This Week at City Hall (March 30 – April 3, 2026)

A neighborhood plan for South Roundtop, improvements planned for Notre Dame de Sion school in Hyde Park, and a corridor plan for Prospect Ave and Hickman Mills Dr in South KC.

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Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee

Tuesday, March 31st 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 260290 requested acceptance and approval of a grant award amendment of $166,260 with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for the City’s Public Health Preparedness program. Health Department Deputy Director Jacqueline Dillard and Division Manager Tim Grittley presented this item to the Committee.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item with little deliberation. It was advanced to the full City Council where it was passed this Thursday.

Ordinance 260291  requested acceptance and approval of a one-year $24,000 grant with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (“MDESE”), Office of Childhood, to provide funding for the Childcare Health Consultation program. Health Department Deputy Director Jacqueline Dillard and Division Manager Tim Grittley presented this item to the Committee.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item with little deliberation. It was advanced to the full City Council where it was passed this Thursday.

Resolution 260294 and Ordinance 260295 requested approval of an amendment to the Country Club/Waldo Area Plan from Office/Residential to Mixed Use Community, approval of a rezoning from zoning districts B1-1, B3-2, and R-0.5 to zoning district B2-2 to allow for the expansion of a Culver’s on the site located at 7953 State Line Rd in the Ward Parkway Plaza neighborhood. Staff Planner Genevieve Kohn-Smith and Patricia Jensen, representation for the applicant, Christopher McGuire, presented this item to the Committee.

These items were previously heard by the City Plan Commission on March 18th as CD-CPC-2025-00174 and CD-CPC-2025-00167 and were covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

Ms. Kohn-Smith explained that the subject site sits within multiple zoning districts and the rezoning request was primarily for clarity. Additionally, however, the applicants were seeking to construct another drive-thru lane and reposition some of the parking to be angled. A sidewalk would also be constructed on State Line Rd, in front of the subject site, to connect with the existing sidewalks to the north and south of the site.

The subject site had “double frontage” meaning it technically fronted Ward Pkwy in addition to State Line Rd, although the only entrances to the site were on State Line. Because of this, however, it was required to follow Boulevard and Parkway Standards. Drive-thru uses require special use permits on boulevards and parkways. For this, the case was previously brought before the City Plan Commission, where it was recommended for approval, and advanced to the Board of Zoning Adjustment. The Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee made recommendations regarding the rezoning and area plan amendment.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of these items. They were advanced to the full City Council where they were passed this Thursday.

Ordinance 260299 authorized the Director of the Health Department to expend $75,000 to support the establishment and operation of an Intimate Partner Violence Intervention (IPVI) Focused Deterrence Program to reduce domestic violence in Kansas City. Lace Cline, Assistant City Manager of Public Safety, presented this item to the Committee.

Ms. Cline reported that last year the city saw a noticeable increase in domestic violence cases, especially among individuals with no prior offenses. This indicated the need to address individuals across the full spectrum of risk, and not just those deemed “high risk”.

This model has been effective in other cities across the US with reductions in domestic-violence related crimes by 20%. This program would be coordinated through the KCPD, Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, and community-based organizations, including those that provide social services.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item. It was advanced to the full City Council where it was passed this Thursday.

Resolution 260306 directed the City Manager to require expedited permit approval in housing construction, with priority processing for projects meeting defined affordable housing eligibility metrics and structure in order to waive permit fees for qualifying affordable housing projects (88-810-058); and to designate an Affordable Housing Permit Navigator to assist qualifying applicants.

The Committee moved to continue this item to April 7th, ahead of the meeting Tuesday.

Ordinance 260301 requested approval of a development plan for historic reuse of the George B. Peck Dry Goods Building located at 1044 Main St and 1031 Baltimore Ave in the Downtown Loop for a commercial space and residential units. Staff Planner Genevieve Kohn-Smith presented this item to the Committee.

This item was previously heard by the City Plan Commission as CD-CPC-2026-00013 on March 18th and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

The subject site contains two lots, one containing the Dry Goods building, and the other containing a parking garage. These structures are anticipated to remain as a part of this development plan, but the Dry Goods building will include ground-floor commercial units and residential units on upper floors. 

