Planning and Urban Design
701 North 7th Street, Room 423 Phone: (913) 573-5750 Kansas City, Kansas 66101 Fax: (913) 573-5796 Email: [email protected] www.wycokck.org/planning
To: Unified Government Board of Commissioners
From: Planning and Urban Design Staff
Date: August 27, 2020
Re: MP-2020-6
GENERAL INFORMATION
Applicant: Ryan Conk
Status of Applicant: Representative KC The Yards 2, LLC One Indiana Square, Suite 3000 Indianapolis, Indiana 46202 N
Requested Actions: Master Plan Amendment from Industrial to Mixed Use.
Date of Application: June 26, 2020
Purpose: To amend the City-Wide Master Plan Land Use N designation from Industrial to Mixed Use in order to allow for future mixed-use development.
Property Location: 200 South James Street
N
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 1 Commission Districts: District Commissioner: Brian McKiernan Commissioner At Large: Tom Burroughs
Existing Zoning: M-3 Heavy Industrial District
Adjacent Zoning: North: M-3 Heavy Industrial District South: M-3 Heavy Industrial District East: Kansas City, Missouri West: Kansas River
Adjacent Uses: North: Business campus parking South: Industrial business East: Parking lots and garage (Missouri) West: Kansas River
Total Tract Size: 17.37 Acres
Master Plan Designation: The City-Wide Master Plan designates this property as Industrial.
Major Street Plan: The Citywide Master Plan designates James Street as a Class B Thoroughfare. However, the applicant property can only be accessed by a portion of State Line Road that lies completely in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri.
Required Parking: Section 27-470(f) requires no less than one (1) space per 500 square feet of building area provided. However, more specific parking requirements will be determined by the Director of Planning after receipt of a summary of parking needs and characteristics from the applicant.
Advertisement: The Wyandotte Echo – July 16, 2020 Letters to Property Owners – July 16, 2020 and August 21, 2020.
Public Hearings: August 10, 2020 and August 27, 2020
Public Support: None to date.
Public Opposition: None to date.
PROPOSAL
Detailed Outline of Requested Action: Applicant, Ryan Conk with KC The Yard 2, LLC, has requested a Master Plan Amendment to the City-Wide Master Plan Land Use designation from Industrial to Mixed Use in order to allow for mixed-use development in connection with the proposed establishment of the Riverfront Tax Increment Financing
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 2 (TIF) District. The first phase of the development contemplates the construction of approximately 225-240 unit market-rate multi-family residential development, with potential for a retail/restaurant/commercial component on the first floor, surface parking, courtyards, landscaping, lighting, utilities, and other infrastructure.
City Ordinance Requirements: Article VI, Section 27-213, Sections 27-210 – 27-216
FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED
1. Neighborhood character
The neighborhood includes properties across the Kansas state border into Missouri. While the entire area has been traditionally industrial, heavy commercial, distribution, and stockyards—as dictated by the area’s proximity to the downtowns of Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri, regional and national highways, and the Kansas and Missouri Rivers—there has been more recent mixed-use development, mainly multi-family residential and light commercial, on the Missouri side of the West Bottoms District. The applicant property lies at the southern edge of this emerging mixed-use district.
2. The extent to which the proposed use would increase the traffic or parking demand in ways that would adversely affect road capacity, safety, or create parking problems.
Because development is in the initial stages, the applicant has not provided a development plan. There is an adjacent parking structure, a surface lot to the north, and additional parking adjacent to Hy-Vee (formerly Kemper) Arena. As State Line Road is the only point of access to the property, and as State Line Road itself ends at Butler Way/Genesee Street to the north and at American Royal Drive to the south, a future traffic study will be necessary to address issues caused by such limited access to the property. Mixed uses on the property will require a mix of transportation and parking options, which should be creatively designed and highlighted in a future Plan Review application.
3. The extent to which utilities and public services are available and adequate to serve the proposed amendment and the extent to which the environment would be impacted.
Sanitary sewer lines run along the northern boundary and the north portion of the western boundary. Such lines would need to be expanded to accommodate a greater intensity of high-density development. Furthermore, stormwater lines may need to be expanded to account for both the increase in impermeable surfaces that future development will inevitably bring and the property’s proximity to a floodplain, levee, and the Kansas River. Likewise, electric and gas lines need to be run to the property with a capacity to serve a dense, mixed-use development that will require differing levels of service throughout the day and week. The applicant property is served by the Police Station South District #333 and Fire Station #3, but both stations are located west of the Kansas River and have limited routes to access the property. Site designs for the property should include
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 3 open space within the development as well as pedestrian access to the Kansas River riverfront.
