This Week at City Hall (October 27 – 31, 2025)

Norman School Historic Overlay held until December 9th, a resolution to address demolition by neglect for historic structures, an update to the City’s Area Plans land use framework, and a resolution including language to address Data Centers’ water and energy consumption.

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Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee

Tuesday, October 28th at 12:30pm

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 250923 requested approval of a major amendment to an approved UR plan, to allow for outdoor storage on a site located on Corporate Dr, just north of the intersection with N Cambridge Ave at 6830 Corporate Dr in the Riverfront Industrial Area. Staff Planner Larisa Chambi, presented this case before the Committee.

This item was brought before the City Plan Commission on October 1st as CD-CPC-2025-00133 and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

Black & McDonald, an electrical contractor company, is the owner of the property, and the proposed outdoor storage would be used for electrical equipment such as light and power poles.

The Committee recommended approval of this item.

Ordinance 250850 requested approval to amend Ordinance No. 241051 conditionally approving the application of Historic Northeast Lofts, LLC, for a Brownfields loan to remediate Buildings Nos. 1 and 2 of the former Hardesty Federal Complex at 607 Hardesty Ave in the Lykins and Sheffield neighborhoods by repealing and replacing Sections 1 and 3. Brownfields Manager Andrew Bracker presented this item before the Committee.

Mr. Bracker explained that there were certain provisions in the original ordinance which had been rendered impracticable by changes made to its financing and deals structure. The new ordinance revokes these provisions and replaces them with ones alike in character that achieve the same purpose. Among these were the requirement that ownership be in the hands of the borrower; now changed to the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority (who acquired the property in October 2024). The permanent debt financing will also no longer need to meet a certain dollar amount. Instead it will merely need to meet the underwriter’s satisfaction.

The Committee recommended approval of this item.

Ordinance 250858 requested approval to rezone the site located at 8625 Troost Avenue B in the Marlborough neighborhood from District R-2.5 to District B1-1 to allow a mesh security fence with barbed wire to be installed around a utility substation at the site. Staff Planner Ahnna Nanoski presented this item before the Committee.

This item was brought before the City Plan Commission on September 3rd as CD-CPC-2025-00091 and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

As zoned, the property may not contain a fence or a wall above six feet. Additionally, barbed wire is not permitted on fences or walls in residentially-zoned districts. 

As part of the review criteria, staff examined the extent to which approval may detrimentally affect nearby properties. They concluded that since B1-1 is one of the least intensive commercial designations, approval would be unlikely to negatively impact neighboring properties. 

The Committee recommended approval of this item.

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. 

Last week, this case was presented before the Committee by Historic Preservation Planners Tessa Ramirez and Brad Wolf, along with applicants Anna Zeidel and Christine Jordan. This week continued testimonies that could not be heard at the previous meeting.

This case was brought before the City Plan Commission as CD-CPC-2025-00100 on August 20th and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog. Prior to that hearing, it had been heard by the Historic Preservation Commission on June 27th and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

The proposed historic district is eligible for listing on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places under Criterion C of the National Register’s Criteria for Evaluation. This criterion emphasizes the distinct architectural nature of an area, in this case the residential “streetcar suburb” of Valentine. According to the Midtown/Plaza Area Plan, in which the proposed district is located, 94% of the area’s residents, surveyed in 2013, believed it was very important or somewhat important to preserve historic buildings and the heritage of the area. 

Last week, Ms. Zeidel had explained that surveys of the proposed historic district, conducted by the applicants within the last two years, showed that out of a total of 47 property owners, 23 favor designation (58%), and 17 are opposed (42%). 7 were neutral or did not respond for comment, and weren’t counted in this number. Property owners with multiple properties in the district were only counted once. The applicants also received endorsement from organizations including Historic Kansas City, the Norman School Lofts, Parkside Properties, and surrounding neighborhoods like Roanoke, Coleman Highlands, Old Hyde Park, Hyde Park, Union Hill, and Plaza Westport.

