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Les Schwab preliminary plan for Ward Road moves to second reading after location concerns
Summary
Council advanced a preliminary development plan for a Les Schwab Tire Center at 740 NW Ward Road to second reading after staff supported two requested UDO modifications; the motion passed 6–3 amid council objections about fit and character.
Lee's Summit — The City Council voted to advance to second reading a preliminary development plan for a Les Schwab Tire Center at 740 Northwest Ward Road, moving the measure forward after staff said the design met the city's architecture and material standards with two requested UDO modifications.
Applicant representatives described an 8,600‑square‑foot facility with 50 parking stalls (including six service bays). The two modifications requested were: allowing 0% clear glass on the western facade that sits within the pedestrian view zone (staff said the primary storefront and customer entrance face the southeast, and adequate glazing is provided there), and permitting 18‑foot parking‑lot light poles in lieu of the 15‑foot limit within 100 feet of residential zoning (staff noted adjacent Trilogy Apartments use 20‑foot poles). The staff recommendation was approval subject to conditions, including limit of wall signage to four total with no more than two per elevation.
Several council members questioned whether a tire center fits the more restaurant/retail character of nearby pads; Councilmember Hodges said she opposed the project because it did not match the area's aesthetic and said she had previously opposed a similar Valvoline proposal. Councilmember Raider and others acknowledged job creation benefits (applicant said stores typically employ 12–15 people) but said the site might be better used for a different commercial type. On the motion to advance Bill 26‑004 to second reading, the council recorded a 6–3 vote in favor.
Why it matters: The vote advances site‑specific design approvals and UDO modifications to the next hearing, but council concern about compatibility means conditions and final design details at second reading could affect the developer's final layout and signage. Opponents argued the location is near restaurant and higher‑end retail and that a tire center may not maintain the desired streetscape.
Next steps: Bill 26‑004 will be considered at second reading with conditions noted in staff recommendations.
