The City Council’s Governing Body met on Monday, June 1. Among the agenda items discussed was the City’s decision not to hold it’s annual fireworks display on the 4th.
“This was clearly a tough decision for the Council. Traditionally the City has offered shuttle busses from the offices along Tomahawk Creek Parkway into the park. Trying to maintain any semblance of social distancing on the shuttle busses and at City Park would be very difficult. Another complication for the City is that one of the main roads in and out of City Park from Mission Road will not be usable due to the road being replaced as a part of the Tomahawk Creek Wastewater project. That left only one way to access the park on the 4th, through the residential neighborhoods to the north.” stated Chamber President Kevin Jeffries, who was on the Zoom Council Meeting call on Monday evening.
The Council will now consider the possibility of having Labor Day fireworks. This discussion is deferred to the August 3 meeting.
Other news on the agenda included approval of some updates and clarifications to the City’s materials ordinances for commercial buildings, as well as approving a final plan for a new headquarters operation moving to Leawood in the 135th Street corridor in 2021.
The use of manufactured stone is now allowed under certain circumstances on commerical buildings, and will be added to the City’s materials ordinances.
Onspring plans to relocate their headquarters operations, including 100 employees, to the Cornerstone development at 136th and Nall. Their new campus will include two 12,000 square foot buildings, with construction on the first building starting by the end of 2020.
Kevin Jeffries, President and CEO of the Leawood Chamber and Economic Development Council, feels this is an important first step in attracting more office users to the 135th Street Corridor, a vision that City leadership has as a part of their 135th Street Plan. “To have a company such as Onspring in this corridor, along with the DEMDACO headquarters building on 133rd, will help us establish the 135th Street Corridor as a desirable location for corporate offices.”