4. The difference between the existing and proposed Master Plan.
The existing land use designation for the property in the City-Wide Master Plan is Industrial. The Industrial land use designation allows uses such as manufacturing, warehouse, salvage, and limited related commercial services (e.g. truck stops and convenience stores); the Industrial designation discourages all residential uses. This was consistent for the property and the properties around it, due to geography and historic use. The amendment proposes a change of the land use designation to Mixed-Use. The Mixed-Use land use designation allows uses such as specialty retail, sit-down restaurants, professional and office services, open spaces, and mixed-density residential uses; the Mixed-Use designation discourages industrial uses, business parks, drive-through restaurants, and car lots.
5. Analysis of the impact on surrounding properties.
Development of the property will lead to an increase of impermeable surfaces, parking needs, traffic at peak times, and risk of standing water or runoff. The exact impact of these changes on surrounding properties cannot be completely known at this time—especially without more detailed development plans—but Staff does recognize there will be issues that will need to be addressed. Therefore, the applicant should be aware that additional studies (traffic, floodplain, soil conservation) may need to be conducted before future planning actions can be approved.
6. Estimate the future costs and revenues to the Unified Government and property owner and Market Impact.
The applicant property is linked to a proposed Riverfront TIF District. A Redevelopment Project Plan has been created to address, among other considerations, the financial feasibility and projections of the proposed development. The Plan states: “The development contemplated in this Redevelopment Plan will provide significant economic development for the UG by, among other things, providing increased tax revenues to the UG, creating a development that will draw additional consumers from both inside and outside the UG, and increasing employment opportunities and general commerce for area residents. The feasibility study demonstrates that the benefits and tax increment revenue and other available revenues derived from the development contemplated in this Redevelopment Plan will exceed the costs and be sufficient to pay the costs of the Project.”
Excerpts from “Redevelopment Project Plan for Project Area 1 of Riverfront Redevelopment District” can be found in the “Attachments” section of this report.
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 4
PREVIOUS ACTIONS
None
NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING
Applicants held a virtual neighborhood meeting at 5:00 PM on July 23, 2020. Due to precautionary measures allowed by the Unified Government and the Department of Planning and Urban Design, the requirement for a physical neighborhood meeting has been suspended. Applicant held the meeting via Zoom for all neighbors who were interested; neighbors received a link for the Zoom meeting in the neighborhood meeting letter. Meeting minutes show that five (5) parties were in attendance, but it appears that four (4) of the individuals were affiliated with the project and one (1) individual was attending the meeting as a member of the public. The minutes shows that the attending neighbor asked several questions about future plans and appeared to be satisfied by the applicant’s answers.
KEY ISSUES
Open Space Traffic Utilities and Public Services Stormwater and Flooding
PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
The Planning Commission voted 7 to 0 to recommend APPROVAL of Master Plan Amendment #MP-2020-6, subject to:
1) When development is ready, the applicant or another representative party must apply for all planning actions necessary for such development.
STAFF COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Staff concurs with the recommendation of the City Planning Commission.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Board of Commissioners make the findings contained within the staff report related to Factors to be Considered, and Key Issues and recommends APPROVAL of MP-2020-6, subject to all comments and suggestions outlined in this staff report, and the conditions of the City Planning Commission.
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 5 ATTACHMENTS
August 10, 2020 City Planning Commission Minutes Photos of Property Provided by Staff, July 13, 2020 Site Plan Provided by Applicant Map of Property with Floodplain Overlay Documents from Neighborhood Meeting, July 23, 2020 Excerpts from “Redevelopment Project Plan for Project Area 1 of Riverfront Redevelopment District”
REVIEW OF INFORMATION AND SCHEDULE
Action Planning Commission Board of Commissioners Public Hearing: Master Plan Amendment August 10, 2020 August 27, 2020 Approval ______
STAFF CONTACT: Michael Farley [email protected]
MOTIONS
I move the Unified Government Board of Commissioners APPROVE Petition #MP- 2020-6, as meeting all the requirements of the City code and being in the interest of the public health, safety and welfare subject to such modifications as are necessary to resolve to the satisfaction of City Staff all comments contained in the Staff Report; and the following additional requirements:
1.______;
2. ______; And
3. ______.
