altogether.
But at the Sept. 30 meeting, planning commissioners expressed concerns about the density and did not have enough votes to recommend it for approval. So the project by Oddo Development Company, Inc., was sent back to its architects.
The revisions presented Tuesday reduced the number of twin villas to 16 units in eight buildings and drew the remaining space into 34 single-family detached homes. That reduction, from 64 total units to 50, amounted to a 19% reduction in density, said Patrick Reuter, of Klover Architects.
He also told commissioners that the amount of green space still exceeds what’s required in the Leawood development ordinance.
Two commissioners praised the plan, calling it “much improved” from the original version. “I think this looks like a much, much better plan,” said Commissioner Mike Fishman.
Leawood officials have been concerned with diversifying the housing stock beyond single-family homes on large lots. Twin villas also had been proposed in the Regents Park development nearby, but that developer also pulled back the number of duplexes and increased the single-family homes.
David Coleman, chair of the planning commission, said the revised Chadwick Place plan should still fill a housing need in the city.
“We try to diversify our housing stock in the city and I know there’s no amenities, no pickleball court, no pool. Which I think is fine. I think you’re going to find a homeowner who just wants to live in Leawood, wants a small home and doesn’t want any of those other things, so I think it’s going to be a good addition to our housing stock,” he said.
No one spoke at the public hearing. Commissioners gave it a unanimous voice vote for recommendation to the full city council.
