[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6464400,"mediaKeyId","5783813-feeadd8aa5a96eb0e6c58a4bc8f62748","parentId",5783813,"title","Leawood Chamber reports record events and economic-development activity; highlights two office tenant wins","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",6532000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5783813-feeadd8aa5a96eb0e6c58a4bc8f62748&start=6532&end=6532","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5783813-feeadd8aa5a96eb0e6c58a4bc8f62748/thumbnail_6532000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6464400/Leawood/Johnson-County/Kansas/Leawood-Chamber-reports-record-events-and-economic-development-activity-highlights-two-office-tenant-wins","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6464400-ab200d46b1e9f1ff09475f650ba30bea/orig.mp4?Expires=1776236064&Signature=a15mjLc2-wYrwoVVHupSHf0wN4XL17ThdDRiWcKlSrMoVddv7F2DUb-UOqADuJg3YLsAQ4oesuUHEn1Z3iM~dDCps4lCZEOIuSUi468Y2hPGMgBDAA20A3uYRhWyrEqAQltBoTtI5vyYxyrGcsnZkqiA40ep-14iJFSyTTLFAYGfF0tqna1KKYxuWissVD6pBp8hAVfY0XnoRNnBf0vLpSgUETpo9Ng4z1luWpux-XuhB0aUn36BcTkkAYz1oyl9lehuNSXcId~UqWMUehp58-NVogG~Lr8kzDqCK1DRFQV~gXGXDhq0ZPFoEaSR9N8Q6EKdSOwkHvIgUAaKceBOGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Leawood, KS","date","2025-09-16T04:17:38.44Z","article","Stephanie Meyer, executive director of the Leawood Chamber of Commerce, presented the chamber’s annual update and an overview of Economic Development Council (EDC) activities.

Meyer told the council the chamber ran 97 chamber-led events in 2024, welcomed about 85 new members in that year and improved member retention. The chamber reported about $600,000 in total revenue for the year, with special events and membership dues as the largest income sources. Meyer also described a pivot to fractional finance support and staffing changes that she said reduced overhead and maintained programming capacity.

On economic-development work, Meyer said chamber staff and volunteers coordinate tours for office tenants and consultants, participate in national conference outreach and maintain the chamber’s available-buildings inventory. She highlighted two recently secured office tenants: a trust company bringing 47 six‑figure jobs and $6.2 million in capital investment, and an insurance broker expected to bring 125 jobs and roughly $11.5 million in investment. Meyer also reviewed retail openings and coming tenants, including new restaurants at Park Place and Ranch Mart and the return of J.Crew to Town Center Crossing.

Meyer described the city’s EDC contract to the chamber ($125,000) and summarized how those dollars are allocated to EDC staff time, advertising and KCADC membership and events. She said the chamber will continue business-retention outreach, large-business visits and participation in the city’s comprehensive-plan engagement process.

Council reaction
Council members thanked Meyer for the update and congratulated the chamber on Taste of Leawood’s record attendance. Several members noted the office tenant wins as meaningful economic development and encouraged continuing coordination between the chamber, city staff and the EDC.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Governing Body-Regular Session - Sep 15 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Leawood Chamber of Commerce told the council it held a record number of events in 2024 and reported ongoing economic-development outreach that yielded two large office tenants and several retail openings; the city funds an EDC contract of $125,000 for chamber economic development work.","taxTitle","Leawood, Johnson County, Kansas","taxId",55742,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6464405,"Council approves East Village final plan for 160-unit Elizabeth active-adult community",2684,3979000,6663000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5783813-feeadd8aa5a96eb0e6c58a4bc8f62748&start=3979&end=6663","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5783813-feeadd8aa5a96eb0e6c58a4bc8f62748/thumbnail_3979000.jpg","/articles/6464405/Leawood/Johnson-County/Kansas/Council-approves-East-Village-final-plan-for-160-unit-Elizabeth-active-adult-community","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6464405-152b29a9854ad65aa4c4fec174014ff2/orig.mp4?Expires=1776236064&Signature=A2sc1otYJ-Bs1VKaLVQteesYLIwArR~J~37oM05rknII638KlL1yQjaqm613aIvGqFE7osc38emGD3hi9L62UsReaKGgxzxWidXZPvarOMJZHRyOFGgRIxwhjdtmdGqzb-IirRE0jteAsHmgw5wiTpdGGNeHoBdx5y1umasdIzvv7Fhuv~z7GFsV9F8QobibGTtmKskZBcQw~LRryJd6oAq5OJXv-1XVM-h3UE0i4V1tpQOnCBa5txUsLeaMtV4cHFcObyakIQYFSsGcCk42LmdSlfT~ZrKomwHa2sxXG2lSdUQM8r6DGIDd1CMUT-U45HBZIUUJo6IuoSNKMdz-Vg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Leawood City Council unanimously approved a final plat and final plan for The Elizabeth, a 160-unit age-restricted (55+) apartment building within the East Village development.

