Traffic flow considered, residents committed to infill despite fire, and a new gas station avoids stricter regulations.
- Old Hyde park
- Southmoreland
- Hyde Park
- Hickman Mills
- Holmes Park
- Wendell Philips
- 18th and Vine
- Oak Park
- Barry Harbor
- Northland
Board of Zoning Adjustments
Wednesday, April 23rd at 9am
The Board of Zoning Adjustments (BZA) was attended this week by Chairperson Mark Ebbitts, Emerson “Jaz” Hays, Myeisha Wright, RanDi Mixdorf, Gonzalo Ventura, and Theresa Otto.
CD-SUP-2024-00048 requested a Special-Use Permit (SUP) to allow a mechanics shop at 3840 Warwick Blvd, at the boundary of the Old Hyde Park and Southmoreland neighborhoods. This case was recommended for approval by the City Planning Commission in last week’s meeting. Read about it in a previous edition of This Week at City Hall.
On Wednesday, city planner Ahnna Nanoski presented this case with applicants Jacob Hodson, from Olsson Studio, Tom Keegan, and Jose Cordova. According to Nanoksi, the SUP was necessary for this site due to its location along the Warwick Blvd. Certain uses, like automotive repair, need special approval, in the form of an SUP, to be located along parkways and boulevards.
There was some discussion about traffic flow on the site. Last week, the CPC required that the applicants remove all entrances onto the site along 39th St, opting instead to put the exit on Warwick. The applicants agreed so that the CPC would approve their case, but on Wednesday, they requested that the BZA allow an entrance along 39th street. Hearing the property owner’s concerns about traffic, the BZA recommended approval of the SUP with the requested amendments.
CD-BZA-2024-00038 approved a variance for new construction at 4007 Harrison St, within the Hyde Park neighborhood. Currently, this site is zoned R-1.5 (Residential), which means it must have a minimum of 1,500 square feet of space per unit. This variance would allow the builders to have less than 1,500 square feet per unit, increasing the density of the site.
City planner Stephanie Saldari presented this case with applicants Jaron Rainey and Chris Woods. Rainey and Woods have developed several properties near the subject site, mostly “Kansas City six-plexes”. Because the historic building on 4007 Harrison burned down, the most Rainey and Woods could rebuild was a four-unit building. Hoping to match the neighborhood, they requested a variance from the BZA to allow construction of a new six-plex.
During public testimony, Hyde Park neighborhood association president Chris Kotch testified in support of the variance. The BZA unanimously recommended approval of the increased density variance.
CD-SUP-2022-00002 requested the extension to the expiration date of a Special Use Permit (SUP) from two years to three. The SUP applies to 11511 Blue Ridge Boulevard, located within the Hickman Mills neighborhood, and allows the site to operate as a gas station.
City planner Ahnna Nanoski presented this case with applicants Steve Noon, Tariq Mahmoud, Muzam Tariq, and Hassan Tariq. The applicant originally applied for their gas station SUP in 2022, but due to development pressure, weren’t able to act upon the approved permit. Then, in 2024, the Gas Station Moratorium prevented them from constructing the building.
With their expiration date coming up soon, the applicants decided to apply to extend their SUP rather than asking for a new one. Applying for a new Special Use Permit would subject the applicants to the newly adopted, and stricter, gas station regulations in Kansas City. The board recommended approval of this SUP.
CD-SUP-2025-00010 approved a Special Use Permit (SUP) to allow for the expansion of warehousing and distribution facilities at 4001 E 149th St, near the southern edge of Kansas City. City planner Ahnna Nanoski presented this case with applicant Sam Bailey. This case was heard at the City Planning Commission meeting on April 16th, read the previous edition of This Week at City Hall to learn more.
This SUP would allow the Amazon Warehouse located on site to operate a new service, Amazon Air. Bailey described the details of the new service, which would operate in a seven mile radius around the warehouse. Amazon customers in the area would now have the option to have their packages delivered by drone.
