Residents report large turnout at Old City Hall event, hand petition to clerk seeking reuse and preservation

Jacqueline Penn and her husband, Andy Penn, told the Leawood City Council that a May 10 community event testing a vision for the Old City Hall and adjacent former fire station drew roughly 400 attendees and produced about 500 petition signatures in favor of preserving and reusing the buildings.

At the start of the meeting Jacqueline Penn said she and her husband filed for a special permit to use Old City Hall for the May 10 event to share a plan they have presented previously: preserve the two buildings and convert one to a coffee or ice cream shop and the other into a small community center with an adjoining park. "We had approximately 400 people that came from the hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.," she said, and added that most visitors stayed 10 to 15 minutes and that peak attendance never exceeded “maybe 40 or 50 people at a time.”

Andy Penn told the council he lives at the same address as his wife and asked the governing body to consider the couple’s proposal as the city’s consultant BBN Architects prepares a master plan. "We see that as an opportunity potentially fund other portions of the master plan that's being prepared by BBN Architects," he said, and asked that the idea be considered during upcoming Parks and Recreation Board and consultant sessions.

The Penns said the event generated signatures both before and after the gathering: Jacqueline Penn reported roughly 250 signatures collected before the event and "another 250 signatures" afterward, and said she turned the petition documents over to the city clerk. The couple also reported minimal parking impacts on the day: they said there were never more than six or seven cars using the lot at any time and that many visitors walked or biked to the site.

Mayor Mark Elkins acknowledged receipt of the materials and said the council would "put it in the hopper" for consideration as staff and the Parks and Recreation Board work with consultants. Council members signaled they would include the submission in the ongoing master-plan process; no formal action was taken on the spot.

The Penns' remarks and petition were made during the citizens' comment period; the couple provided a written summary to the clerk and asked staff to consider their concept during upcoming Parks and Recreation and master-plan meetings.

The transcript included the Penns' address (8736 High Drive) and the date of the outreach event (May 10). The Penns described the proposal as neighborhood-oriented and said many signees were Leawood residents, though interest was also recorded from people who logged in from neighboring communities.

Looking ahead, Andy Penn asked council members to consider the property purchase and reuse as part of the Parks and Recreation Board and consultant-led master-plan process. The council made no commitment beyond placing the submission into consideration during that ongoing work.