Leawood council authorizes design‑build review to speed safety upgrades on 83rd Street

After more than an hour of public comments from neighbors who described recent crashes and near‑misses, the Leawood City Council on Monday unanimously authorized staff to pursue a design‑build option that could add sidewalk buffers and wider sidewalks to the city’s planned 83rd Street reconstruction. The council asked Public Works Director David Lay to return in January with price estimates for the existing plan and for a narrowed‑road option that would free up right‑of‑way for 5‑foot sidewalks and additional green buffer space.

The move followed emotional testimony from residents and parents. “No child should have to navigate that kind of risk just to get to school,” said Abigail Fink, who described crossings along 83rd as “incredibly difficult and honestly unsafe.” Another resident, Lindsay Murray, a clinical psychotherapist, said poor pedestrian infrastructure has developmental…