Along with approval from the City Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustment, Amazon has also gotten approval from the local Federal Aviation Administration. The board unanimously recommended approval of this Special Use Permit.
Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee
Tuesday, April 22nd at 1:30pm
The Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee (NPD) includes Chairperson Ryana Parks-Shaw, Vice Chair Eric Bunch, Councilmember Melissa Patterson Hazley, and Councilmember Nathan Willett.
PREVIOUSLY APPROVED CASE. The Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee committee heard several cases already approved by the City Planning Commission or the Board of Zoning Adjustment. After receiving approval from the NPD Committee, these cases will be heard before the full City Council.
Ordinance 250326 approved a major amendment to a previously approved plan, located at 6735 Holmes Rd, within the Holmes Park neighborhood. This plan approves the construction of Brookside Emergency Care Hospital, an extension of the existing Research Medical Center ER of Brookside. Read this previous edition of This Week at City Hall for more details about the project (CD-CPC-2025-00016).
Ordinance 250327 approved amendments to the Zoning and Development Code, as a part of the City Planning Commission’s periodic review of the code. City planner Mattew Barnes presented both amendments proposed for Chapter 88 (zoning and development code). This amendment was recommended for approval by the City Planning Commission on March 5th, read this previous edition of This Week at City Hall for more details (CD-CPC-2025-00011).
Resolution 250328 and Ordinance 250336 approved a plan amendment and rezoning for nine lots along 20th Street between Brooklyn Ave and Olive St, within the Wendell Phillips neighborhood. Applicant John DeBauche, from the Land Bank of Kansas City, requested the plan amendment in anticipation of the lots being sold and redeveloped. The Land Bank hopes that the plan amendment and the accompanying rezoning will give potential buyers more flexibility in their redevelopment plans. These cases were recommended for approval by the City Planning Commission, read this previous edition of This Week at City Hall for more details (CD-CPC-2024-00123 and CD-CPC-2024-00104).
Ordinance 250329 approved a development plan for 1616 E 18th Street, within the 18th and Vine neighborhood. This address, a former YMCA building with historic significance, will be the new home of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The plan also includes a hotel on the north end of the site. City planner Genevieve Kohn presented this case to the committee with applicants Andrea Young, Bob Kendrick (president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum), and Emily Harold (from Multistudio). The City Planning Commission recommended approval of this case, read a previous edition of This Week at City Hall for more details (CD-CPC-2025-00020 and CD-CPC-2025-00014).
Ordinance 250331 approved a rezoning of 3434 Montgall Ave from R-2.5 (Residential) to B3-3 (Commercial), within the Oak Park neighborhood. City planner Mattew Barnes presented this case with applicant Ryan Long, the developer’s legal representation. This case was previously recommended for approval by the City Planning Commission, read this edition of This Week at City Hall for more details (CD-CPC-2025-00022).
Ordinance 250335 and Ordinance 250336 approved a rezoning request and a proposed development plan at 8130 N Platte Purchase Dr, within the Northland. These cases will facilitate the construction of 90 total residential units. This subdivision was recommended for approval by the CPC, read this edition of This Week at City Hall for more details (CD-CPC-2025-00029 and CD-CPC-2025-00023).
Ordinance 250337 approved a rezoning request without plan at 901 NW 79th Street, within the Barry Harbor neighborhood. City planner Andrew Clarke presented this case to the commision. If approved, this site would be rezoned from R-80 (low density residential) to R-2.5 (medium density residential). This case was previously recommended for approval by the City Planning Commission, read this edition of This Week at City Hall for more details (CD-CPC-2025-00012).
After receiving a positive recommendation from the Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee, all seven of these cases were fully adopted by the City Council, giving full approval to these projects.
Author’s Bio
Grayson Johnston is the author of This Week at City Hall and an Urban Planning and Design Student at UMKC. He moved to Kansas City two years ago and has loved it ever since. Grayson became interested in community and neighborhoods while still in high school, when he discovered the field of Urban Planning. As he learned about the theory of walkability, transit, and strong communities, Grayson became committed to going to planning school and starting a career growing his community.
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