A proposal to allow vehicles going to a warehouse area to use the 99th Street entrance to the former Woodlands racetrack at 9700 Leavenworth Road was sent back to the City Planning Commission on Thursday night by the Unified Government Commission.
Korb Maxwell, an attorney with Polsinelli, asked that the zoning issue be remanded to the City Planning Commission for more work. The UG Commission went ahead with a public hearing before sending the item back to the Planning Commission.
Although the Woodlands redevelopment project was approved last fall, it came back to the Planning Commission and UG Commission because Scannell Properties asked for six buildings instead of the original five buildings that were approved, according to Gunnar Hand, the UG’s planning director. The proposed amendment also asked for access from 99th Street to the warehouse area, which sparked community opposition.
The bulk of the Woodlands redevelopment project was the warehouses with industrial zoning on the site of the former racetrack. A companion project was the development of some retail shops along the western side of the property. According to UG planning information, the six warehouse and distribution buildings would total 3.39 million square feet, and the commercial retail buildings total 49,290 square feet.
While the main Woodlands entrance is at 97th and Leavenworth Road, a second entrance to the former racetrack is on 99th Street, north of Leavenworth Road.
Karen Lauber, a resident who lives across from the development on 99th Street, west of the former Woodlands, said at the public hearing Thursday night that she thought the proposed change was pretty big compared to what was approved in the fall. The last proposal, when it was approved, did not include access from 99th to the warehouse area, but this amended proposal includes 99th Street access for warehouse employees, and the operation could be 24-7, she said.
Commissioner Mike Kane, who represents the 5th District, said there were four buses that go to that area every day and pick up about 50 students.
“This is a serious safety issue for our kids,” Commissioner Kane said, adding the road was not designed to be used that way. It will be hard to make 99th safe for kids if there are thousands of employees going to that entrance, he said.
He added that it looks like what neighbors told him, a “bait and switch.”
Maxwell said they did not think the amended proposal was ripe at this time and they would like to go back to the Planning Commission, and work it further with the planning staff.
Commissioners Brian McKiernan and Melissa Bynum agreed with Commissioner Kane about the effects on the neighbors on 99th.
Commissioner McKiernan said he hopes to have a modified request that respects that the UG Commission previously promised to modify the spillover effects on the neighborhood to the best of its ability.
Commissioner Bynum agreed it was a “serious concern,” and the commission voted 9-0 to send the proposal back to the City Planning Commission for more work on the entrance and exit issue.
I think it would be really dangerous for the children around there. I worked at W. 43rd St and 7 Hwy in Shawnee where there are multiple Amazon warehouses. Those drivers drove so fast on the street and through the parking lots and parked in lots designated for other companies. It was crazy!
If they think they need another entrance, why don’t they just put in another off Leavenworth Rd?
Please do not let this happen!!!
Thank you for your comment, Denise. It underscores and affirms the concerns of the neighbors.
Karen Lauber
the only thing to worry about there are the morning and afternnon bus stops for the piper schools.
i used to reside on parkview and in three years never saw children on 99th other than when it was time for the bus. i’m not saying there isn’t kids nowadays though.
i’d be more worried about the lake getting ruined by the silt from the construction area – we’ll be watching.
something else……… viewing other warehouses of similar size, i.e. 3 million sq. ft., this could turn out better than one would think. 49,000 plus sq. ft. of retail space might look pretty good too – sort of tough to fathom 3 million sq. ft. though on that property. if they choose to use 99th for traversing eventually we’ll need a new 99th st. i try to not let tomorrow dictate today but must ask – who pays for a new 99th street? us or them, thinking along the lines of them being us eventually.
who pays for that