OR
I move the Unified Government Board of Commissioners DENY Petition #MP-2020-6, as it is not in compliance with the City Ordinances and as it will not promote the health, safety and welfare of the City of Kansas City, Kansas; and other such reasons that have been mentioned.
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 6
August 10, 2020 City Planning Commission Minutes:
Hearing starts at 3:27:45:
MASTER PLAN AMENDMENT APPLICATION #MP-2020-6 – RYAN CRONK WITH KC THE YARDS 2, LLC. – SYNOPSIS: Master Plan Amendment from Industrial to Mixed Use at 200 South James Street. Detailed Outline of Requested Action: Applicant, Ryan Conk with KC The Yard 2, LLC, has requested a Master Plan Amendment to the City-Wide Master Plan Land Use designation from Industrial to Mixed Use in order to allow for mixed-use development in connection with the proposed establishment of the Riverfront Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. The first phase of the development contemplates the construction of approximately 225-240 unit market- rate multi-family residential development, with potential for a retail/restaurant/commercial component on the first floor, surface parking, courtyards, landscaping, lighting, utilities, and other infrastructure.
The following items were included as part of the record for this case: 1. The City’s currently adopted zoning and subdivision regulations; 2. The official zoning map for the area in question; 3. The City’s currently adopted Master Plan for the area in question; 4. The staff report and attachments dated August 10, 2020; 5. The application and other documents, plans, pictures and maps submitted by the applicant in furtherance of the case and contained in the official file; 6. The Notice in the Wyandotte Echo dated July 16, 2020; and, 7. The Notices to property owners dated July 16, 2020.
Recording Secretary Parker asked if the Commission had any contact to disclose on this application. (No one responded in the affirmative.)
Present in Support:
Ryan Cronk, applicant, KC The Yards 2, LLC Aaron March, attorney representing the applicant, Rouse Frets White Goss Gentile Rhodes, 4510 Belleview, Suite 300, Kansas City, Missouri 64111
Present in Opposition:
No one appeared
Staff Recommendation starts at 3:31:55: Planning Director Hand stated that typically when the staff sees a Master Plan Amendment, it is accompanied with a development plan. With this application, hence the applicant has submitted a detailed description and staff is comfortable moving this application forward. He stated that the Master Plan Amendment better reflects the changing environment of the West Bottoms area and the development happening next to the Hy-Vee Arena; it reflects the highest and best use of the land. He further stated that the UG is raising the levees and adding other enhancements that is supportive of this land use change. The UG has submitted an
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 7 application that when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is done with their work, the UG will put in other amenities such as trails, etc. Staff recommends approval.
Motion and Vote starts at 3:13:32:
On motion by Mr. Mohler, seconded by Ms. Pauley, the Planning Commission voted as follows to recommend APPROVAL of Master Plan Amendment Application #MP- 2020-6: Carson Chairman Armstrong Aye Cho Not Present Connelly Not Present Ernst Aye Huey Aye Jones Aye Miller Aye Mohler Aye Pauley Aye Reasons Not Present Motion to recommend APPROVAL Passed: 7 to 0
Condition of Approval:
1) When development is ready, the applicant or another representative party must apply for all planning actions necessary for such development.
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 8 PHOTOS OF PROPERTY PROVIDED BY STAFF, JULY 13, 2020
Top: West view of property, from State Line Road. Above: East view of campus across State Line Road from the applicant property. Upper Right: Northwest view of parking structure serving Hy-Vee Arena and southern portion of the West Bottoms District. Right: Northeast view, of the property, facing south on State Line Road.
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 9 SITE PLAN PROVIDED BY APPLICANT
MAP OF
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 10 PROPERTY WITH FLOODPLAIN OVERLAY
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 11 DOCUMENTS FROM NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, JULY 23, 2020
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 12 DOCUMENTS FROM NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, JULY 23, 2020, CONT.
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 13 EXCERPTS FROM “REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT PLAN FOR PROJECT AREA 1 OF RIVERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT”
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 14 EXCERPTS FROM “REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT PLAN FOR PROJECT AREA 1 OF RIVERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT”, CONT.
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 15 EXCERPTS FROM “REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT PLAN FOR PROJECT AREA 1 OF RIVERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT”, CONT.
MP-2020-6 August 27, 2020 16