Overland Park Planning Commission approves rezoning for Blackhawk Trail site after floodplain and access debate

The Overland Park Planning Commission on Monday voted 9-0 to recommend approval of rezoning case REZ 2024-13 (Blackhawk Trail), clearing the way for a development that would rezone portions of the site to RP-2 (planned two-family residential) and R-1 (single-family residential), subject to the staff stipulations A through SS.

City planner Tony Nelson summarized the plan and the site constraints, saying the applicant is proposing RP-2 on the western portion of the property and R-1 on the southeast portion. Nelson described a bridge over the Blue River that is “in a very degraded state” and noted the bridge is closed; he said the city does not have current plans to repair it and that Metcalf Place is likely to be redesignated from a collector to a local street later in 2025. Nelson also told commissioners that, because most of the duplex units would be served by a single access point, "each unit will be required to be individually sprinklered."

Nelson and other staff walked commissioners through traffic and floodplain analyses. Engineering staff reported a Level 2 traffic study estimating about 76 AM-peak and roughly 80 PM-peak hour trips for the development; staff said no turn lanes were required under current thresholds. On flooding, staff explained Overland Park requires higher standards than FEMA in some circumstances and described a plan the applicant used to achieve a “no-rise” condition for proposed fill in the floodplain, including excavation under a bridge abutment and construction of retaining walls and elevated house lots. Nelson noted city code limits plotting new single-family lots in the floodplain unless specific mitigation steps are taken.

Applicant Judd Clausen of Phelps Engineering, representing Domino Acquisitions, told the commission the team had worked with staff to address technical issues and that the applicant agreed to the stipulations. "We agree with the stipulations that were presented in the staff report," Clausen said.

Several nearby residents urged the commission to slow or change the proposal during the public hearing. Marlene Carter said the plan was "too much for the area," questioned converting the character area mapped as Innovative Flex Hub to housing, and raised safety and access concerns. Resident Brandon Davies, who lives on Metcalf Place, said he feared emergency response problems from the development’s single access and added, "This when you get off of Metcalf onto Metcalf Place... we're gonna stick another… in there with only 1 access point." Other neighbors raised concerns about tree removal, flood risk and the cumulative traffic impacts from nearby projects.

Commissioners debated the trade-offs between the Framework OP character areas and practical site constraints. Staff noted the RP-2 portion is identified as a compact neighborhood where duplexes are a preferred use and that staff found the R-1 portion compatible given topography, floodplain and low likelihood the road would be improved to collector standards. Commissioner comments ranged from support for the mix of duplexes and single-family housing to calls for stronger protections for the floodplain and clearer neighborhood mitigation.

Commissioner Reyes moved approval of REZ 2024-13 with stipulations A through SS; the motion passed 9-0. Planning staff told attendees the City Council will consider the rezoning on April 7 in the same room.

The rezoning approval includes multiple stipulations addressing floodplain work, roadway configuration and final plan review; it also carries two architectural deviation requests — one for RP-2 side yard setback totals and one for garage door widths — that staff recommended as consistent with the ordinance’s spirit given lot layouts and building offsets. The record includes a written neighborhood comment packet and a required stormwater and flood study attached to the case.