Council approves Christian Brothers Automotive PDP and 30‑year special‑use permit despite neighborhood traffic concerns

Lee's Summit City Council acted May 20 to move a preliminary development plan for a Christian Brothers Automotive repair facility at 110 Southwest Raintree Plaza Drive to second reading and to grant a 30‑year special‑use permit for a major automotive repair facility.

The decisions matter because the project fills a long‑vacant commercial pad in the M‑150 corridor with a 10‑bay, roughly 6,000–12,000‑square‑foot service building on a site of about 53,449 square feet (just over an acre), and because multiple residents and council members flagged frequent serious crashes at the nearby Missouri Highway 150 intersection as a safety concern.

Applicant Jeff Likes said Christian Brothers operates as a neighborhood destination and emphasized site controls: cars are not stored outside overnight, used oil is stored in premade tanks removed by certified haulers, and roll‑up doors are closed except to move vehicles in and out. “Christian Brothers is a destination business,” Likes said. “It's really a neighborhood service.”

Planner Ian Treffrin told council the site meets the Unified Development Ordinance and the Ignite comprehensive plan; staff recommended approval of the PDP and, for the special‑use permit, recommended a 30‑year approval period (the applicant had requested 35 years and agreed to 30). Treffrin reported one phone call and 17 written comments opposing the project and one written comment in support after the neighborhood meeting; concerns centered on noise, traffic and compatibility with nearby residences.

The building was described in staff and applicant materials as approximately 11,962 square feet with 10 service bays, limestone/brick exterior, glass roll‑up doors and asphalt roofing. Operating hours proposed are Monday–Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; the applicant said the business would be open on Saturdays during the first 90 days after opening and then would close Saturdays. The applicant said there is no body‑shop spray booth and that the facility uses maintenance‑free materials; staff noted the project meets the M‑150 overlay standards. The applicant also proposed 38 parking spaces where 30 are required under the UDO.

Multiple residents urged council to consider public safety at the M‑150 intersection. Jean Scanlon Peck said accidents there are “constant” and described recent severe collisions; another resident said several existing automotive services and the car wash already cluster in the corridor. Council members and staff responded that the intersection is under Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) jurisdiction and that the city is tracking crash data and has a crash‑reduction project focused on Highway 150.

Public works director Michael Park and Police Chief Travis Forbes told the council MoDOT manages signal timing and that the permissive (“flashing yellow”) left‑turn operation is a regional signal strategy intended to improve throughput during nonpeak periods; Chief Forbes said the city is actively pursuing crash‑reduction efforts on the 150 corridor. Council members encouraged residents to forward safety concerns to MoDOT as well as the city.

Council member Jessica Hodges read Bill 25‑097 for second reading on the PDP; the motion to advance the PDP was seconded and the clerk recorded the vote as passing 8–1. For the special‑use permit, staff recommended a 30‑year approval period; the council approved Bill 25‑098 (the SUP) on a recorded result of 8–1. The council asked staff to continue monitoring traffic safety and to coordinate with MoDOT as appropriate.

If adopted at the scheduled second readings, the approvals would allow construction consistent with the plans and conditions presented to the council, including the 30‑year SUP term staff recommended.