The existing parking structure houses about 50 spaces and will be reused for this development as well. Access to the garage will be controlled and the applicants reported they would have shared-parking agreements between residents and employees working in the commercial spaces.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item. It was advanced to the full City Council where it was passed this Thursday.

Ordinance 260303 requested approval of a major amendment to a previously approved development plan (known as Brighton Creek Crossing) to allow for a multi-unit building in a B3-2 zoning district located at the northwest corner of NE 80th Ter and N Denver Ave in the Brighton Crossing neighborhood of the Northland. Staff Planner Justin Smith and the applicant, Lance Scott – Cook, Flatt & Strobel Engineers, P.A., presented this item to the Committee.

This item was previously heard by the City Plan Commission as CD-CPC-2025-00204 on March 4th and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

The development plan that includes the subject site originally included designs to build a commercial and office development. The applicants were now requesting this major amendment to instead construct a 42,000 square foot multi-unit residential building on the site. This structure would contain 161 units for rent with a pool for residents. The two access points to the parking lot for the proposed building would be off of private streets, as opposed to the public streets to the east and south of the site.

The applicants to this case were amenable to all conditions that staff had placed on their recommendation of approval, except one. Staff were recommending a traffic impact study be undertaken by the developers. Given that the original proposed use for the site (commercial/office) was estimated to generate nearly 60% more traffic than the multifamily residential being requested, the applicant team felt that performing a traffic impact study would be unnecessary. Their new proposal, they argued, would actually reduce traffic volume from the originally proposed use.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item, removing the condition to perform a traffic study. It was advanced to the full City Council where it was passed this Thursday.

Ordinance 260304 requested approval of a rezoning from an R-6 to a B1-1 zoning district for the site located at the northwest corner of N Cleveland Ave and NE Winn Rd in the Chaumiere and Cooley Highlands neighborhoods of the Northland. Staff Planner Larisa Chambi (on behalf of Matthew Barnes) presented this item to the Committee.

This item was previously heard by the City Plan Commission as CD-CPC-2026-00005  on March 18th and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

The subject site contains a small commercial storefront. In the 1950s, the site had received a Certificate of Legal Nonconforming Use (CLNU) that allowed it to operate as a commercial structure, in spite of being in a largely residential suburban context area. Since about 2008, the structure has been vacant, and the CLNU lapsed, thereby requiring a rezoning for it to be operated as commercial.

The applicants had put considerable effort into renovating the structure since they had bought it in 2016. They now plan to use it to house a small grocery store and to later add a restaurant. In communications with the Chaumiere Neighborhood Association they had explained that no alcohol or tobacco sales would take place on the property. Additionally, hours of operation would be limited (approximately 10am – 8pm). Parking, especially after the restaurant component opens, was of concern to the neighborhood as well. The applicants explained that the side of the lot (which fronts NE Drexel Rd) is undeveloped, and could be used to expand parking if need be. 

At the City Plan Commission, Commissioner Arkin had also suggested that the applicants communicate with the church located across the street from the subject site to see about drafting a shared parking agreement for patrons.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item. It was advanced to the full City Council where it was passed this Thursday.

Ordinance 260142 directed the City Manager to submit a response to the Missouri Department of Revenue’s Request For Proposals for license office operations; and directed the City Manager to develop a yearly funding plan in an amount not to exceed $750,000 for operational costs and report back to City Council in 30 days.

The Committee moved to continue this item to April 14th, ahead of the meeting Tuesday.

Ordinance 260219 requested approval to amend Chapter 88, the Zoning and Development Code, by repealing and replacing Section 88-420, “Parking and Loading”, for the purpose of updating parking and loading standards to support more walkable development and reduce on-site parking requirements. Lead Planner Jennifer Reinhardt and Brian Jackson – Wilson & Co., presented this item to the Committee.

This item was previously brought before the City Plan Commission as CD-CPC-2025-00143 on November 5th, 2025 and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog. Coverage of this item also appeared in the February 23rd and March 9th editions of the blog.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Staff gave an abridged presentation that addressed concerns from Committee members at previous hearings.

