Olathe council approves Woodland Road Corridor modification for Red Hawk Run final plat, 5-1

The Olathe City Council on March 18 approved a modification to the Woodland Road Corridor Plan that allows Red Hawk Run to reduce transitional lot sizes along Woodland Road from 15,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet and to proceed with a 29‑lot final plat (Red Hawk Run, 15MP25-0003). The motion passed on a roll call vote, 5–1.

Nathan Juric, senior planner for the city, told the council the item before them was twofold: a discretionary policy decision to modify the Woodland Road Corridor Plan’s transitional-lot policy and a contingent administrative decision to accept public dedications for the final plat if the policy modification is approved. “This is a discretionary decision, a policy decision in that, that is subject to city council approval,” Juric said.

The modification would permit nine transitional lots along Woodland Road where five had previously been approved; the final plat submitted to the city includes 29 lots overall with an average lot size near 10,000 square feet on the affected portion. In exchange, staff and the applicant say the proposal preserves the existing tree line along Woodland Road, commits to planting roughly 50 additional trees above the city’s master‑landscaping requirements for arterials, and increases the setback along Woodland Road to approximately double the city minimum, according to the staff presentation.

Developer representative Travis Strandwick, identified at the meeting as the applicant for the project, argued the change was needed for the project to be financially feasible and to help supply housing. “My takeaway from that discussion was that we simply need more housing at all price points,” Strandwick told the council, saying market conditions and costs since the property purchase in 2021 made the revised plan necessary.

Neighbors and the Red Hawk Run Homeowners Association submitted mixed input. Juric said the applicant held an adjacent‑owner meeting in December 2024 that about 10 people attended; staff later received seven emails in support and 39 in opposition. Gregory Benson, a nearby resident who spoke at the meeting, said many neighbors oppose changing the Woodland plan’s transition standards even if they generally support development. “We just don’t want to blow the Woodland Corridor transition lot away. It’s important to the people who live there,” Benson said.

Council debate centered on balancing the Woodland Road Corridor Plan’s stated intent against the applicant’s claim of financial necessity. Council Member Baez said he was sympathetic to finishing the development but could not support the deviation without independent financial verification. “I take the ethical aspect of this request seriously. I’m just not able to support this request. I vote no,” Baez said during roll call.

Several other council members voted to approve the modification after hearing staff analysis that stormwater, traffic and other safety requirements would still be met and that the proposed landscaping and setback changes exceed current Unified Development Ordinance minimums.

Next steps: because acceptance of the public dedications is contingent on the policy modification, the final plat will be forwarded to the Planning Commission for review and for administrative acceptance of right-of-way and easement dedications once the council’s policy decision is reflected in the plat submittal.

Votes at the meeting recorded the motion to approve the Woodland Road Corridor Plan modification and accept dedications as approved by roll call, 5–1.