The Lenexa City Council has rejected a 17-acre proposal for retail and restaurant spaces, as well as a gas station, on Prairie Star Parkway. However, the council did so with encouragement for the developer to try again.

Proposal Details

The proposal, presented by Aaron Mesmer, chief investment officer at Block Real Estate, included nine pad sites totaling 75,000 square feet of space. The aim was to provide services for employees, family members, and patients at the nearby AdventHealth Prairie Star Hospital, as well as for nearby residents.

The city council voted 6-0 to deny the rezoning and preliminary plat for Prairie Star Parkway Center, citing that the proposal did not fit the character of the area and was too busy with too many pads and drive-thrus.

Councilmembers expressed concerns about the traffic flow and congestion that the proposal would likely cause. However, they also encouraged the developer to come back with a new proposal that would better fit the city’s comprehensive plan.

Future Plans

The city council suggested that the developer consider a proposal more in line with CP-1 zoning, which is meant as a transition between residential and higher intensity nonresidential land uses. The council encouraged the developer to evolve the concept to meet the comprehensive plan.

Original reporting: Johnson County Post (Overland Park) — read the source article.