At the heart of the ordinance was a proposal to “right-size” parking requirements based on different development patterns in different parts of Kansas City, and thereby improve the development process. This included creating an “Urban Core Boundary” that would have no minimum parking requirements for new developments. It would also include implementation of parking maximums for new developments, Citywide (Urban Core would have reduced ratios). 

Staff reported a noticeably high number of variance requests to minimum parking requirements (188 since 2020), the majority of which were concentrated within the proposed Urban Core boundaries.

Staff also addressed public comment that had been levied about this ordinance. 80% of comments received were in support of the ordinance as written. Some comments were supportive, but expressed concern regarding on-street parking management. This included such things as violations and enforcement, street design, and on-street accessible parking spaces. Ms. Reinhardt explained that most of these are covered under Public Works, the KCPD, and other City divisions. She explained that this ordinance is intended to work in tandem with those other agencies. Tools for parking management under their purview (such as shared parking, resident-permitted parking, timed parking, parking benefit districts, and block-by-block approaches) should be used to address specific conditions in individual neighborhoods.

The development review process, Ms. Reinhardt also noted, would not be changed by this ordinance. Public engagement and public hearing requirements would still allow for conversation about adequate parking in new developments.

Over the years, a large portion of properties within the proposed “Urban Core” have received reduced parking requirements or exemptions (about 26% of the total land area). 95% of the proposed “Urban Core” is also already covered by residential infill standards, which exempt any residential property under eight units from minimum parking requirements.

Ms. Reinhardt also presented studies of two neighborhoods’ parking demands. The first, Beacon Hill, already had reduced parking in 38% of its land area. Additionally, 70% of the neighborhood’s total parking demand was currently being met with offstreet lots, garages, and driveways. New construction also appeared to be providing a high supply of off-street parking, even within exception areas.

In the second neighborhood studied, Waldo, 15% of properties already had reduced parking requirements. Because the neighborhood was built later than Beacon Hill, many of its residential units already include driveways. Because of this, 83% of the neighborhood’s parking demand was currently met with off-street parking. 

Ms. Reinhardt also explained that reducing or removing parking minimums can have a noticeably positive impact on housing supply. Removing parking minimums can remove barriers to new development. In Austin, Texas median rent decreased by 11% since 2017 after implementing such parking reform.

Councilwoman Patterson-Hazley requested that the ordinance be continued one more week. She also requested that City Staff (in particular Assistant City Manager Diane Binckley) communicate with residents in neighborhoods who are experiencing challenges with parking to ensure that what is being proposed will not negatively impact those communities. 

The Committee moved to continue this item to April 7th.

Resolution 260257 requested adoption of the Health Commission’s 2026-2029 Kansas City Community Health Improvement Plan (“KC-CHIP”) as the City’s guiding framework for improving population health and strengthening community well-being; and directed the Health Commission to provide an annual update to the City Council. 6th District City Councilman Jonathan Duncan and Kat Stark, the Policy and Planning Officer for the Health Department, presented this item to the Committee.

This new health improvement plan has an effective timeline of January 2026 – December 2029. It was sponsored and created by the KCMO Health Commission with support from the KCMO Health Department, City Staff and input from the community. 

Public input included a Community Health Assessment, which found the three largest priorities for improving health in KCMO to be:

1. Chronic diseases
2. Drug use, overdose, and death
3. Community connection and belonging

Staff from the KCMO Health Department also explained that this plan also includes goals to implement a Community Impact Model. This would enable the City to take a more active role in strategizing and enacting community health initiatives, instead of only funding such activities.

The Committee moved to recommend approval of this item. It was advanced to the full City Council where it was passed this Thursday.

Ordinance 260283 requested approval of an Historic Overlay designation (H/O Overlay) for Leonard Smith Hall to the Kansas City Register of Historic Places, located immediately adjacent to Independence Boulevard between The Paseo and Maple Boulevard in the Pendleton Heights and Independence Plaza neighborhoods. Historic Preservation Planner Brad Wolff and members of the applicant team, John Bordeaux, Virginia Betancourt, and Deana Bellamaganya – Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association and Patricia Carter – President, Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association, presented this item to the Committee.

