Leawood Planning Commission Considers Numerous Town Center Plaza Updates

Kevin Jeffries News

At the October 13 Leawood Planning Commission meeting, several ordinance and plan changes were discussed that would change some of the procedures for review and approval of changes to store “trade dress” (facades) and signage in retail centers.   The discussion specifically related to plans submitted for modernizing the tenant storefront guidelines for signage and trade dress at Town Center Plaza and Town Center Crossing.

The Commission approved and forwarded the following agenda items to the City Council for their approval. Some of the final approved items contained minor modifications to the originally submitted agenda items.

  • LEAWOOD DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO SECTION 16-3-3, ADMINISTRATIVE Request for approval of an amendment to the Leawood Development Ordinance, pertaining to Tenant Finishes.
  • TOWN CENTER CROSSING – REVISED DESIGN GUIDELINES – Request for approval of a Revised Final Plan, located south of 119th Street and east of Roe Avenue.TOWN CENTER PLAZA – REVISED DESIGN GUIDELINES – Request for approval of a Revised Final Plan, located north of 119th Street and west of Roe Avenue.TOWN CENTER PLAZA – REVISED SIGN GUIDELINES – Request for approval of a Revised Final Plan, located north of 119th Street and west of Roe Avenue.TOWN CENTER CROSSING – REVISED SIGN GUIDELINES – Request for approval of a Revised Final Plan, located south of 119th Street and east of Roe Avenue.

A concern expressed by the representatives for Town Center Plaza on the sign criteria is that the plan, as approved by the Planning Commission, requires Town Center to enforce its sign guidelines on “outparcels” which are properties within the Town Center Plaza quadrant that are not owned by Washington Prime, the owner of Town Center Plaza. We expect that these concerns will be more fully vetted and resolved when the items come before the City Council for their review and action.

To view the original planning commission agenda and packet in detail, visit https://leawood.org/wp-content/uploads/docs/committees/planning-commission/packet/2020/10-13-2020.pdf