Westport Overlay District approved by City Council

Thursday, June 15th, 2023 marked the successful outcome of an over seven-year effort by HKC and our partners.

The City Council has officially adopted the Westport Special Character Overlay District. The Westport Overlay District will have an impact by making sure that the things we all love about Westport are maintained through the implementation and enforcement of consistent, clear standards for new development fronting on Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue, addressing building height, setbacks, facade design, and land use.

We commend the steering committee, property owners, stakeholders, Westport Regional Business League, the City, and Multistudio for their work leading to this outcome. Our thanks again to City Councilwoman Katheryn Shields who helped bring this about!

HKC is pleased to have participated in this major step forward for Westport. HKC’s involvement in Westport is proactive planning to influence preservation in our city.

What steps led to the Westport Overlay District? 

Historic Kansas City and our partners, the Westport Regional Business League, the City, and Multistudio, led the effort to develop the Westport District Master Plan. The top priorities of the Plan included the adoption of a Special Character Overlay District for the commercial corridors of Westport Road and Pennsylvania, which would allow Westport to evolve in a way that is sensitive to the existing context and consistent in character, the creation of local register districts in adjacent residential neighborhoods, and targeted downzoning.

This overlay district is intended to provide specific requirements for development along the two corridors. The standards will focus on development and improvements including use, form, and design that supports pedestrian activity, context-appropriate development scale, transitions to adjacent neighborhoods, and quality design.

VIEW THE FINAL DRAFT

Review the final draft of the overlay to be presented to the City Plan Commission on June 6th at 9 am at City Hall.  Click HERE.

WE NEED YOUR INPUT!

As part of implementing the Westport Plan (adopted in 2019), a Special Character Overlay District has been drafted for properties fronting on Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue. Prior to consideration by the City Plan Commission, the community is invited to a special Open House & Presentation to learn more about the proposed overlay district and ask questions about the details. This overlay will establish consistent, clear standards for new development, addressing building height, setbacks, facade design, and land use.  No RSVP is required.

TAKE THE SURVEY!

As part of implementing the Westport Plan (adopted in 2019), the community is invited to share their ideas and feedback regarding the creation of a zoning overlay district for Westport. This overlay would establish consistent, clear standards for new development fronting on Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue, addressing building height, setbacks, facade design, and land use.

The materials presented and discussed at the Community Meeting on March 29th, 2023 can be found via the following LINK.

TAKE THE SURVEY!

A survey to provide input on the preliminary plans for the Westport Zoning Overlay District can be completed HERE.

WHAT IS AN OVERLAY DISTRICT?

An overlay district applies an additional layer of standards to all areas within a defined overlay boundary, regardless of the underlying base zoning district. Overlay districts are for areas of the city that have unique qualities requiring special treatment or locations where special approaches to development may be warranted. They are established as a means of addressing specific aspects of land use control or development design that transcend base zoning district provisions.

WHY ARE WE CREATING AN OVERLAY DISTRICT?

The City of Kansas City, Missouri adopted the Westport District Master Plan in 2019. One of the recommendations of this plan was to establish a zoning overlay district for properties fronting on Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue in the district. This overlay district would create more consistent standards for future development, managing issues like land use, height, setbacks, and facade design.

WHO IS INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT?

This initiative is one of many implementation efforts from the adopted Plan and is led by the Westport Regional Business League. The process is being facilitated by Multistudio and Historic Kansas City, with assistance from KC Planning staff.

WHEN WILL THE OVERLAY BE ADOPTED?

The professional team intends to work with the Westport community over the course of 6 months to establish the overlay district, beginning in January 2023.

WHAT CAN BE CHANGED USING AN OVERLAY DISTRICT?

An Overlay District can create consistency in the allowed land uses along Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue, and REMOVE USES that are NOT APPROPRIATE in the current context. An overlay district can also require a Special Use Permit or require additional standards for certain uses where the use may be appropriate in some cases.

WHAT CURRENT ZONING ALLOWS:

There is a broad range of uses that are currently allowed along Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue, enabled by districts B1 (light business), B3 (moderate business), B4 (heavy business), and M1 (light manufacturing).

Our team kicked-off this process with a land use workshop, and the problematic uses identified by the stakeholder committee – Feedback from public meeting #1 will add to this list of Undesired Uses:
• Detention & Correctional Facilities
• Halfway Houses
• Adult Business
• Stable
• Pawn Shop
• Short Term Loan Establishment
• Funeral & Internment Service
• Gasoline & Fuel Sales
• Recreational Vehicle Park
• Blood/Plasma Center
• Vehicle Sales & Service
• Car Wash Service
• Heavy Equipment Sales/Rental
• Motor Vehicle Repair; general
• Vehicle Storage/Towing
• Manufacturing, Production, Industrial Service; general
• Mining/Quarrying
• Recycling Service; General
• Warehousing; Wholesaling; Storage; Freight Movement

WHAT CAN BE CHANGED USING AN OVERLAY DISTRICT?