This item was previously brought before the City Plan Commission as CD-CPC-2026-00003 on March 4th and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

The subject structure (Leonard Smith Hall) is part of the Kansas City University campus. It fronts Independence Blvd. Originally, this building was built in 1927 and was the Children’s Mercy Hospital Nurses training residence. The architect was Hoyt, Price, & Barnes; a well known Kansas City firm at the time. The building follows the Colonial Revival/Georgian Revival style, is four stories tall, and is clad with stone and brick.

The Historic Preservation Office uses the U.S. Department of Interior’s National Register of Historic Places criteria to base its recommendations of a structure/area’s eligibility for local historic designation. The four criteria include:

• Criterion A: The structure/site is associated with one or more events important to the defined historic context for an area. This can include specific events or a pattern of events.
• Criterion B: The structure/site is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.
• Criterion C: The structure/site embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction.
• Criterion D: The structure/site has yielded, or has potential to yield, information important in prehistory or history. This usually includes archaeological sites, but the criterion can be applied more broadly as well.

In this case, staff were recommending local historic designation on the basis of Criteria A and C. Smith Hall, they argued, meets criterion A for its significance in the growth of health care in Kansas City, and meets Criterion C as an example of the Georgian Revival Style.

An existing MPD plan on the subject site (14608MPD1) calls for the renovation or removal of Smith Hall. The proposed historic designation would not conflict with the adopted MPD plan.

Ms. Carter, Mr. Bordeaux, and Ms. Betancourt explained their reasoning for submitting this application to designate Smith Hall. Kansas City University (KCU) only has two remaining historic structures on its campus, and Smith Hall is in danger of demolition. 

KCU moved to their current location in the 1970s and began purchasing and demolishing historic structures, after demolishing several buildings south of Independence Ave. In 2025, KCU told the Kansas City Star that, “KCU most certainly does not have a pattern of demolition of historic buildings.” Bordeaux refuted this, claiming that KCU has demolished as many as 16 historic structures since moving to the current campus, replacing many with parking lots.

Bordeaux also pointed out that KCU owns several now-vacant parcels around their campus where new development could be built, instead of demolishing existing historic structures.

Ms. Bellamaganya went on to explain more about the history of the building, and its importance as part of Children’s Mercy, which was started by Drs. Alice Berry Graham and Katherine Berry Richardson. Their objective was to establish a hospital for sick and crippled children on the basis of nonsectarianism, providing care to those who cannot pay. The two women also collaborated with Wheatley-Provident Hospital, the first Black hospital in Kansas City, to build their children’s wing. 

After the applicant team finished presenting to the Commission, time was given to representatives for KCU to make their case. Representing KCU were attorneys Jim Bowers and Patricia Jensen – Rouse, Frets P.C., as well as Liz Ponder – Helix Architecture Design Firm & Adj. Professor of Historic Preservation Methods at UMKC, and Matt Haase – KCU Chief of Staff.

Mr. Bowers stated that KCU was not opposed to historic preservation of its buildings. To that end, he noted KCU’s renovation of its Administration Building in 2016 and the adaptive reuse of several buildings at their Joplin campus since 2014. However, he went on, it was KCU’s position that renovation of Smith Hall was not feasible, given the needs of the university today.

Ms. Ponder spoke to this point, explaining that the building had originally been constructed as a women’s dormitory. This, plus the fact that the building was built prior to the advent of HVAC, made it difficult for KCU to renovate it into laboratories or classrooms that require elements like tall ceilings and adequate ventilation. The unique floor width and orientation of the building also makes this purpose difficult to achieve.

Several members of the community gave public testimony on this case. Among those that testified, sentiments were largely in favor of historic designation. 

Along with their support for preservation, many community members noted the hostile design of much of KCU’s campus, which is largely fenced-off. This point had been contended by the applicants and the University team earlier. Mr. Bowers had supplied that the University was under obligation to build fencing to ensure the safety of their students. 