It is important to note that eighteen of the properties located in the proposed district are owned by Kansas City Life Insurance Company. Ms. Jordan explained that a major reason the Valentine Neighborhood Association was applying for this designation was to protect the remaining homes in the proposed district from demolition, namely by KC Life. In October 2024, KC Life demolished 23 houses in the Valentine neighborhood. It was at this time that concern began to circulate that demolitions (and corresponding lack of development) may proceed south, into the proposed district. In October of 2025, four additional homes in the district were indeed demolished. Speaking to the alleged pattern of demolition by neglect from KC Life, Ms. Jordan had said at the Committee last week, 

“We understand that demolition of these homes was attributed to unsafe structural conditions. While deterioration of this kind happens over time, it remains the responsibility of property owners to maintain their buildings, and in this case that responsibility was clearly not met.”

While Kansas Life Insurance Company has produced artistic renderings for the sites they’ve demolished, Ms. Jordan had asserted that no plans have yet been submitted to the city.

Several neighbors and property owners gave testimony in support and in opposition of the proposed ordinance. Among those that were in support included neighbors within the proposed district as well as advocates for preservation living in and out of Valentine. Aside from previous arguments, they voiced support for the ordinance as a means of revitalization. Vicki Noteis, President of Historic Kansas City, noted that historic tax credits have been put to effective use in bringing areas of the City back from the brink, such as downtown. The same, she argued, could be applied here.

Among those in opposition included representatives from KC Life along with owners of property within the proposed district, some living in the area and some absent. The foundational arguments for non-resident owners largely rested on perceived bureaucratic limitations to development. Taylor Harrington – Stinson law firm, representing KC Life, put forth that if historic designation was approved, it may prevent KC Life from developing the vacant property they own in the proposed district. Staff from the Historic Preservation Office later spoke to this statement, putting forth that while some design criteria are levied on infill properties in an historic district, there are several examples of several projects being approved. Mainly staff are looking to make sure that the building massing and scale are compatible with the context area, they said.

Additionally, some resident property owners spoke in opposition to the proposed ordinance due to its potential to create more bureaucratic hoops for them to jump through. Older homes, they argued, are already expensive to maintain. Adding another layer to that process, especially one that may require higher-costing materials or labor, could be burdensome. Councilman Bunch spoke to this, stating that from his personal experience living in an historic district, the associated City processes and costs had not been difficult to navigate, though he admitted this might be different from others’ experiences. 

The Committee deliberated and stated the need for the two primary parties, the Neighborhood Association and KC Life, to come to a consensus about historic designation and the plans for vacant properties in the proposed district. Ultimately, the Committee moved to continue this item until December 9th.

Ordinance 250875 requested approval of a major amendment to a previously approved development plan on about 23 acres to allow additional permitted uses in District B3-2 generally located in an area abutting 150 Highway on the west, W. 135th Street on the north and W. 138th Terrace on the south in Martin City. Staff Planner Genevieve Kohn presented this item before the Committee.

This item was brought before the City Plan Commission on September 3rd as CD-CPC-2025-00120 and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

Approval of this item would allow all uses under B3-2 at the site, which was originally planned for very specific uses, limiting future development. 

The Committee recommended approval of this item.

Ordinance 250877 and Resolution 250878 requested approval to amend the Martin City Area Plan and approval of a rezoning of the area located at the northwest corner of E 135th St and Oak St near the Village Glen and Newcastle neighborhoods in Martin City. Staff Planner Matthew Barnes presented this case to the Commission.

This item was brought before the City Plan Commission on September 17th as CD-CPC-2025-00124 and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

The applicants were seeking to amend the related area plan by changing the future land use for the northern portion of their property to a Commercial designation. They were seeking to rezone the area from B2-2 to MPD (Master Planned Development) and were seeking approval of a related development plan to build a commercial and storage facility on the property, to be known as Martin City Flexcaves.

