Leawood Neighborhoods Are Opposed to The East Village Development Plan.

We are a group of concerned Leawood residents that oppose this high-density plan

that asks a lot from our community!

Overview

On January 3, 2022, the Leawood City Council voted 5-4 to approve the preliminary plan for Oddo Development’s East Village (fka Cameron’s Court). The plan presented included a total of 833 dwelling units (not including a 100-unit assisted living facility).

Over 1800 residents signed petitions requesting that the Governing Body oppose the East Village development. The Governing Body approved the preliminary plan anyway.

Those voting in favor of East Village were:

Mayor Peggy Dunn
Debra Filla (Ward 1)
Andrew Osman (Ward 1)
Jim Rawlings (Ward 2)
James Azeltine (Ward 4)

Those voting against East Village were:

Mary Larson (Ward 2)
Chuck Sipple (Ward 3)
Lisa Harrison (Ward 3)
Julie Cain (Ward 4)

What Has Happened Since 1/3/2022

Since the approval of the Cameron’s Court Preliminary Plan and re-zoning of the land from Agricultural to Mixed Use, the developer has developed Final Plans for Phases 1 and 2 (out of a total of 6 proposed phases) of the development.

Phase 1 is to include all of the single-family homes and duplexes (referred to as Twin Villas by the developer) along 133rd Street west of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church.

Phase 2 primarily includes twenty-six apartment buildings (referred to as Mansion-style apartments by the developer). Each of these buildings includes between 12 and 14 apartments. The Chadwick Park green space of 0.92 acres will be included in Phase 2 as well.

The entirety of Phases 1 and 2 are 100% residential. When fully built out, Phases 1-4 (the phases to the west of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church property will be over 98% residential. This hardly seems to meet the Leawood Development Ordinance’s definition of Mixed Use. Nor does it seem to be in-keeping with the spirit of the 135th Street Community Plan that was intended to provide guidance for development of this land.

Oddo Development’s Final Plan for Phases 1 & 2 contained several very significant changes from the approved Preliminary Plan. This Final Plan was presented to the Planning Commission on October 11, 2022 and January 10, 2023 and to the Governing Body on November 7, 2022 and February 6, 2023.

All 26 apartment buildings in Phase 2 have been changed from the traditional style presented in the Preliminary Plan to a modern style. These changes include every aspect of the exterior of the buildings including changing the roof from pitched to flat.

Oddo Development has substantially reduced the height of the berms that were to have provided screening along 133rdStreet. In a number of instances, they have also raised the height of the land upon which the single-family homes and duplexes will be built, in some cases, by as much as 15-20 feet. The effect of this is that many of the homes and duplexes sit above the berms that were intended to screen portions of them from view.

Mr. Oddo has sought to walk away from a deal city staff told the Governing Body and residents Mr. Oddo had made with the City as part of the Preliminary Plan. Under that agreement, Oddo Development would have funded up to $200K in traffic calming measures along High Drive (in Wilshire Place) and 132nd Street (in Waterford). Mr. Oddo has since sought to reduce that amount to $30K.

Although there are other smaller changes between the approved Preliminary Plan and Oddo Development's Final Plan for Phases 1 & 2, the nature of these more significant changes call into question Oddo Development’s willingness to stand by the commitments it made in the other four phases of this project as part of the Preliminary Plan approval process.

At the most recent February 6, 2023 Governing Body meeting, the Governing Body requested that the new City Manager, Diane Stoddard, host a meeting between the developer’s team and area resident representatives with a goal of seeking some sort of compromise to reduce the level of public anger and opposition to the development. The City Manager set up separate meetings with the developer and area residents on February 14. A meeting that will include both the developer and residents will take place during the last week of February.

East Village will be back in front of the Governing Body on Monday, March 6 at 7 pm. Oddo Development will seek final approval of its Phases 1 & 2 plans at that time. At this time, absent changes to the plan, the Leawood community remains overwhelmingly opposed.

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What Can You Do If You Oppose Oddo Development’s East Village Development

Stay engaged! Members of the Governing Body and Planning Commission have cited the community opposition as being a significant reason that they oppose this plan.

Talk to your neighbors! Get the word out. Many of your neighbors think this project has already been approved to move forward. It hasn’t been. It still requires a majority of the Council to approve the Final Plan.

Write letters and emails to the Governing Body Not all of the Council have been listening, but a number of Council members have. We need to have their back and give them support in opposing this project. The attorneys for the developer and land owner have put a lot of pressure on the Council to approve this deal. It is the community that is providing the only counter-balance to that pressure. The Governing Body’s email address is AllCouncil@Leawood.org

Show up on March 6 at 7 pm at City Hall!

Nothing speaks to engagement like presence. Show up. Be counted. And observe your elected representatives in action.

Leawood Neighborhoods Are Opposed to The East Village Development Plan.

East Village (renamed from Cameron's Court) Plan. The name has changed but not the plan - it's a still a non-inclusive, high-density development!

Overview

What Has Happened Since 1/3/2022