In response, Councilman Bunch asked the audience how many of them were residents of Pendleton Heights or the Historic Northeast. As this was the final case of the meeting, an overwhelming majority raised their hands. Next he asked, “how much of the Pendleton Heights neighborhood is behind a locked fence? Zero, I’d imagine,” he posited, as hands proceeded to come back down. 

“I guess what I’m getting at is that we have a lot of people who believe in the Northeast and Pendleton Heights specifically,” Councilman Bunch continued, “to the point that they’re investing probably hundreds of thousands of dollars to their homes, and yet they have not felt the need to create a fence around the entirety of the neighborhood and create a gated community.”

Councilwoman Patterson-Hazley and Councilman Bunch both noted that in earlier such cases where a neighborhood and an institutional property owner are in conflict over preservation, they had advised compromise between both parties. Councilwoman Patterson-Hazley, therefore, asked that this item be continued for one week.  

The Committee moved to continue this case to April 7th, advising the applicants and the University to meet again and come closer to a compromise.

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City Plan Commission

Wednesday, April 1st at 9am

The City Plan Commission was attended this week by Commissioners Matt Hasek, Betsy Lynch, Sean Arkin, Tyler Enders, Shawna Murrell, Luis Padilla and Todd Forbes.  

CD-CPC-2026-00033 and CD-CPC-2026-00034 requested approval of a Project Plan in an SC (Shoal Creek) overlay district located at 7600 NE Shoal Creek Pkwy near the Shoal Creek Valley neighborhood of the Northland, allowing for the landscaping of a Private Open Space Tract for a Dog Park, swimming pool and pool house.

This item was on the Commission’s Consent Agenda, and was recommended for approval with little deliberation.

CLD-FnPlat-2026-00004 requested approval of the Final Plat for Cadence, a development in an R-7.5 zoning district on about 15 acres and located at the southeast corner of NW 104th St and N Liberty St near the New Mark and Bristol Park neighborhoods of the Northland, allowing for the creation of 58 lots and 2 tracts to construct a residential subdivision.

This item was on the Commission’s Consent Agenda, and was recommended for approval with little deliberation.

CD-MISC-2026-00003 requested approval of an amendment to the Heart of the City Area Plan to include the South Roundtop Neighborhood Plan generally bounded by Indiana Ave on the west, East Linwood Blvd on the south, East 27th St on the north, and Jackson Avenue and along I-70 on the east to connect to Jackson Ave. Staff Planning Supervisor Morgan Pemberton and Staff Planner Samuel Fitzner along with South Roundtop Acting President Beverly Green and Councilwoman Melissa Patterson-Hazley presented this item to the Commission.

Neighborhood plans are adopted as an addendum to the area plan they fall under (South Round Top falls under the Heart of the City area plan). These are approved by resolution as policy guidance, and serve as a multi-year “to-do” list for budgets and Public Improvements Advisory Committee (PIAC) decisions.

The content of this neighborhood plan includes:

• A general overview of the planning process
• An overview of related planning documents
• A summary of the South Round Top planning process
• Plan recommendations
• Special Focus Areas

Public engagement for this plan illuminated several priorities for the neighborhood. Among these were improving home repair programs (clarifying programs for residents and making them easier to access) and addressing traffic safety along segments of the area’s High-Injury Network.

Another priority identified was Central Park. Residents had identified several improvements they would like to see here, including new amenities (such as basketball courts and restrooms) as well as better communication with Central High School for when track facilities can be used by the general public.

Secondly, staff noted a petroleum tank leak near the intersection of E 31st St and Mersington Ave. This tank had previously been removed, but residual contamination of the area continues. This site is currently engaged in a prolonged legal battle.

Finally, staff spoke about the Improve I-70 Project and its impacts for the neighborhood. The Missouri Department of Transportation is making changes to I-70 near South Round Top (colloquially known as the “Jackson Curve”). These include removing the off-ramp onto Myrtle Ave and realigning the eastbound lanes to be closer to the westbound lanes. This will create a great deal of excess space that may be used to the benefit of the neighborhood after stormwater control measures are taken.