This development would consist of four buildings. These would include the flexcaves, storage facilities marketed towards higher-end collectors, and another building known as shopcaves, allowing storefront business components along with storage. These would front E 135th St. 

At the City Plan Commission, members of that body had expressed desire to see planting and green infrastructure paired with a retention basin that was already part of the development plan. This had been added as a condition at that meeting, where this item had been recommended for approval.

The Committee recommended approval of this item.

Resolution 250887 directed the City Manager to review and recommend updates to

Chapter 88, the Zoning and Development Code in order to improve development processes and align them with current best practices. Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw presented this item before the Committee.

Mayor Pro Tem explained that this resolution includes language regarding data centers, which City Staff has been working to address in chapter 88, the zoning and development code, being there referred to as one of several “Large Format Uses”. The language in this resolution that deals with that topic is as follows:

Section 2. That the City Manager’s review shall include reviewing requirements for data centers to provide annual reporting on energy and water consumption and its impact on local infrastructure.

The Committee recommended approval of this item.

Ordinance 250908 requested approval of a rezoning and a development plan for the site located on the east side of North Oak Tfwy at NE Hill St near Waterworks Park and the Briarcliff neighborhood in the Northland to allow for the construction of a multi-unit residential development to be known as North Oak Apartments. Staff Planner Matthew Barnes and Joseph Christensen – Cardinal Crest, a representative for the applicant team, presented this case to the Committee.

This item was brought before the City Plan Commission on September 17th as CD-CPC-2025-00121 and CD-CPC-2025-00122 and was covered in that week’s edition of the blog.

The requested rezoning for this property would change the designation for the site from B3-2 to B3-4. Both of these designations indicate commercial uses, but B3-4 allows for the creation of the residential building at the height the applicant was seeking to construct it.

The associated development plan accounts for 167 residential units with 255 parking spaces. Amenities will include a dog park and gathering spaces.

Members of the community had expressed discontent with this development, mainly related to the height of the structure and the potential for greater population density in the area. 

The rear of the site drops off about 40 feet into a wooded stream. One neighbor who lives behind the subject site has expressed concern as the proposed development would need to remove several trees to construct a retaining wall. Mr. Christensen reported that he and his team had reached out to her and offered to plant trees on her property to obscure the view of the retaining wall, which she accepted.

There were other concerns about increased traffic as a result of this development, however City Engineer Nicholas Bosonetto reported that the increase at peak hours would be minimal. Councilman Bunch also noted that residential development typically creates less traffic than anticipated, especially compared to low-density commercial developments, such as a drive-through restaurant or gas station. Councilman Willett also expressed support for the project, and said he hoped to see similar redevelopment along parts of North Oak Trafficway. 

The Committee recommended approval of this item.

Resolution 250912 directed the City Manager to develop minimum maintenance

standards for historic buildings and make recommendations to Council within 60

Days. Councilman Crispin Rea presented this item before the Committee.

Councilman Rea explained that this resolution was in response to numerous cases of historic buildings falling into disrepair, being placed on the dangerous buildings list, and demolished. One of the most robust legal tools for preservation, detailed under 88-585-05-E, prevents a building designated as historic on the local register from being demolished for three years if a certificate of appropriateness to do so is denied by the Historic Preservation Commission. However, recent cases, such as that of the property at 31st and Main Streets has illuminated shortcomings of this ordinance to protect historic structures before they fall into disrepair and are placed on the dangerous buildings list, circumventing historic protections.

This resolution would direct City Staff to research other legal protections against “demolition by neglect” and similar-functioning ordinances to prevent poor stewardship of historic property, leading to its eventual destruction.

The Committee recommended approval of this item.

Resolution 250913 directed the City Manager to review best practices in peer cities related to potholes, evaluate existing policies in Kansas City, and make recommendations for policy improvements within 60 days.

The Committee moved to hold this item off-docket ahead of the meeting Tuesday.

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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.