The approved final plan covers a roughly 300,000-square-foot building that includes about 220,000 square feet of residential space, roughly 10,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor and approximately 80,000 square feet of structured parking enclosed in the building. The building will be three stories on the east end and four stories on the west end to accommodate topography; total parking provided will be 265 stalls (227 enclosed, 38 surface).

Planning staff said the proposal was recommended for approval by the Planning Commission (7–1). Staff and commission discussion focused on a LDO provision that typically requires a 10-foot landscape buffer around buildings. Staff noted that the LDO’s buffer requirement is primarily intended to screen incompatible uses, but mixed-use districts (MXD) are designed to be denser and more pedestrian oriented; the project proposes narrower plantings in places consistent with prior Leawood mixed‑use approvals. The final plan provides landscaped edges and preserves a significant tree-preservation area immediately west of the building.

Developer team remarks
Curtis Holland, attorney for the project team, said the building meets the LDO unit-size requirements for senior housing and that the project team is working with national senior‑housing operators; he estimated rents “probably plus $2,000 a month” for many units. Holland said the owners will purchase the land contingent on council approvals.

Fire and public-works matters
Councilmembers asked about recent on-site blasting and whether it related to this parcel. Public Works representative David Lay said the blasting had been performed on East Village property for stormwater and sanitary-sewer construction that will serve this building. Fire and planning staff reviewed access, and the project’s structured parking is accessed from the south side of the building via the internal entry road.

Council discussion and concerns
Council members raised several points during discussion: Councilmember Harrison urged attention to preserved green space and cautioned against incremental increases in building mass as multiple parcels are developed; staff replied that cumulative changes are tracked and would trigger a revised preliminary development plan and public hearing if the overall development varies by 5% or more from the approved plan. Councilmember Larson praised the proposed crime-prevention design features and asked about rents and unit mix; staff and the applicant provided the ballpark rent commentary above.

Outcome
The council adopted the resolution approving the final plat and final plan for East Village — The Elizabeth (planning case 55-25) by a unanimous vote. The project will move to permitting and construction steps contingent on building permits, utility hookups and compliance with the approved final plan.","The council adopted a final plat and plan for 'The Elizabeth,' a 160‑unit, 3–4 story, 55+ mixed-use building in East Village that includes 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and structured parking; council debate focused on buffers, building size and construction impacts.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6464410,"Council approves transfer of Leawood Wine & Spirits special-use permit after tie on transfer stipulation",928,3091000,4019000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5783813-feeadd8aa5a96eb0e6c58a4bc8f62748&start=3091&end=4019","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5783813-feeadd8aa5a96eb0e6c58a4bc8f62748/thumbnail_3091000.jpg","/articles/6464410/Leawood/Johnson-County/Kansas/Council-approves-transfer-of-Leawood-Wine-Spirits-special-use-permit-after-tie-on-transfer-stipulation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6464410-7f30db6a98fd0060a013551b3eddc9d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1776236064&Signature=DFrRj5fBIBXw~WtUyNI073Xp65pYl1v3J6Gssoqkqsm8PK~lJajOmdkuIyomXKs7uqoiwjwcQ6PLyfU45YZlVuUwH~gmqt1igjseXgy6Wt-NX3aKe5DAOU-JPbSPnbrK7Ya5~nkpIkFvGMX-EUFSEqq3aKhL0G7iBlNoXmVusxlSlIe~gfzbMb5Piy9DncsL2TcZzk3RHtoBEGAnSAYsaXUByDn1UvpVGMp7yF9kXkdYl7ibegKVFRKCk1JjLvpKPx2~ojvCyNaG3NoH5WEosF-aJQNTDZiaDomkvfaUYnxWdD2YF9oTi~P~-MsimdXY9s6EyPcH33njPT8wue2Y~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Leawood City Council on the night of the meeting approved an ordinance reissuing a special-use permit for Leawood Wine & Spirits to reflect a change in ownership, but it declined to attach a stipulation that would have allowed future ownership transfers without council review.