Staff also noted the work of UMKC Center For Neighborhoods and Hoxie Collective in writing a previous neighborhood plan, which was utilized in the publication they had drafted.

The Commission moved to recommend approval of this item.

CD-MISC-2026-00002 requested approval of the Prospect Hickman Mills Corridor Plan, generally bounded by 75th St to the north, Bruce R Watkins Dr to the east, 87th St/Blue River Rd to the south, and The Paseo to the west (part of which includes the Walnut Grove neighborhood). Fifth District Planner Lauren Young and Brian Jackson – Wilson and Co. presented this item to the Commission.

This plan was precipitated through action by the Marlborough Community Coalition, who authored and submitted a PIAC request for it. This resulted in funding of the project through a PIAC Grant.

The goals of this plan are largely to improve Prospect Ave and Hickman Mills Dr, building on the work of the ProspectUs Plan as well as general Safe Streets For All improvements. This plan also sought to address other issues too, though. Despite the strengths of  the community in organization and advocacy, the subject area has faced long-term disinvestment and vacancy. The community, therefore, drafted this plan to create a safer, more vibrant, and economically resilient corridor.

The subject area has a large presence of multiple High-Injury Network segments. This highlighted the importance of traffic calming and other transportation infrastructure safety measures. The highest concentration of crash activity (with the exception of US-71) occurred at the intersection of Prospect Ave and Hickman Mills Dr, near 81st St. This area has been identified as a High Priority location on the KCMO High-Injury Network. Staff also noted gaps in existing pedestrian and cycling networks like sidewalks, bike lanes, and trails.

Other key issues identified by the community included: 

• Inadequate stormwater management
• Illegal dumping
• Vacant and underutilized lots (holding untapped potential)
• Corridor design prioritizes cars over people
• Unsafe driver behaviors threaten safety
• Businesses feel disconnected from neighbors

The plan includes sections with recommendations for future land use, based on input from residents. In addition, there are sections with specific actions to support community goals such as Community Development and Green Stormwater Infrastructure. Some of these actions included: 

• Facilitating coordination between business owners, employers, and the neighborhood to pair residents with job opportunities.
• Utilizing existing traffic islands for native plantings to reduce maintenance cost, improve water quality, and enhance beautification.

One of the maps showing staff’s recommendations for future transportation infrastructure.

Mr. Jackson explained several redesigned sections of Prospect Ave and Hickman Mills Dr (the full set of which are available in the plan document). Consistent goals for these redesigns were lower speeds, beautification, and implementation of traffic calming/road dieting infrastructure.

Diane Herschberger, a resident of the Marlborough neighborhood and author of the PIAC application that resulted in this plan, gave public testimony. She expressed her support for the adoption of this neighborhood plan, and urged action to result from the recommendations therein.

Staff also thanked Center For Neighborhoods for their assistance in guiding this plan.

The Commission moved to recommend approval of this item.

CD-CPC-2026-00025 requested approval of an amendment to the Westport Overlay District to allow Drive-Through Facilities with a Special Use Permit and adding standards for Drive-Through Facilities within the overlay. Staff Planner Larisa Chambi, 4th District Planner Luke Ranker, and Chris Frantze – Stinson, a representative for the applicant, 706 Westport Road LLC, presented this item to the Commission.

This case concerns the site at 706 Wesport Rd, a commercial building which is currently used to operate a legal cannabis dispensary. The applicants were seeking to amend the Westport Overlay and associated plan for the purposes of adding a single-lane drive-thru for the dispensary.

Mr. Frantze, the applicant’s legal representation, held that this amendment would be beneficial to both the applicant (who had apparently been in talks to install a drive-thru prior to the adoption of the Westport Overlay), but also to the dispensary’s clientele, many of whom use medical cannabis for disability and/or pain management. He also argued that this amendment would not create more traffic for the subject site, per a traffic study. 

Staff were not in favor of approving this item, however. They noted its low alignment with the Westport plan, the KC Spirit Playbook (the City’s comprehensive plan) and the Midtown/Plaza Area Plan, all of which prioritize pedestrian-friendly, walkable development over auto-centric development like drive-thrus. They also expressed a concern of setting a legal precedent in allowing drive-thrus in such overlay districts.

