Olathe planning commission approves rezoning for AdventHealth medical office after neighbor concern

The Olathe Planning Commission on Sept. 22 approved a rezoning request that will allow AdventHealth to build a two‑story, 22,528‑square‑foot medical office and emergency department on about 4 acres at 14345 West 100th and 119th Street. The motion to approve RZ25‑ten, with staff stipulations, passed 6‑0 with one recusal and will go to the city council for final consideration on Oct. 21.

The commission voted after staff described the site as currently zoned R‑1 (single‑family) and shown as ‘‘conventional neighborhood’’ on the Plan Olathe future‑land‑use map. Andrea Morgan, Planner II, told commissioners the applicant proposes to demolish an existing vacant church and construct a medical office building with 105 parking spaces, two access points (one on Elkins/100th and a new southern access on Alcan), and a mix of materials that include limestone veneer, metal panels and glazing.

Staff said the proposal includes buffers intended to limit impacts on adjacent residences: a 20‑foot Type 3 buffer with a 6‑foot berm and a double row of evergreens along the east and part of the south property lines, and a 16‑foot natural buffer where an existing detention basin and mature vegetation will be preserved. Morgan said the site will increase impervious surface by about 13 percent and that the applicant’s stormwater report proposes improvements to the existing drainage area.

Why it matters: The site abuts single‑family homes; neighbors asked for assurances on drainage, berm maintenance, lighting and the potential historic value of a house on the site. Those concerns shaped commissioners’ questioning and staff responses and will be part of the record when the council considers the rezoning.

Resident Tom Kearney, who said he has lived nearby for about 73 years, urged the commission to require the developer to restore the existing detention pond, maintain a berm and preserve or document a house he described as connected to Hugh Spear, a local figure he said was involved in Brown v. Board of Education. Kearney also asked that lighting be minimized and that drainage issues affecting four of five adjacent properties be addressed.

"If you look at 29 acres, of which this ... was part of the Speer Farm," Kearney said, citing local history and asking the commission to protect neighborhood conditions.

Emily Crillo, senior planner and liaison to the Olathe Historic Preservation Board, said the city can research property deeds and, if a structure appears to have historical significance, staff can pause demolition permits to document and archive the resource.

Commissioners pressed staff on operational details. Morgan said outpatient clinic hours are expected to be roughly 7 or 8 a.m. to about 5 p.m., while the facility’s emergency department would be open 24 hours. Morgan said the applicant estimated ambulance transfers to and from the site would be rare — about one per week based on data from similar AdventHealth emergency departments — and that staff said any sirens would be turned off when ambulances exit onto 100th Street and use the new southern access to avoid using the rear of the building.

Planning and development manager Kim Hollingsworth said the proposed office zoning with the recommended stipulations narrows the range of permitted uses compared with other commercial districts, and that the list of prohibited uses included in staff’s recommendation is the primary mechanism to limit future change of use.

The motion on RZ25‑ten was made by Commissioner Berguita and seconded by Commissioner Taronis. Voting yes were Commissioners Taronis, Brigitte, Chapman, Lynn, Brown and Acting Chair Creighton; Commissioner Corcoran recused earlier in the meeting because his company was involved with the application. The motion passed 6‑0 with one recusal. The item will be considered by the city council on Oct. 21.

The applicant held a neighborhood meeting on Aug. 28, 2025; staff recorded one resident in attendance. Morgan said staff had not received written correspondence on the case as of the hearing.

Looking ahead: The commission recorded stipulations on permitted uses, architecture and buffers; if the city council approves the rezoning, the zoning will remain with the land and any different future development would require its own public hearing and rezoning process.

Votes at a glance

• RZ25‑ten (AdventHealth rezoning to Office, preliminary site development plan) — Motion to approve by Commissioner Berguita; second by Commissioner Taronis; passed 6‑0; 1 recusal (Commissioner Corcoran). The item will go to the Oct. 21 city council meeting for final action.