Planning staff explained the item is procedural: a special-use permit had been issued in 2022 and the permit was tied to the previous owner; because the business is changing hands, the governing body must review the transfer. Staff recommended an optional stipulation that would make the permit transferable to future owners; that stipulation would require a two-thirds council vote. The council considered adding the stipulation first, then the ordinance.

Councilmember Sunkel moved the stipulation, seconded by Councilmember Gayed. The vote tied 4–4; councilmembers Larson, Harrison, Kane and Castor opposed the stipulation. Council members were informed that the change required a supermajority (six votes), so the stipulation failed. The ordinance to reissue the permit then passed on roll call, 8–0.

Brandon Myers, representing AB Worldwide and the proposed buyer, told the council he and his wife live in Leawood and support the business, saying the transfer requirement “added actually quite a few months to the process, and additional investment in the process,” and that making the permit transferable would ease future sales.

Councilmembers discussed whether the LDO (Land Development Ordinance) process and state liquor licensing provide sufficient oversight. Planning staff said the SUP runs with the land and ownership usually, and a change in address or more substantive use change would require a new application.

Outcome and implications
The governing body’s ordinance allows the business to continue operating under the Leawood Shops SUP with the same use and conditions; because the council declined the transfer stipulation, future ownership changes will come back to the governing body for review unless other code changes occur. The state liquor license remains a separate requirement and would still be enforced by state regulators.

Votes and motion
- Motion to add a transfer stipulation: mover Councilmember Sunkel; seconder Councilmember Gayed; outcome: failed (4–4 tie; supermajority required).
- Ordinance approving special-use permit for Leawood Shops, Leawood Wine & Spirits (transfer to new ownership): outcome: adopted by roll call, 8–0.

Councilmembers who spoke included Miss Hurley (planning staff), Councilmembers Harrison, Kane, Larson, King, Sunkel, Villa, Gayed and the applicant Brandon Myers. Planning staff noted that the additional stipulation was permitted by the LDO but required a two‑thirds vote to adopt.","The council voted 8-0 to reapprove a special-use permit for Leawood Wine & Spirits after rejecting a proposed stipulation that would have allowed a transfer of the permit without return to the council.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_46":104,"_48":105,"_50":106,"_52":107,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":108,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":109,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6464414,"Leawood council approves county license at Fire Station, Iron Horse driving-range contract; accepts monthly police and fire reports",1101,2085000,3186000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5783813-feeadd8aa5a96eb0e6c58a4bc8f62748&start=2085&end=3186","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5783813-feeadd8aa5a96eb0e6c58a4bc8f62748/thumbnail_2085000.jpg","/articles/6464414/Leawood/Johnson-County/Kansas/Leawood-council-approves-county-license-at-Fire-Station-Iron-Horse-driving-range-contract-accepts-monthly-police-and-fire-reports","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6464414-94afe4f021cdf4ca904701316471990a/orig.mp4?Expires=1776236064&Signature=Srk9so41LufKBVnWQs~hARudUIuuzfvr3J~rC9Ep8T0MPNDNlfccvcwtScRnTavdugQezQMSoyuhfj5Dsm0I0A8w1o0reO7Bz5gmweoOr8BZ9OuFvwMGHrvC6zO840QEqUKkRQRNCyiB9wYNgReuZCJIGf7A2JyrMBGpi9oap~YcFe8q3QEAjZbs7AI3B7cw1ppOBLL1kZTUKYqprSdsCXwldqlOY0Q0pAWspJ5oWOt155c28ehFJCajHXZpXw-d-vE7DOR1zSGflOld~mDxiPtcDhjTuMOUwJyyYSUfhQchewL0NHIkwZIdw3gW1r-qPw209knByDdevVm-8cxsWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Leawood City Council voted unanimously to approve several agreements and to accept departmental monthly reports during its September meeting.

