Six Lenexa residents have filed a lawsuit against the city, declaring that city officials are selling parkland to Habitat for Humanity without giving them proper notice.
On Tuesday in Johnson County District Court, the six residents filed the lawsuit that, among other allegations, claims City Manager Beccy Yocham held private meetings with the developer.
The lawsuit was filed hours before a marathon meeting during which the Lenexa City Council approved the sale of city-owned land to Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City to build a new neighborhood of 50 single-family homes.
Among the allegations in the lawsuit, plaintiffs assert that City Manager Beccy Yocham and city staff held a meeting with developers at a private church in Olathe on July 15, 2025.
In an email to the developers quoted in court documents, Yocham said she didn’t expect anyone from the public to attend.
“We did list it on our weekly meeting list, so it is technically an open public meeting, but I do not expect anyone from the public to attend,” she wrote in the email. “I will be sure to tell you if anyone is there that isn’t one of our team.”
Because the lawsuit is pending litigation, the city of Lenexa would not comment on the lawsuit, said city spokesperson Denise Rendina.
The city mentioned notice in a weekly meeting email sent out on July 11, 2025, that the Lenexa governing body would meet in July 2025 at Pathway Community Church in Olathe. That church spearheaded Habitat for Humanity’s neighborhood project Pathway at Heritage Park.
Attorney Michelle Burns, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the six residents, did not return a request for comment from the Johnson County Post in time for publication. We will update this story once we hear back.
The lawsuit alleges residents weren’t given proper notice
The lawsuit centers on a 17-acre tract of then-city-owned land near 86th Terrace and Clare Road.
The land was part of a 130-acre purchase by the city that started in the late 1990s, when the city was buying up property zoned for agricultural use at the time.
The plan at the time was to convert it all into parkland, centered around a regional lake, like what exists today at Black Hoof Lake. Around 2015, the city moved away from those plans and turned several acres into wetlands with a trail system.
At the same time, Lenexa took steps to decommission three chunks of the property in that area as dedicated future parkland under state law, with the intent of seeing it developed with residential uses in mind.
One of those tracts is the planned 17-acre Habitat for Humanity project, while another 40-acre tract is still planned for future development as Centennial Park, which remains part of the city’s long-term park goals. (In the capital improvement plan list maintained by Lenexa, design on the new park is scheduled to commence in 2027.)
The lawsuit makes several allegations against the city
The allegations listed in the lawsuit include:
- A lack of mailed notices, published notices and on-site signage ahead of a then-scheduled January 2026 Lenexa Planning Commission hearing, alleging those acts were “illegal.” Because of that, it was rescheduled to Feb. 2, where the planning commission unanimously recommended approval of the rezoning and preliminary plat of the property.
- Neighbors close to the proposed Habitat for Humanity property were not given proper notice of public hearings, as required under Kansas law.
- The planning commission did not adequately evaluate potential impacts on surrounding neighborhoods, stormwater systems, schools, or the property’s prior designation as park or open space.
- Private discussions the city held with Habitat for Humanity about the project.
Below is a full copy of the lawsuit.
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Open in new tab 6 Lenexa residents are included in the lawsuit
Filed by attorney Michelle Burns, the lawsuit includes six Lenexa residents as plaintiffs:
- Jeffrey Cheek
- Jeffrey A. Beavers
- Pamela J. Beavers
- Christina Wallace
- Curtis Braxdale
- Donna Braxdale
At the city council meeting, Burns and Pamela Beavers spoke against the sale of the property.
“When residents speak up, it is not resistance, it is stewardship,” Pamela Beavers said on Tuesday night. “We care about where we live. We relied on the city’s adopted plans when making long term decisions, including future renovations and potentially building again in Lenexa. Today, those plans feel very uncertain.”
The lawsuit urges the city to stop the sale of the property
In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs ask the court to invalidate the planning commission’s recommendation, halt further action on the rezoning and sale, and require the city to restart the process in compliance with state law.
The plaintiffs ask for a temporary, preliminary and permanent injunction to stop any further action.
No court date is set to hear the case, according to Johnson County Court records.
Go deeper: Lenexa approves Habitat for Humanity neighborhood, after emotional marathon meeting
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