Planning Commission recommends approval for Express Stop convenience store at Northwest Village Park Drive

The Lee's Summit Planning Commission voted unanimously Feb. 27 to recommend approval of PL2024-302, a preliminary development plan for an Express Stop convenience store and fuel station at 3394 Northwest Village Park Drive.

Commissioners and staff said the applicant revised the building design after earlier concerns about materials and roof form. The commission’s recommendation follows a presentation by the applicant and a staff report describing changed elevations intended to better match the nearby New Longview commercial area.

Matt Slish of Engineering Solutions, the applicant’s project representative, told the commission the presentation was shorter than at the prior hearing because the team had taken direction and revised the elevations. “We took direction from a month ago and heard that we needed to work on the elevations. So we worked with the owner, who's present this evening, the architect who's present this evening, and the city to come up with a plan that we think works with the character of the neighborhood,” Slish said. Owner Eddie Musallet said the Express Stop concept relies on density and through traffic and noted his experience operating multiple stores.

City planning staff, led by Shannon McGuire, entered an updated list of exhibits into the record and described the key design changes: removal of a previously proposed butterfly roof in favor of a flat roofline, a more muted color palette, traditional red brick instead of black brick, and replacement of metal panels with a wood-grain plank system. McGuire said the revised plans "meet the goals of the Ignite comprehensive plan and the requirements of the EDO," and that staff updated conditions of approval to reflect the revised elevations.

Commissioners asked about several technical and site issues. One concern was the north elevation, which the applicant described as largely solid because it contains back-of-house functions such as coolers and restrooms; the applicant said opening that face would not be appropriate. Commissioners pressed about landscaping along the north side; McGuire said no landscaping was proposed on the north lot line at this time because the adjacent property is expected to develop later and provide screening.

Traffic and jurisdictional questions surfaced because View High (the roadway bordering the site) changes jurisdiction north of Third Street. Susan Berry, the city traffic engineer, said much of View High north of Third Street is maintained by Kansas City and that Kansas City has the final say on access and signal changes on that segment. "We work with Kansas City if we were to get a development similar to something we recently had; we would have Kansas City review the traffic study," Berry said.

Commissioners broadly commended the applicant for responding to earlier comments. Commissioner Mark Kitchens said the corridor is "tricky" because it is a multi-jurisdictional entrance to the city but added the applicant’s decision to propose six fuel pumps reduced his concern: "If it was a big Circle K or QuikTrip ... it'd be a negative over here," Kitchens said. Multiple commissioners said the revised elevations better reflect surrounding development and that the proposal will likely serve corridor traffic and park users in the area.

The commission voted to recommend approval of application PL2024-302 (preliminary development plan, Express Stop convenience store, 3394 Northwest Village Park Drive). The motion passed by roll-call vote with all voting members present recorded in favor; staff will carry the project forward to the next permitting and approval steps under the conditions described in the staff memo.

Key project details recorded in the hearing record include: application PL2024-302; site address 3394 Northwest Village Park Drive; applicant/engineer: Engineering Solutions, LLC; owner present: Eddie Musallet; six fuel pumps proposed; no north-side landscaping proposed at this stage; zoning: P-Mix (planned mixed-use).