This Week at City Hall (December 8 -12, 2025)

New CID leadership appointments, a partnership with Aim4Peace and several neighborhoods, and public space improvements in Brookside.

Please Note: We apologize for limited coverage in this week’s edition due to author’s academic obligations (final exams). Certain items from the Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee are not reported on. Please check agenda for details.

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Neighborhood Planning & Development Committee

Tuesday, December 9th at 1:30pm

The Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee is headed by Chairperson Ryana Parks-Shaw, Vice Chair Eric Bunch, and Councilmembers Nathan Willett and Melissa Patterson Hazley.

Ordinance 250983 requested approval to repeal and replace Section 74-302 (Chapter 74, Article VII) of the Code of Ordinances to allow community improvement districts requesting a finding of blight, or relying on a prior determination of blight, to submit alternative acceptable documentation when reasonable efforts to obtain official notarized documentation from the county assessor have been unsuccessful. Erich Steyaert, Analysis – City Planning and Development, presented this item to the Committee.

Mr. Steyaert explained that some CID representatives have had difficulty compelling the relevant county to notarize the documentation which they are required to submit annually to the City. To allow CIDs to still make their petitions, staff recommended that the code be amended to allow the use of alternative documents when a CID submits evidence of its unsuccessful attempts to obtain notarized county records.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item. It was later passed by the City Council this Thursday.

Ordinance 251018 requested approval of the petition to establish the Hillcrest Community Improvement District, located northwest of the intersection of 83rd Street and Hillcrest Road in the Blue Ridge neighborhood. Mr. Kurt Peterson, a representative for the petitioner: 635 Holdings, presented this item to the Committee.

This CID would support the restoration of the Hillcrest Golf Course, with an estimated project completion year of 2027. 

Councilwoman Patterson-Hazley expressed concern with this request, as the golf course would primarily be membership-based, and would generate relatively low tax revenue, despite covering a large extent of land. She noted the numerous CIDs in Kansas City, speaking to their benefit as vehicles to address blight, but also speaking to the need for the City to generate taxes to maintain infrastructure like roads, sewers, etc. which support private development and the citizenry at large.

Councilman Willett asked Mr. Peterson why the golf course couldn’t charge members 1% more to make up the difference, and requested that more details on the petitioner’s financing be provided.

The Committee moved to continue this item to December 16th.

Ordinance 251031 requested approval to amend the use tables in Sections 88-120, 88-130, and 88-140 of the Zoning and Development Code; creating a new Section 88-353, “Large Format Uses,” to establish use standards for Large Format uses; creating a new section 88-339, “Data Centers,” to establish use standards for Data Centers; amending Section 88-805-05, “Industrial Use Group,” to add definitions for Large Format Uses and Data Centers; and amending Section 88-810, “Definitions,” to add a definition for Green Roofs. Lead Planner Jennifer Reinhardt, Staff Planner Sara Copeland, and Brian Jackson – Wilson & Co., presented this item to the Committee.

This item was brought before the City Plan Commission on October 1st as CD-CPC-2025-00078 and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

Ms. Reinhardt explained that while the KC Spirit Comprehensive Plan addresses Large Format Uses, the City’s Zoning and Development Code does not. She went on to inform the Commission that these code amendments would set definitions and standards when a developer wants to build a Large Format Use. These include requirement of a traffic impact study as well as prohibition of odors, dust, vibration, noise, spillover light, or other external impacts that are detectable beyond the property lines of a subject site.

There was also proposed a series of acceptable design standards (including interventions such as green infrastructure, solar panels, and green roofs) for these sorts of structures when they are located within 100 ft of an R or D zoning district. The ordinance also proposes different buffer types mandating a separation distance between residential/public uses and truck loading bays, outdoor storage, mechanical equipment, etc.

Additionally, this amendment would separate Data Centers as their own use under 88-805. Instead of being part of “Communications Service Establishments” (88-805-04-G), Data Centers would be given their own designation under 88-805-05-H. They would be defined as “A building dedicated to the storage, management, processing, and/or transmission of digital data, including support equipment related to digital data operations.”

Finally, Staff had received considerable public comment, including adding additional restrictions for data centers like requiring environmental impact assessments and annual reporting, as well as establishing limits to water and energy usage. Ms. Reinhardt explained that while these considerations won’t be included in the proposed code amendment, further amendments that address them will be forthcoming.

After public testimony was given, the Committee moved to continue this item to January 13th to allow for further revision and clarification.

Ordinance 250998 requested approval to rezone the site located at 4630 Troost Avenue in the Hyde Park and Manheim Park neighborhoods from District UR to District B4-5 and to approve a related development plan that also serves as a preliminary plat to allow for a commercial development on the site. Staff Planner Matthew Barnes along with Patricia Jensen, a representative for the applicant, presented this item to the Committee.

The subject site hosts a vacant Walgreen’s pharmacy, which the applicant was seeking to convert to an electronics supplier. The supplier will sell retail and wholesale electronic equipment. Only minor physical changes to the site are anticipated.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item. It was later passed by the City Council this Thursday.

Ordinance 250995 requested approval of the petition to establish the Brookside Shops Community Improvement District, located at West 63rd Street and Brookside Boulevard in the Brookside and Morningside neighborhoods. Jerry Riffle – Lathrop GPM, representing the petitioner: GRI Brookside, presented this item to the Committee.

