More multi-family housing is coming to a part of western Shawnee slated for development.
On Sept. 14, the Shawnee City Council voted 7-0 to approve rezoning and a preliminary development plan for a new apartment complex off of Midland Drive and Shawnee Mission Parkway. Councilmember Kurt Knappen was absent.
Located at 20920 Midland Drive, Overlook at Midland is a proposed 17-acre multi-family residential development. The complex will feature five two- to three-story buildings with 168 apartment units, a one-story clubhouse and other amenities.
The rezoning plan changes the property from Commercial Highway (CH) to Planned Unit Development Mixed Residential (PUDMR), according to city documents. The property has been vacant under the previous designation since 1974.
The Topeka-based engineering firm Bartlett & West is the applicant on behalf the developer, the Indiana-based TWG Development.
The apartments will be located off of Shawnee Mission Parkway
Once built out, it will include:
- 88 one-bedroom apartments
- 16 two-bedroom apartments
- 64 three-bedroom apartments
It will also include a leasing office, fitness center and co-working space in the complex’s clubhouse, as well as two playground areas, a community garden, a dog park and walking trail connections.
While the site will be located in the Hickok-Zarah tax increment financing district, the developer has not yet applied for TIF funding.
Residents had concerns about roads
During the Shawnee Planning Commission meeting on Aug. 17, Steve Hensley, of Prairie Village, representing Trinity Lutheran Church, warned developers about the narrow nature of Midland Drive and the problems it could cause if it’s not widened before the complex is completed.
“I am a spirited, confident, aggressive driver, and I will not drive that road in the dark, particularly in the winter time. Why? Because too many people use that as a raceway,” he said.
Pastor Kevin Metsinger of Shawnee Mission Baptist Temple shared similar concerns, but was still in favor of the project.
“I’m encouraged about having more people because it means more prospects for the church, but I think that we can do it wisely, and I would hope that we wouldn’t wait till the apartment complex is in before we address our street,” he said.
The city does plan to improve and widen the road, Kevin Manning, Shawnee public works director, said during the city council meeting.
“While city staff is not concerned about the traffic, we do recognize the need to improve this roadway, and there are plans to do that in the near future,” he said.
While offering similar skepticism to residents, Shawnee commissioners supported it in August.
“Overall, I think this is a pretty good project and good use of the land here,” Commissioner David Aber said. “We don’t want to penalize the developers inherently for the road issue. I think we all know that’s the big elephant in the room right here. I just recommend to city council that if they are looking at this to try and help — push the improvement plan for the road and get that up on the CIP earlier rather than later.”
Shawnee city councilmembers didn’t have feedback for the project, other than how the complex will route drivers through the area once the complex is completed and open.
Overlook is latest Shawnee development
Overlook at Midland is the latest future development in western Shawnee.
In August, the Shawnee City Council approved the rezoning and preliminary site plan for Rec-Centric, a 277-unit high-rise apartment building four to five stories tall near I-435 Highway and Renner Road.
Last year, developers Material Capital Partners broke ground on Harmony at Clear Creek, a build-to-rent community located along Silverheel Street near Kansas Highway 7.
