Shawnee planning panel approves rezoning, preliminary plat for Canyon Lakes West while delaying Clare Road connection

Shawnee Planning Commission Chair Commissioner Beanhoff and the commission voted June 16 to recommend rezoning and to approve a preliminary plat for Canyon Lakes West, a proposed single‑family subdivision on about 25.1 acres in the 5800 block of Clare Road, while asking staff to study and delay a direct road connection to Clare Road until the street is improved.

The commission’s action followed a staff presentation from Mark Zilsdorf, city planning staff, and a public hearing that drew multiple residents who said Clare Road is narrow, hilly and unsafe. The commission approved a recommendation to the governing body to rezone RZ25‑04 from RS (residential suburban) to R‑1 (single‑family residential) and approved preliminary plat PP25‑02 for Canyon Lakes West subject to seven staff conditions and a request that staff and the developer plan for—but delay—the Clare Road connection until safety, design and capital improvements can be addressed.

Zilsdorf told the commission the applicant seeks the rezoning and preliminary plat as an additional phase of the existing Canyon Lakes subdivision. The preliminary plat covers roughly 25.1 acres and proposes 51 single‑family lots (49 of those lots are within the rezoning request; two are existing platted lots to be replatted for a street realignment), three common‑use tracks and public street right‑of‑way. Lot sizes on the plat range from about 9,750 to 15,995 square feet, exceeding the minimum…