Lenexa Woodsonia plan approved for 300 apartments and townhomes

The Lenexa Planning Commission approved rezoning and a preliminary plan for The Residences on Woodsonia, a new multifamily residential development between Woodsonia Drive and Montecello Road.

The Kansas City-based Sunflower Development Group is leading the project and would be split into two parts: 10 three-story apartment buildings containing 240 units total, along with 11 other buildings containing a total of 62 two-story townhomes. It will also include shared amenities, such as a clubhouse, pool, dog park and pickleball courts. The townhomes will also have garages.

The rezoning request changed the site’s current zoning from an agricultural district to intermediate- and high-density residential zones.

While it will be near other residential areas like Watercrest Landing, Jason Swords, Sunflower founder, said the apartments and townhomes will hopefully blend into the area.

“We’re not putting giant, tall buildings next door to single-family properties,” he said.

Swords said he met with the neighboring homeowners association to get their blessing.

“The consensus of our [HOA] was very supportive,” Paul Griesemer, a Lenexa resident, said. “We appreciate their several efforts to be a good neighbor to our development.”

Curt Katterhenry praised Sunflower for doing due diligence with its neighbors.

“Whenever there’s a project that goes next to single-family residences, it’s always tricky,” he said. “I’m just glad to hear that it sounds like the neighborhood’s in support of this.”

The plan and rezoning will be taken up by Lenexa City Council at 7 p.m., on Dec. 19.

If the project moves forward from there, then the plan is to begin construction on the apartments in late 2024 and the townhomes in 2025, Swords said.

Read the original article by Andrew Gaug at the Shawnee Mission Post.