The Overland Park Planning Commission voted 7–3 on Nov. 11 to deny rezoning application REZ 2025‑5 for 7500 College Boulevard, a redevelopment proposal that would have reclassified parts of the site from CPO to RP‑6 and CP‑2 and added two small retail buildings with drive‑thru service.

Staff planning lead Mister Gooch told commissioners the property—home to roughly 475,804 square feet of office in three buildings—was remanded by City Council for revision and that staff continued to recommend denial. "Auto‑oriented uses are not supported" in the Framework OP regional activity district, Gooch said, arguing that allowing CP‑2 with drive‑thrus would make it difficult to prevent similar auto‑oriented conversions elsewhere along College Boulevard.

The project team, represented by Patrick Reuter of Clover Architects, said design changes respond to the remand: buildings were rotated to front College Boulevard, shopfront glazing and expanded pedestrian sidewalks were added, internal walkways and plazas were increased, and the applicant reduced building footprints to accommodate stormwater detention. Reuter said the proposed drive‑thru lanes represent roughly 0.6 percent of the site's land use and are designed to be compact and integrated into the buildings so they "don't inhibit that pedestrian connectivity." He also said the proposal meets zoning and ordinance requirements and that the Framework OP is a guiding document rather than an ordinance.

Commissioners split on the project's compatibility with the Framework OP vision. Commissioner Robinette said the development reads as infill that fits existing office uses and favored the application. Several commissioners—including Commissioner Reyes, who moved for denial—said the proposal would set a precedent that could undermine long‑term goals for College Boulevard's transformation into a more walkable, mixed‑use corridor. "If we let drive‑thrus here, somebody else will come in and renovate," a commissioner warned during debate.

Commissioner Reyes's motion to deny the rezoning carried on a hand vote, 7 in favor and 3 opposed. Staff noted the item will appear before the City Council on Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the same room; residents wishing to speak should register via the council's public comment form.

What the commission decided and what remains: the denial is a recommendation-level action from the Planning Commission that will be forwarded to the City Council for final consideration. The applicant may revise the plan, seek modifications to CP‑2 language or propose alternative zoning that reduces the auto‑oriented potential called out by staff.