An Overlay District can create LOT & BUILDING STANDARDS for a specific area. This would define standards for building height, lot size, and front/ side/rear setbacks. It can also provide exceptions and broader flexibility where appropriate.

WHAT THE WESTPORT PLAN SAYS:

The “Form” component of the Westport Plan calls for buildings to be generally built to the street (0-10’ setbacks), and building height to be limited to 3 stories directly along Pennsylvania Avenue and Westport Road. However, the plan recommends flexibility to building height, allowing up to 5 stories beyond 50’ of the property line.

Our team is working with the stakeholder committee and KCMO Planning staff to identify District Type (i.e. “business”) Height/Form Intensity (1-5) concerns and regulatory options for a number of topics, including: front and side setbacks; street level and rooftop patios; height limits and flexibility options; and clear interpretation of standards. Feedback from public meeting #1 will be used in that discussion.

WHAT CAN BE CHANGED USING AN OVERLAY DISTRICT?

An Overlay District can identify specific DESIGN STANDARDS along Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue. This could include standards for allowed building materials, frequency of entry features, wall plane limits, transparency (windows) requirements, and facade articulation.

WHAT THE WESTPORT PLAN SAYS:

The Westport Plan acknowledges the architectural diversity throughout the neighborhood, composed of buildings from multiple eras. Though architectural styles vary, there are patterns that characterize Westport, especially along Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue. The plan recommends buildings along Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue aid in unifying the character of the current context.

MODERN CONSTRUCTION PRECEDENTS:

Many of the buildings in Westport were developed using construction methods that are different from what is practiced today. However, modern construction methods are capable of delivering a range of architectural styles and patterns that may or may not be desired for Westport.

Our team will be working with the Steering Committee to discuss the issue of facade design, including building materials, facade composition, frequency of entryways, and transparency (window) minimums. Feedback from public meeting #1 will be used in that discussion.

WHAT CAN BE CHANGED USING AN OVERLAY DISTRICT?

An Overlay District can provide STANDARDS that manage building and site access points, the location of parking and loading spaces, required parking, the extent of usable open spaces like patios, and screening/fencing/walls.

WHAT THE WESTPORT PLAN SAYS:

The Westport Plan recommends that parking lots or garages should not front along Westport Road or Pennsylvania Avenue, and that any parking should be only permitted behind buildings, screened from the public right-of-way, and not directly accessible from either street. The plan also recommends that small social spaces be allowed to be integrated into the development pattern, including patios and street cafes. This kind of site design can be seen at several existing establishments, including Cava, Harry’s, the former McCoy’s, Char Bar, and others.

Our team will discuss considerations and options for site design with the stakeholder committee in early May. Feedback from public meeting #1 will be used in that discussion.

BACKSTORY

HKC was part of a collaborative planning effort with the Westport Regional Business League and the City of Kansas City to develop a Plan for Westport. HKC’s involvement has had an impact in three major ways: 1) Making sure that the things that we all love about Westport are maintained; 2) Integrated the historic resources survey into planning analysis to inform better planning decisions for Westport, and 3) a clear vision was established for Westport by defining character areas and where change is acceptable.

How did we get here? For three years, HKC undertook a strategic effort working with area partners who were concerned about the pace and scale of development that will change the face of historic Westport. To inform planning decisions, HKC undertook a GoFundMe campaign and retained Rosin Preservation to complete a survey of Westport’s cultural resources. We worked with Councilwoman Shields to secure the adoption of a 6-month development suspension ordinance, establishing a non-threatening context for community planning. And for the past 18 months, HKC was part of a collaborative planning effort with the Westport Regional Business League and the City Planning & Development Department to develop the Plan for Westport.

The City Council approved the Westport District Master Plan in 2019. The City Council recommended an amendment to the Midtown Plaza Area Plan (MPAP). In effect, the Westport Plan will become a sub-area, similar to the Plaza Plan, becoming the policy plan for guiding future land use, zoning, and character decisions.

HKC is committed to working with area partners to seek the adoption of a Special Character Overlay District ordinance and other implementation items.

Westport District Master Plan

WESTPORT HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY

Rosin Preservation completed a historic resources survey of 406 resources in the Westport area of Kansas City, Missouri, roughly bounded by 39th Street, Main Street, 43rd Street, and Southwest Trafficway (Summit Street). The goal was two-fold: to identify resources (buildings, sites, structures, and objects) that may be eligible for listing in the National and/or Kansas City Registers of Historic Places and to identify resources that are not register-eligible.

Westport Historic Resources Survey – Final Report

Westport Historic Resources – Survey Form

Westport Survey Presentation