Leawood council approves Waterford Of Leawood clustered-housing project after neighbor-focused changes

The Leawood City Council unanimously approved an ordinance July 21 to rezone an 11-acre site south of 130 Seventh Street and west of Mission Road and to authorize preliminary and final plats and plans for Waterford Of Leawood, a clustered residential development of 19 buildings and 60 units.

City planning staff said the project would change the site from RP-4 (planned apartment residential) to RP-3 (planned cluster-attached residential) and would result in an overall density of about 5.5 dwelling units per acre. Planning staff also noted the developer’s prior special-use approvals for assisted- and independent-living uses on the site had expired.

Planner Julie Hurley told the council the plan includes a fire-access turnaround that required a variance because the pavement would be approximately 3 feet from the property line; the Board of Zoning Appeals approved that deviation in June. Hurley also said the developer requested a deviation to allow a 22.5-foot front-yard setback for the overall development.

Developer represe…