RETHINK REZONING

story by david allegri

Prairie Village City Council voted to suspend mention of single family zones in their recommendations to the planning commission on Feb. 6 for further discussion the planning committee — all of which mention R-2+ zones, according to the aforementioned document. R-2+ refers to R-2, R-3, R-4, and other “multiunit” houses.

The reason council wants to go forward with the R-2+ issues first is because the topic of R-2+ zones comes with lesser contention from the public — due to the small percentage of R-2+ zones in the city.

“[The Planning Commision] needs to focus on the low-hanging fruit, the other districts,” with specific regard to their recommendations for the R-1 zones. Lauren Wolf said during the meeting.

The council hasn’t removed the R-1 entirely from the discussion, rather they want the Planning Commission to focus on the easier issues of the R-2+ zoning districts, according to Wolf.

Unlike the R-2+ zones, the discussion regarding R-1 zones is a point of high concern.

“They’re concerned that someone could potentially tear down a single-family home and build a duplex or a triplex or quadplex next to their single-family home,” Councilmember Piper Reimer said, “That is their concern and that is not at all what I think is being proposed or even considered, and I think that hasn’t been clear.”

The concern over the topic of R-1 house has gained the attention of many residents, resulting in a separation of two different groups.

Prairie Village for All is in support of the proposed recommendations, PV United or the “Stop PV Rezoning” group is against the rezoning and doesn’t want R-1 to be included in the recommendations.

Both groups are highly active in the discussion, and both of their yard signs can be spotted throughout Prairie Village and both parties attend city council meetings..

The council is trying to find a spot where both sides are pleased with the outcome, according to Mayor Eric Mikkelson.

“I think everybody’s goal on council is to find a win-win — the sweet spot,” Mikkelson said. “Where we can do some things to make a smaller, more-attainable housing in Prairie Village in a way that does not diminish property values for anyone else”

The goal of the proposed recommendations is not to lower property value, but rather to create more housing options for people unable to afford the high price of a Prairie Village house, according to the council.

Currently, the average home in Prairie Village is $391,192 according to Zillow. Instead of lowering the value of the property, the council aims to make it more attainable — or more rentable, based on the proposed changes.

“[These recommendations] would allow more police, more teachers, more nurses to live in Prairie Village,” Mikkelson said, “More workers available for our shops would allow our businesses to thrive. These are solutions that if done properly, will enhance property values and strengthen neighborhoods.”

The council is looking to the future of the city rather than just the current state of the city. In order to grow as a city, Prairie Village must become more accessible for younger people to move to the city, according to councilmember and East parent Bonnie Limbird.

“We have to account for the changing demographics and younger families, younger couples, and younger families do want to be here, Limbird said, “And there is the future of the city, in the next two, three, four decades, that’s [the younger generation] who’s going to be here.”

Though many people want to take the issue to a city-wide vote, an issue like this is highly unlikely to ever come to a ballot as they are costly to run and should be able to be settled within the council, according to Reimer.