The Commission moved to recommend denial of this item.

CD-SUP-2025-00044 requested approval of a major amendment to a special use permit for extra parking and a building addition for the Notre Dame De Sion school located at the northeast corner of Locust St and Harrison Pkwy in the Hyde Park neighborhood. Staff Planner Larisa Chambi along with members of the applicant team, Alicia Kotarba – School President and Brian Hill – MKEC Engineering, presented this item to the Commission.

Site plan for new building additions.

Elevations of the proposed building additions.

The proposed plans create both building additions to the existing school and additions to vehicle facilities (driveways and parking lots). 

Included in these plans were new proposed circulation for parents picking and dropping off students. The new plans separate Pre-K and K-8 pickup and dropoff. K-8 circulation will now continue to be on the south side of the building, while Pre-K traffic will circulate around the west side and exit back out to the street at Locust and 38th. There have previously been issues with vehicles queuing on Locust St. and the applicants explained that these new circulation patterns and exit points for different grade levels will help improve congestion. Per their documentation, these improvements would result in a 57% decrease in the duration of cars stacking on Locust St. They would also result in a 55% parking increase and a 51% onsite stacking increase (offsetting cars stacking on the public street).

Proposed Conditions and Pick-up/Dropoff Traffic Patterns.

Community members gave public testimony on this item. Sentiments were largely concerned with traffic impacts from the construction. Residents expressed that many parents picking up or dropping off students do not follow signage. In particular, they expressed concern over the proposed exit points for cars (at 38th and Locust as well as onto Harrison Parkway). Both exits, but especially the Locust exit, spill out onto narrow streets with lots of nearby conflict points for pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers. 

The Commission deliberated, and agreed that while there were issues remaining with the site, the plans made solid efforts to address many of them. While an imperfect solution, the Commission moved to recommend approval of this item.

CD-SUP-2026-00004 requested approval of a renewal of a special use permit to allow the continued temporary use (by the Park Hill School District) of two modular classrooms in an R-6 and R-80 zoning district on about 94 acres and located at the southwest corner of NW Barry Rd and N Congress Ave near the Old Tiffany Springs, Barrybrooke Village, and North Lakes neighborhoods of the Northland. Staff Planner Genevieve Kohn-Smith and the applicant, Ryan Walters – Hollis + Miller Architects, presented this item to the Commission.

As stated, the subject site contains two modular buildings that are temporarily being used as classrooms for Park Hill High School. They were originally approved for a special use permit in 2024. A permanent expansion of the school is planned for completion in August of 2028.

The Commission moved to recommend approval of this item.

CD-CPC-2025-00175 requested approval of a major amendment in a UR (Urban Redevelopment) zoning district to allow for an event space (Onyx Event Venue) located on the northeast corner of East 63rd St and Bushman Dr in the Meyer & 63rd, Blue Hills, and Tri-Blenheim neighborhoods. Staff Planner Justin Smith and the applicant, Claude Peterson, presented this item to the Commission.

This case concerns one unit of the larger commercial strip mall on the subject site. This site was part of an Urban Redevelopment plan approved in 2010. The applicant had applied for a Major Amendment to that plan in 2023 for an entertainment venue in a detached structure on the site (previously a bank). This amendment had been approved.

Mr. Peterson was now requesting a similar amendment to allow for one of the units in the larger strip mall to be an event space. He reported that he had worked with the Blue Hills Neighborhood Association on the project.

The Commission moved to recommend approval of this item.

CD-CPC-2026-00011 requested approval of a rezoning from R-1.5 to R-0.5 for the site located at 3112 Flora Ave in the Boston Heights and Mount Hope, Ivanhoe, Osage Trail Station, and Beacon Hill – McFeders neighborhoods. Staff Planner Matthew Barnes and James Baker, a representative for the applicants, Mid City Towers II, Inc. and Fulson Housing Group, presented this item to the Commission.

