Greenwood planners approve waiver allowing pedestrian connection instead of vehicular link for Leatherwood Trail development

The Greenwood Advisory Planning Commission on Monday approved a waiver allowing a residential developer to provide pedestrian connections and a short trail instead of a vehicular connection between a new residential project south of Grubbs Ditch and the adjacent, undeveloped commercial parcel to the north.

The commission voted 8-0 to grant the waiver for PC2024-081 after staff and the developer negotiated five conditions, including: narrowing a blanket easement to allow commercial development, showing buildable area on a survey, requiring two pedestrian connections (with the residential developer to construct at least one), requiring the residential developer to construct a trail tying to the pedestrian bridge toward County Line Road and 5 Points Road with Greenwood staff approval of specifics, and making the residential developer or current owner responsible for maintaining the specified open space until an owners association forms.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the waiver is intended to avoid premature infrastructure on the commercial parcel while ensuring safe pedestrian access for future residents. The conditions aim to balance flexibility for future commercial development with interim public-access and maintenance responsibilities.

Planning staff and the developer described the practical difficulty of building a full roadway connection now and presented pedestrian alternatives. Planning staff said there were five conditions it had requested; they reiterated that one condition is that "two connections shall be made between the commercial and residential parcels," and that the residential developer must construct at least one of those connections (Mister Nelson, staff member). Developer Ryan Holmes said his company was willing to accept some but not all of the conditions. "We are comfortable with doing or committing to conditions 1, 2, and 5, but we are not comfortable with committing to 3 and 4," Holmes said, referring to requirements that would obligate him to install and maintain improvements on the commercial parcel he does not yet own.

Commissioners pressed on specifics. One commissioner noted the scale of the proposed north-side pathway and asked how long the path would be; staff estimated roughly "1,300 feet." Staff and the developer discussed easements under a decommissioned pipeline and the need to avoid building inside rights the developer does not hold. Planning staff proposed a clarification that would require the developer to work collaboratively with Johnson County and adjacent owners to produce a detailed plan for the 300-foot gap and to construct right-of-way improvements contingent on Johnson County consent; staff said that proposed phrasing would expire if adjacent properties were later annexed into Greenwood.

Motion and outcome: The motion to approve the waiver (as read into the record with the five conditions and the commission's finding that the waiver criteria in Greenwood Municipal Code were met) was moved by Commissioner Stanbaugh and seconded by Commissioner Walker. The commission voted 8-0 in favor.

Next steps: The approved conditions require the developer to supply final drawings and receive Greenwood staff approval for the trail alignment and maintenance plan; staff and the developer also discussed coordination with Johnson County on easements and potential temporary construction easements.

A related continuance: Earlier in the meeting the commission granted a continuance for the Creekstone primary plat to the May 12 meeting to allow the petitioner to resolve outstanding infrastructure questions with staff. The commission also recorded findings-of-fact placement as part of the Leatherwood item’s record.