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Leawood council refers Indian Creek flooding north of I‑435 to stormwater committee
Summary
The Leawood City Council unanimously referred several flooding problem areas along Indian Creek, immediately north of Interstate 435 and nearby locations, to the city’s stormwater management committee and asked staff to seek a consultant study to identify solutions and cost estimates.
Leawood Mayor Mark Elkins and the City Council on the floor unanimously referred multiple flooding trouble spots along Indian Creek — including areas immediately north of I‑435 in Leawood Estates and adjacent commercial and residential locations — to the city’s stormwater management committee for further study.
City staff member David Lay said he identified seven separate problem areas on a map and recommended hiring Olsen and Associates, which maintains the most recent floodplain model for the watershed, to perform a high‑level (conceptual or “50,000‑level”) study and provide potential solutions and rough costs for each site.
The study would cover repeated closures and inundation on Stateline Road, flooding that pushes water under I‑435 and into nearby residential areas, fields and parkland that regularly flood, annual flooding on Lee Boulevard, and intermittent closures on Mission Road. Lay told the council Stateline Road reaches about five feet of inundation in a 100‑year event and is already flooding “every 2 to 3 years,” creating traffic and emergency‑access impacts.
Council members asked about schedule and scope. Lay said staff hopes to convene the stormwater committee in November or January to review all identified areas; any contract with Olsen and Associates would be returned to the council for approval in early 2026. Councilmember questions emphasized that multiple causes appear to be involved and that several smaller projects — likely six or seven separate efforts — will be required rather than a single fix.
Alan Sunklazer moved to refer the matter to the stormwater management committee; Councilmember Phillips seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
The referral directs the committee to review the mapped locations, evaluate causes and options, and ultimately return recommendations to the governing body on whether and how to proceed. The council did not authorize construction funding at this meeting; staff described the next step as a consultant study to identify candidate projects and costs.
The referral followed earlier discussion on the scope of flooding and brief comments from county staff recognizing regional watershed work. Council members stressed the importance of comprehensive analysis to avoid shifting problems from one location to another.