The subject parcel is currently a driveway serving a parking lot on a separate parcel. The applicants own four of the parcels to the immediate west of the site which are zoned R-0.5. The applicants wish to develop the site for multi-family housing in the future, and streamlining the zoning will allow for the creation of a combined parcel via deed through Jackson County. This creates a cohesive zoning for the project and a smoother/faster underwriting with the applicants’ investors and lenders.

This item received opposition from the adjacent property (Society of Saint Pius X). While they are supportive of the broader goals of Fulson Housing Group to renovate Mid City Towers II, they believed the request to rezone was premature, and they expressed concerns over increased noise and traffic. They had instead proposed a land swap, which they state would address the developer’s parking needs, improve traffic and emergency access, and preserve existing zoning until broader project impacts are resolved.

Mr. Baker stated that while his team had considered a land swap, after deliberation, they had decided to rezone instead. He also stated that while conversations could continue during the development process over issues like parking or noise, this item only covers rezoning the driveway. 

The Commission moved to recommend approval of this item.

CD-CPC-2026-00024 requested approval of a rezoning from a B1-1 zoning district to B2-1 to allow for a drive-thru facility on the site located at the southeast corner of N Broadway and NW Barry Rd in the Northland, just north of Gladstone. Staff Planner Justin Smith and the applicant, Amy Gran, presented this item to the Commission.

B1-1 zoning districts do not allow drive-thrus, therefore the zoning change was needed to allow for this development. However, the Gashland/Nashua Area Plan recommends Mixed-Use Neighborhood for the site. No amendment would be necessary to rezone, however.

The Commission moved to recommend approval of this item with little deliberation.

CD-SUP-2026-00012 requested approval of a special use permit to allow for a general motor vehicle repair use in a B3-1 zoning district located at 4250 St. John Ave in the Indian Mound neighborhood. Staff Planner Stephanie Saldari and the applicant, Choudhry Sheeraz – Sheeraz LLC, presented this item to the Commission.

In addition to applying for the special use permit, this property had previously applied and was approved for a rezoning and area plan amendment to support the automotive use. These components were heard by the City Plan Commission as CD-CPC-2025-00119 and CD-CPC-2025-00118 on September 3rd, 2025 and were covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

The Commission moved to recommend approval of this item with little deliberation.

CD-CPC-2026-00035 requested amendment of Section 88-610-05 regarding reconstruction of nonconforming detached houses after accidental damage or destruction.

The Commission moved to continue this item without fee to May 6th, ahead of the meeting Wednesday.

CD-SUP-2025-00049 requested approval of a Special Use Permit for outdoor light equipment sales/rental (U-Haul moving truck rental) and general motor vehicle repair within a B3-2 zoning district located at 8221 N Oak Trfy in the Northland.

The Commission moved to continue this item off-docket, ahead of the meeting Wednesday.

CD-CPC-2026-00016 requested approval of a rezoning from R-1.5 and B3-2 to only B3-2 for Bellicose Church, located at 5100 Ararat Dr in the Eastwood Hills neighborhood.

The Commission moved to continue this item without fee to April 15th, ahead of the meeting Wednesday.

CD-SUP-2026-00011 requested approval of a special use permit to allow a 3-unit home to exist on the site located at 3319 Red Bud Dr in South KC, near Hickman Mills.

The Commission moved to continue this item without fee to April 15th, ahead of the meeting Wednesday.

CD-CPC-2026-00009 requested approval of a major amendment to the development plan for Antioch Crossing, located on about 42 acres in a UR zoning district at the northwest corner of NE Vivion Rd and N Chouteau Trfy near the Davidson and Sherwood Estates neighborhoods of the Northland, for the purpose of changing the site’s permitted uses.

The Commission moved to continue this item without fee to April 15th, ahead of the meeting, Wednesday.

CD-SUP-2026-00008 requested approval of a special use permit to construct a parking lot on the site housing the former Embassy Suites hotel, located at 220 W 43rd St in the Old Westport and Plaza Westport neighborhoods.

The Commission moved to continue this item without fee to April 15th, ahead of the meeting, Wednesday.

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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.