Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Affordable Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission approves Friends of JCDS downtown housing, grants parking deviation to prioritize affordable units
Summary
The commission approved a 17‑unit Downtown Overland Park residential project by Friends of JCDS with a deviation from the DFD parking standard; commissioners and staff cited walkability and the project’s mission to house people with disabilities as reasons to allow fewer off‑street spaces.
The Overland Park Planning Commission approved a certificate of conformity for a Friends of JCDS redevelopment at 70 Ninth and Floyd Street, allowing construction of a 17‑unit residential building with ground‑floor community and commercial space and a reduced parking complement.
City staff recommended approval subject to conditions (stipulations A–K). The commission approved the project with stipulations A through J, removing stipulation K (a requirement for an east‑west connection to the adjacent property) after discussion about topography and feasibility.
The project proposes a roughly 18,000‑square‑foot building with 17 residential units, ground‑floor art gallery/community space and a rear common yard. The applicant requests a deviation from the Downtown Form District (DFD) parking guideline: the plan proposes 17 parking spaces total (13 off‑street spaces plus four on‑street parallel spaces) while the DFD calculation requires 22 spaces by combining reserved and shared parking counts. Staff said the DFD context and anticipated low driving rates for the intended population support the reduction.
Friends of JCDS representatives said most future residents do not drive. “One out of 94 of our current clients has a driver’s license,” attorney Melissa Van Crum told the commission, and Friends’ on‑site support model and proximity to downtown destinations and bus routes reduce demand for resident parking. Program staff said typical daily staffing at the property will be small; Janelle Bowers said Friends expects two regular onsite staff and intermittent maintenance and visitor traffic.
Commissioners supporting approval said the project aligns with downtown goals — walkability, mixed use and reduced surface parking — and provides affordable, accessible housing in the city’s core. Commissioner Mazalonis moved approval of the certificate of conformity with stipulations A through J; the vote was 10‑0.
Project details and conditions: the building would include two accessible stalls (code‑required), eight bicycle parking spaces, a landscaped private yard and on‑street parallel spaces intended for shared use. Staff confirmed the trash hauler can service the proposed enclosure. Stipulations require final engineering, landscape and building details, rooftop screening, and other standard site‑plan conditions.
Neighbors raised concerns about overflow parking and impacts on adjacent properties. Susan Stancel, owner of a property north of the site, said she feared spillover parking might affect her ability to sell her property; staff said on‑street spaces are shared public spaces and that the project’s reduced parking reflects downtown shared‑parking policy.
Because this was a certificate of conformity in the Downtown Form District, the application proceeds to City Council; approval at the Planning Commission stage allows the applicant to advance to final plan and permitting processes under the approved conditions.
Next steps: the city will forward the decision to the City Council for final consideration on July 7, 2025.
