In front of a packed commission room of over 40 people, the City Commission at its meeting Monday approved the first step for a developer seeking to fill the Nottingham Center.
Plans filed by the Borchardt Development Group call for about 140 apartments and 10 two-story villas, according to city documents. Plus, the development would include 50,000 square feet of retail and office space. The plans call for a cafe with a potential outdoor patio overlooking Village Green.
The commission voted unanimously to move forward with the developer. The next steps will be for the city to use funding provided by the developer to consult with its third-party development team. Decisions on final designs, incentives and more will be discussed in public meetings later.
Commissioners heard from the developer and one public commenter. Most of the meeting attendees did not speak during public comment.
Michel Borchardt, the developer for the project, said the project came about when he and his wife, who reside in Eudora, were asking themselves what the city needed to continue to grow.
He said his family uses the services in the Nottingham Center regularly, and he wanted to be part of continuing that growth to take advantage of Eudora’s location on K-10.
“The mayor, the city council and the people, the city, had foresight years ago to begin that preparation process, and now is the perfect time to capitalize on that foresight and what’s been done at the Nottingham Center, and we’re ready to take that to another level,” he said.
He said rent prices for the apartments in the development had not been set, but “they will match the market.”
Theresa Curtis, one of the architects for the project with the NSPJ Architects firm, highlighted past projects the firm had done that had a similar goal to the proposed Nottingham development, including places in Johnson County like Lenexa City Center and CityPlace in Overland Park.
Mayor Tim Reazin thanked the crowd for showing up and urged them to stay involved as the process for the development continues.
“I know that through the processes we’re allowed to figure out what the community wants as we’re developing this out,” he said. “Ultimately, the developer wants something that the community is going to be in favor of. They don’t want to pull business from somewhere else.”
He highlighted how past developments in the Nottingham Center, like the Scooter’s and Mid America Bank, originally raised concerns about competition with other local businesses, but those fears have not turned out to be true.
“I understand that there are community members that aren’t going to like the direction that every piece of every development goes,” Reazin said. “We’re hoping that you take the time, just like tonight, to show up to voice those concerns.”
One public commenter spoke on the development. Michael Roth asked the commissioners for more background on what the development would be filling.
Reazin explained the history of the land and the city’s development. He said much of the focus recently has been on increasing residential units. As that continues, having more commercial development will help take tax burdens off the shoulders of homeowners, he said.
In other business, City Clerk Kelly Delay said the city would move forward with a hybrid approach regarding the city’s posting of legal notices in newspapers. The city had originally recommended designating its website as the official newspaper for legal postings, but after meeting with Lawrence Journal-World publisher Chad Lawhorn and hearing some community concerns, they elected to keep the notices in the paper and also publish them on the city’s website.
The commission approved a contract with McClure Engineering Company for the design and engineering work on the Pilla Park redevelopment project. The $100,589 contract represents the first step in using a $650,000 Community Development Block Grant to redesign the park.
The commission also advanced a request for the McClure Engineering Company to build three apartment buildings at the northeast corner of K-10 and Church Street. As previously reported, these apartments near Dairy Queen would add 72 units. Doug Compton previously said he was always planning on building on the land, but with news of the Panasonic battery factory and housing shortages in the area, now seems like a good time.
In addition, the commission elected to annex 134 acres at the northwest corner of K-10 and Winchester Road. There is no formal land use application for this property at this time.
The commission also read a proclamation recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month, recognized two Planning Commission members and received a presentation from the Chamber of Commerce, which highlights recent events by the Chamber, including trunk or treat and a city commission candidate forum.
City staff also highlighted some upcoming events with the schools, including a partnership with the Eudora Schools Foundation for students to learn more about the water treatment plant and a plan for middle school civics students to discuss with city staff and commissioners about local government.
Reach reporter Cuyler Dunn at [email protected]
