Planning commission backs rezoning for build‑for‑rent neighborhood after traffic study; preliminary plat also approved

Bonner Springs — The Planning Commission voted 3–1 on March 17 to recommend rezoning BSRZ0325 to permit a market‑rate, single‑family build‑for‑rent development and voted 3–1 to approve preliminary plat PP0125, forwarding the rezoning to the city council for final action on April 13. The votes followed extensive public comment and a technical review of a newly completed traffic impact study.

The rezoning would allow construction of a detached single‑family neighborhood the developer described in filings as roughly 184–186 build‑for‑rent units, with a separate tract reserved for stormwater detention. Community Development staff told the commission the city engineer had reviewed and approved the traffic impact study, and that the council remanded the item to the commission specifically to discuss traffic.

“We will generate fewer units, less traffic, less congestion than what was approved in 2023,” said Greg Musil, the applicant’s attorney, who presented the developer’s comparative analysis and introduced the project’s traffic engineer. Musil and the traffic consultant (on Teams) compared the proposed plan’s weekday AM and PM peak trips to the previously approved multifamily entitlement and concluded the single‑family product would not materially worsen operations at the K‑7/Kansas Avenue intersection. The applicant’s presentation included peak‑hour figures from the traffic study showing lower AM and PM peak trips for the proposed plan than for the approved apartment scheme.

Residents who addressed the commission urged rejection. “The density is the major problem here,” said Brad Landers, who lives near the proposed site and criticized nearby business driveway turning movements as a cause of congestion that trip‑count comparisons do not capture. Greg Gibson, another nearby resident, also urged commissioners to preserve a fuller record so council members could understand the basis for any denial, saying the project remained “too dense” for the site.

Traffic consultant Amy McCurdy explained the report’s tables and counts: the study used two‑hour on‑site counts and identified the highest hour as the peak; the report presents existing volumes, existing plus site, and a future‑buildout scenario. McCurdy told commissioners that senior housing currently under construction nearby would add about 22–23 AM and PM peak‑hour trips and noted trip generation is not strictly proportional to building area.

Commissioner discussion centered on whether the traffic study addressed the neighborhood’s operational concerns and whether KDOT’s control of the K‑7 intersection constrained the city’s mitigation options. Staff and the applicant noted KDOT has jurisdiction over K‑7 and that signal timing adjustments or future roadway improvements could be part of a longer‑term solution.

After discussion, Commissioner (speaker 5) moved to approve the rezoning; the roll call vote recorded Yes from Mister Bombardier, Mister Mesmer and Mister Gebauer and No from Miss Neff, producing a 3–1 recommendation in favor. A short time later the commission approved preliminary plat PP0125 by the same margin. Staff noted the preliminary plat does not require city council action; the rezoning will be considered by council on April 13 for final action.

Clarifying details recorded in the meeting show some numerical inconsistency in materials: staff and the applicant variously referred to 184 units and 186 units in the packet and presentation. The commission’s staff report and the applicant’s presentation are part of the meeting record and the city engineer’s review focused the commission’s deliberations on traffic impacts.

The commission’s recommendation and the approved preliminary plat will be included in the April 13 city council agenda packet; final subdivision approval (final plat) would occur at a later time if the project continues to proceed.