Plaza residents fear dense development will have a domino effect

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City neighborhood feels it’s in an uphill battle with development to preserve the very thing that makes it special.

There’s plans to build yet another apartment building in the Plaza neighborhood behind town homes, another complex and family homes.

Some neighbors on Pennsylvania Road are frustrated with the development, as it now blocks their back porch view.

“This is blatantly disrespectful to our single-family homes,” said Christina Boveri.

“Not to mention the devaluation of our homes. It’s taken away our privacy, our quality of life.”

Boveri claims that she fears what’s left of her privacy is next. She lives directly behind what could be the next project: A 20-unit apartment complex.

In order for that to happen, the lot would need to be rezoned from an R 1.5 to an R 0.75. This would increase the maximum height to 60 feet, however, due to infill standards, it would limit the project to 48 feet.

Douglas Stone with Lewis Rice is representing the applicant, and Will Block with Block Real Estate Services addressed the Kansas City Plan Commission last week.

“We’re interested that we have the right kind of housing to support the future of the Plaza, the future of the hospital system in both of those entities’ growth,” he said.

Members of the Plaza Westport Neighborhood Association say they’re not against building more to support the growing population, but the core of a neighborhood is not the right place.

“As you can imagine, that impacts traffic parking,” said Amelia McIntyre, Plaza Westport Neighborhood Association Member.

“That kind of density that this neighborhood didn’t have when there were four single-family homes in that area.”

The developers noted they could build an 11-unit apartment now, and showed them what that could look like.

Instead, they’re asking for more density by increasing the units to 20 and showed plans of their intention to add a retaining wall system, screening fence and trees.

Still, neighborhoods feel it’s a domino effect, as apartment complexes keep going up, single-family homes come down.

“It feels as if the people are not being heard, and we feel it is one-sided, and that side being the developer’s side,” Boveri said.

“As to what will happen 10 years from now, I am very concerned it will continue to see much more dense development occurring,” McIntyre said.

Neighbors are now inviting council members to come out and see the area for themselves. City staff gave its recommendation to approve the rezoning request, along with the City Plan Commission.

It now goes to the City Council for a final decision.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.