The purpose of the proposed CID is to fund and develop aesthetic and environmental public improvements in the Brookside area. This would include a public-private partnership to build pedestrian connections, gathering places, wayfinding, and other improvements. Included in these plans is a bike/pedestrian connection of the Trolley Track Trail between 6nd Terrace/ Brookside Plaza and Meyer Blvd/Brookside Plaza. 

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item. It was later passed by the City Council this Thursday.

Ordinance 250997 requested approval to repeal and replace Section 88-354 of the Zoning and Development Code, titled Marijuana Facilities, for the purpose of allowing marijuana dispensaries located at least 1,000 feet from residential zoning districts to operate 24 hours per day subject to approval of a special use permit.

The Committee moved to continue this item to December 16th.

Resolution 251023 appointed Thomas Sitek, Jeffrey Clark and Denise Goodson as successor directors to the 1108-1110 Grand Community Improvement District in the Downtown Loop.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item with little deliberation. It was later passed by the City Council this Thursday.

Resolution 251024 appointed D. Neal Whitehead, Louis Metoyer and Tracy

Ryan-Hoover as successor directors to the Metro North Crossing Community

Improvement District in the Northland.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item with little deliberation. It was later passed by the City Council this Thursday.

Resolution 251025 appointed Rick Earl Abel, Rhonda Iverson, Arfan Paroya and

Michael Riley as successor directors to the Palestine Community Improvement

District.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item with little deliberation. It was later passed by the City Council this Thursday.

Resolution 251035 directed the City Manager to develop recommendations to

Chapter 18 and the International Energy Conservation Code to bring such code in

harmony with those of surrounding municipalities in the region and to report back

within 45 days. Councilman Willett presented this item to the Committee.

Councilman Willett explained that the purpose of this ordinance is largely related to code compliance for schools in the Northland, many of whose districts span multiple municipalities. Therefore, they are needing to juggle several different city codes between Kansas City, Liberty, etc. Reforming these codes would streamline them for organizations such as school districts that operate in multiple jurisdictions.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item. It was later passed by the City Council this Thursday.

Ordinance 251041 requested approval to authorize the City Manager to execute the Fourth Amendment to the Community Investment Agreement with Community Builders of Kansas City; authorizing the City Manager to execute a Second Amendment to the Escrow Agreement with Community Builders and Preferred Title of Saint Joseph, LLC; and modifying the requirements of Code Section 74-12 as it applies to the Fourth Amendment to the Community Investment Agreement and Second Amendment to the Escrow Agreement.

The Committee moved to continue this item to December 16th. 

Ordinance 250871 requested to rezone the area located at West 35th Street to the

north, Pennsylvania Avenue to the east, Valentine Road to the south, and Summit

Street to the west (in the Valentine neighborhood) to include an HO (historic) overlay zone in order to designate the area as a local Historic District on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places. Base zoning for the area is R-1.5, R-5, R-6, and UR.

This item was last brought before the Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee on October 28th and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

The Committee moved to continue this item to December 16th.

Ordinance 250876 requested amendment of Chapter 88, the Zoning and Development Code, by repealing Subsection 88-445-06, Residential Signs, and enacting in lieu thereof a new section of like number and subject matter for the purposes of allowing digital signs for Institutional and Office Uses in residential districts and adopting new standards for such signs.

This item was brought before the City Plan Commission on August 20th as CD-CPC-2025-00128 and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

The Committee moved to continue this item to January 13th.

Ordinance 250941 requested to authorize the Chief Procurement Officer to execute five contracts in the amount of $400,000.00 (totalling $2,000,000.00) each with qualified community-based organizations Ruskin Heights, Independence Plaza, North Town Fork Creek, Marlborough Heights and Ivanhoe to establish neighborhood outreach teams to engage high-risk individuals and prevent violent conflicts. Rashid Junaid, Program Manager at the Kansas City Health Department, presented this item to the Committee.

The community partner on this project, Aim4Peace, focuses efforts on mitigation and de-escalation, but also addressing the root causes of violence before it occurs. From 2024 to 2025, their work in neighborhoods including Oak Park, Santa Fe, and Blue Hills reduced violent incidents by 16%, 25%, and 37%, respectively. Outreach teams also completed 307 mediations during that period. 

Critically, Aim4Peace also intervenes with survivors of violence immediately after such events occur, meeting with victims of shootings in the hospital. This trauma-informed support helps prevent escalation and retaliation which leads to further violence. 

Community leaders gave public testimony in support of this ordinance. These included: Branden Mims – CEO; Greater Impact KC, Lisa Ray and Charlise Harris – President and Secretary (respectively); Town Fork Creek Neighborhood Association, Diane Hershberger – Executive Director; Marlborough Community Coalition, Molly Manske – Director of Public Safety; Mattie Rhodes Center, and Marva Moses – Executive Director; Hickman Prevention Coalition.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item. It was later passed by the City Council this Thursday.

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Ben Robinson is the author of This Week at City Hall, and an Urban Planning and Design Student at UMKC. He is a Kansas City native, having lived on both sides of the state line. From a young age, Ben has been interested in neighborhoods, communities, and the built environment, but only discovered the field of Urban Planning in college. He is now committed to a career in the profession, and is excited about using his education to support and grow the city he grew up in.