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because they open up our community to more diversity,” Sena said. “However, the sudden increase in people could lead to a ‘too many people, and not enough space’ situation that our small community might not be able to handle.” Mayor Michelle Distler did not respond to a request for comment, but at the city council meeting on Dec. 23 she disagreed with Larson-Bunnell’s traffic concerns. Distler discussed how she drove to the intersection in Woodsonia and watched traffic.
“THE SUDDEN INCREASE IN PEOPLE COULD LEAD TO A ‘TOO MANY PEOPLE, AND NOT ENOUGH SPACE’ SITUATION.” freshman sophie sena
“I watched people coming and going during the peak hours in the morning and the evening. Never once did I see more than three cars exiting at a time,” Distler said at the meeting. “When we’re thinking 400 cars, we’re thinking about the exodus of a Chiefs game. I watched the reality… you’re not having all of these cars at one time” Distler also addressed other concerns about the development’s impact on school size and justified the high-density development by arguing that it could attract businesses and visitors to Shawnee. “The superintendent has said they
have more than enough room at the schools,” Distler said at the meeting. “I want to go back to the density... we heard the comments all through the Imagineering sessions. We want restaurants. We want retail. We keep hearing we want these things, but we don’t want the density that is required to get those things.” Before the city council voted on the proposal, Distler shared her concern that shooting down the plan would scare developers away from Shawnee. “We are told on a regular basis.. western Shawnee is slow to grow because you don’t have the density. Businesses [aren’t coming] to a place that does not have the traffic to support people going to their businesses,” Distler said. “I have been contacted by two developers [who said] if [the multi-family homes proposal] does not go through, we are not bringing our development to western Shawnee.” Melissa Hoag Sherman, an attorney with Spencer Fane LLP, is representing Austin Homes on the case and did not respond to request for comment. In the lawsuit, which was filed in Johnson County District Court on Jan. 15, Austin Homes claims the city was both unreasonable and unlawful by denying the developer’s application. The lawsuit alleged that decision was unlawful, as one city council member had a predetermined decision on the project and assisted neighbors with the petition they created to not have the developer’s plans pass. The developer claims that the Woodsonia West project is in compliance with the city’s comprehensive plan in the lawsuit and that denial of the project is unreasonable and should be overturned. If Austin Properties wins the lawsuit, their application will be reevaluated by the city.
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POPULATION PREDICTION
The estimated density of people occupying the land source: Austin Properties
The aerial view of the proposed location where the buildings would be located. | Claire Franke
KEY: high density residential
public and quasi-public
medium density residential
parks and open space
low density residential
commercial