Council members approved a 10-year license agreement with the Board of County Commissioners of Johnson County for partial use of Fire Station 2, authorized execution of a contract to build a driving range at Iron Horse Golf Course and accepted the police and fire departments’ monthly activity reports.

The license agreement with Johnson County is for $440,968 and covers county use of parts of Fire Station 2 for a decade. Councilmember Kane, who moved the resolution, called the agreement “terrific,” saying she appreciated that the county will now share facility costs the city previously bore alone. The motion carried unanimously.

The governing body also authorized an agreement with Mid America Golf & Landscape Inc. not to exceed $730,361.91 for the Iron Horse driving-range project (project 4PRK49144C). Councilmember Larson praised Parks & Recreation and Troon for coming “in $100,000 under budget” on the project and moved approval; the resolution passed unanimously.

On departmental reporting, the council accepted the police department monthly report. Councilmember Larson noted a sharp drop in theft-from-vehicle reports, from 133 to 31 year-to-date, and called the department’s public-education efforts “very effective.” The police chief credited expanded communications and regional investigative work: “It’s just truly been a team effort,” the chief said. The report also showed an uptick in mental-health-related calls.

The fire department’s monthly report was accepted after Chief Colin Fitzgerald described a year-to-date spike in total incidents and structure fires. Fitzgerald said the department had handled more mutual-aid and automatic-aid incidents than in prior years and that increased construction and electrical work could be factors. He told council that the department is operating at historically high incident volumes and that automatic aid is essential for larger fires.

Council also accepted a planning applicant’s request to withdraw a special-use-permit application for Leawood Commons Daycare (planning case 84-25); the withdrawal was recorded without objection.

Votes at a glance
- License agreement with Board of County Commissioners of Johnson County (Fire Station 2): mover Councilmember Kane; seconder Councilmember Sippel; amount $440,968; outcome: adopted unanimously.
- Agreement with Mid America Golf & Landscape Inc. (Iron Horse driving range, project 4PRK49144C): mover Councilmember Larson; seconder Councilmember Harrison; amount not to exceed $730,361.91; outcome: adopted unanimously.
- Police department monthly report (August): motion to accept (Dr. Koester); outcome: accepted unanimously.
- Fire department monthly report (August): mover Councilmember Sippel; seconder Councilmember Philip; outcome: accepted unanimously.
- Planning case 84-25 — applicant request to withdraw special-use-permit (Leawood Commons Daycare): mover Councilmember Villa; seconder Councilmember Sunkel; outcome: withdrawal accepted unanimously.

What the votes mean
The county license spreads costs of joint emergency operations by permitting med-act personnel to stage from Fire Station 2 under a 10-year license; the council described the agreement as shifting some operational costs to the county. The Iron Horse contract moves a long‑planned parks project toward construction while saving about $100,000 versus the project estimate, according to council remarks. Acceptance of department reports places the month’s activity on record and prompted further staff follow-up about rising mental-health and emergency call volumes.

Council members asked staff to continue tracking year-over-year trends and to report back if fire or EMS incident rates keep rising, and they thanked police and fire staff for response work and community outreach.","At its September meeting, the Leawood City Council unanimously approved a 10-year license with Johnson County for partial use of Fire Station 2, awarded a driving-range construction contract for Iron Horse Golf Course and accepted police and fire monthly reports showing falling property crime but rising mental-health and response calls.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Leawood Chamber reports record events and economic-development activity; highlights two office tenant wins

Council approves East Village final plan for 160-unit Elizabeth active-adult community

Council approves transfer of Leawood Wine & Spirits special-use permit after tie on transfer stipulation

Leawood council approves county license at Fire Station, Iron Horse driving-range contract; accepts monthly police and fire reports