ShawneeDispatch.com

Shawnee — Keep your promises and don't bring development that is not wanted or needed.

Those were the messages of residents who showed up in force Monday to protest changes to the city's land use guide that would indicate the city supports commercial property moving further into residential areas. The Shawnee Planning Commission held a public hearing to consider those changes to the Land Use Guide, which directs the city in future development of property, and was swayed to delay designating some ground as appropriate for commercial use on Monticello Road.

The planning department staff members may have been expecting some opposition as they reminded commissioners and those present at the meeting that the Land Use Guide is just that, simply a guide for future redevelopment, letting developers know the city considers a certain zoning to be reasonable in the future. Changes to the guide do not rezone the property, and property owners are notified when there are any requests to rezone a property in their area.

But several residents said that a change to commercial in the land-use guide would make it harder for any other sort of development to come into the area, or that the area was simply not appropriate for commercial.

First up were changes making land along Midland Drive's north side from Interstate 435 to Maurer Road designated for office or service developments, and property on the south side of Midland designated as medium use residential from the Westglen theatre to just before Lackman Road.

Some residents protested the designation would make land harder to sell on the south side of the road or asked for no change at all. Other residents expressed doubts that developers would be interested given the number of vacant properties elsewhere in the city.

Residents along Bell Road, north of Midland and west of Maurer, said the city promised years ago not to allow commercial development west of Bell. They complained they were not involved in the city's process to determine the best kind of development for the area.

A few other residents in the area said they approved of the change, however, and Commissioners agreed that some more definite direction was needed in the area.

"If we don't make this change, we're doing a disservice to those who buy homes in this area in the future," Commissioner Augie Bogina said.

The next item drawing ire was the suggestion of designating "neighborhood" retail development for a 50-acre "wedge" created between the old Monticello Road and the new alignment of the road when it is built south of 75th Street.

Paul Chaffee, planning director, explained the issue was not proposed by any of the property owners in the area. He said city staff suggested it for consideration because commercial development tends to come in at intersections of major arterial roads, which 75th and Monticello will be.

But residents said with commercial developments at 83rd and Kansas Highway 7 to the south and Shawnee Crossings to the north, there was no need for any more retail. One by one, all residents who addressed the Commission about the change stated their opposition.

"Government leaders are supposed to listen and govern for the people," Diane Donaldson said. "People who live here do not want all these changes. If you're representing us, why aren't you listening to us?"

Several Commissioners agreed the change was premature, and the issue should be looked at again in a year or more. Commissioner Eric Jenkins said he didn't see any reason why the property should ever be appropriate for commercial use if no one wanted it and that the commission should make some sort of statement to that affect.

But other Commissioners said that with two four-lane roads in the area, they did see potential for commercial development in the future, and the Commission voted to table the issue until next year's review of the Land Use Guide.

Other guide changes were approved with no opposition. They included changing land on the west side of Pflumm Road in the 6100 block from medium density residential to office commercial; changing land in the river bottoms west of K-7 to industrial; designating park land purchased for a western aquatic center on Woodland Drive; and giving school property its own color designation on the map.

The Commission also approved an actual rezoning from agricultural to planned industrial for 84 acres for the North Shawnee Business Park in the 23300 block of W. 43rd Street.

In other business, the Commission approved on its consent agenda:

¢ A revised site plan for a 4,555 square-foot QuikTrip, 11915 Johnson Dr.

¢ A site plan for a 32,000 square foot building addition for Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, 12701 W. 67th St.

¢ A site plan for a 2,160-foot building addition to Oaklawn School, 20720 W. 47th St.

¢ A final plat for 59 lots in the second plat of Ridgestone Meadows, located in the 20800 block of W. 68th St.

¢ A final plat for two lots in the third plat of Grey Oaks Commercial, located in the 22700 block of Johnson Drive.

¢ A final plat for one lot in the seventh plat of Shawnee Crossing Retail Center in the 6800 block of Hilltop Drive.

¢ A final plat approval for one lot in Rolling Hills Estates, located in the 21000 block of W. 71st St.