Leawood council approves Holbrook North horizontal improvements and tree-replacement deviation

The Leawood City Council unanimously approved final plans and the associated final plat for Holbrook North’s horizontal improvements on April 24, authorizing the infrastructure work that will install internal roadways, sidewalks and utilities for the 34-acre development.

The council also approved a requested deviation from the Land Development Ordinance tree-replacement rule after staff and the applicant laid out the calculations. Julie Hurley, senior planning staff, summarized the math for the governing body: “The number of qualifying caliper inches that are being removed is 7,555,” Hurley said, and after applying the LDO’s 50% reduction allowance and credits for trees saved within the construction area the developer’s proposed replacement total of 1,717 caliper inches met the adjusted requirement.

The developer’s representatives told the council the project will be phased to match building construction. Justin Duff of VanTrust, the project developer, said the team intends to begin site grading and infrastructure work soon and proceed with the headquarters building and other components in phases. Duff added the team has seen increased market interest since announcing the anchor tenant and that several design applications for specific buildings will appear before the planning commission in the weeks ahead.

Engineering and stormwater consultants explained the site’s approach to flooding and drainage. Judd Clausen of Phelps Engineering said Leawood’s consultants and outside reviewers concluded that providing detention at this low-lying site could worsen downstream peak timing; “It’s better for that water to get out, and get downstream versus holding it back,” Clausen said, summarizing the modeling review he described to the council.

Scott Bingham, the project landscape architect, said the replacement plan contemplates roughly 2.5-inch-caliper trees at planting, which translates to about 500–600 trees across the site once planted and established.

Council members raised questions about phasing, trail connections and traffic impacts; traffic engineer Michael Hare presented counts and said phase-one traffic was modest compared with full build-out and that he did not foresee significant neighborhood cut-through traffic.

The planning commission had recommended approval. Councilors voted unanimously to adopt the final plan and final plat for Holbrook North horizontal improvements, clearing the way for the developer to move forward with the scheduled infrastructure work.

What’s next: staff said a HQ-building application is pending at the planning commission and that more detailed development plans will be considered in future meetings.