Bonner Springs council approves replat, rezoning and right-of-way dedications to allow mixed-residential development near 132nd Street

Bonner Springs City Council voted Jan. 26 to amend the city’s future land use map, accept dedications of public right-of-way and easements, and rezone several replatted parcels to mixed residential to align the property with adjacent Deerfield zoning and allow multifamily development.

Community Development Director Mark Lee told the council the action affects parcels at 708 South 130th Street and 709 South 132nd Street. The proposed replat would subdivide the property into three lots of about 1.82, 6.76 and 1.72 acres and combine the rear portion of 708 with 709 to create a larger mixed-residential parcel. Lee said the comprehensive-plan amendment would change the rear portion from low-density residential to high-density/mixed residential so the lot matches the zoning to the west.

The rezoning and replat passed after public-staff discussion and recorded roll-call votes. Council also voted to accept public-right-of-way dedications and easements shown on the plat intended to preserve a Cheyenne Street alignment. The dedication, Lee said, was requested by the property owner, Mr. Tyner, so the city would have a right-of-way in place if the state’s K-7 corridor plan later limits frontage access to K‑7.

Residents and council members raised infrastructure questions during the discussion. Council members asked whether the frontage road would remain and whether new development would have direct access to K‑7; Lee said the frontage road would remain to serve existing driveways but future state actions under the K‑7 corridor plan could lead to longer-term changes and would likely require state coordination. The city manager and staff said any future development proposal would be required to include a traffic impact study, stormwater plan and sewer acceptance approach before permits could be approved.

Lee and council members discussed density and unit estimates. Mixed residential zoning allows up to 18 dwelling units per acre; council members observed that if the larger parcel were fully developed with apartments the yield could reach roughly the mid‑hundreds in certain scenarios, though Lee emphasized there is no final site plan now. He noted a 2014 concept for a larger contiguous area had different unit counts (staff referenced a 2014 proposal that for roughly 15.5 acres showed about 248 units under that earlier plan).

Several council members expressed constituents’ concerns about traffic increases and the potential need to preserve existing homes if right-of-way changes proceed; one member asked whether 708 could be subject to eminent domain in a future state project. Lee said the city’s current step was to preserve rights-of-way and that any land acquisition or eminent-domain action would be separate and handled later if needed.

The council voted on separate actions: (1) an ordinance to amend the future land use map; (2) acceptance of right-of-way dedications and easements on the replat; and (3) an ordinance approving rezoning to mixed residential for the replatted Bonner Hills Estates. All motions carried on recorded voice votes.

Next steps for the site are procedural: the city now has the amended land-use designation and zoning in place that would allow multifamily development, but any specific project would need to submit a development plan and the accompanying traffic, stormwater and sewer studies required by city regulations before permits or site work could proceed.