At the end of a 6 ½ hour marathon meeting that stretched into the wee hours of the morning, the Lenexa City Council rejected a plan to turn the LaQuinta Inn at 95th Street and I-35 into a homeless shelter, despite the urging of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners.
The 5-2 vote before a Standing-Room-Only audience accepted August’s unanimous recommendation of the city’s Planning Commission to reject the Special Use Permit requested by ReStart to convert the hotel into a 50-bed temporary and 25-bed long-term shelter.
Concerns about neighborhood safety, long-term costs to the city and its police department, and questions about the shelter’s operation prompted council members Chelsea Williamson, Bill Nicks, Craig Denny, Chris Herron, and Mark Charlton to oppose the measure. Members Melanie Arroyo and Courtney Eiterich cast “Yes” votes. Councilman Joe Karlin did not attend the meeting.
Following the council vote, Johnson County Commission Chairman Mike Kelly, who steered his fellow members into approving the plan and urged area JOCO cities to contribute, issued this statement:
“I have been heartened by the robust community conversation being had about homelessness in Johnson County and the consensus that now is the time to address what is currently a manageable level of homelessness. Thank you to every person who has participated in this important conversation. More importantly, thanks to those who will continue working toward solutions.
“I am deeply disappointed in the Lenexa City Council’s denial of reStart’s SUP application, which prevents what I and many others feel is the right solution at the right place and at the right time. Despite this setback, the work must continue.”
Johnson County spent nearly $500,000 already on Lenexa shelter project
Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara, who opposed the shelter plan as not feasible and too expensive, revealed an email she received from Assistant County Manager Joe Connor the day after the vote in response to her question of how much the county has spent so far on the now-rejected project:
To date expenditures for due diligence activities total $279,477 and non-refundable earnest money that was a part of the real estate sales contract total $200,000. We anticipate additional due diligence costs and will inform you of the final total.
O’Hara applauded the decision of the city council:
“I have been extremely impressed with the tenacity of the grassroots folks in Lenexa. I believe it was their voices that gave Lenexa planning staff, planning commission and city council the courage to stand strong against this ill-conceived, ill-funded and ill-placed low barrier homeless shelter.”
O’Hara also revealed a special commission meeting has been called to discuss the ramifications of the Lenexa rejection of the county proposal.
