Residents of an Olathe neighborhood have garnered hundreds of signatures on an online petition in opposition to a proposed apartment complex development that would replace a long-standing library.
Block Real Estate Services plans to bring plans for an apartment complex to the city later this month. The complex would replace the library near 129th Street and Black Bob Road.
"What are they doing?" Vernice Banks asked.
She lives in the home closest to the old library. She and more than 400 others signed the petitionasking city leaders to deny the proposal.
Banks, a grandmother, shares a lot of the same fears as her neighbors. They worry a complex with hundreds of units would bring traffic, too many people and noise to their block.
"Have something like a park," Banks suggested. "That would be great because I have grandkids that come over here all the time. I used to walk to the library, so walking to the park right across the street would be really nice."
Block Real Estate said it is reviewing feedback from people living in the neighborhood as it finalizes designs for the complex, which it has named Anderson Pointe.
The developer said the complex will be upscale with plenty of green space and high-end amenities. Designers haven't released renderings of the complex. They have not decided how many units the complex will include and architects are considering adding a small office or retail component to the development.
Neighbors like Banks worry the buildings will be four stories tall, like she saw in a preliminary design.
"Oh my God, I think I'm going to move," she screamed. "It would force me to move because I don't need all that traffic. I'm used to the quietness, and I can sit on the back and look at the scenery."
Another mother in the neighborhood less familiar with the project admitted she has concerns about added congestion, but believes something will be built at the site.
"I can see people wanting to make money by building apartments. There and people needing somewhere to live moving in," Amelia Emra said.
The mayor of Olathe said he hadn't seen any official plans for Anderson Pointe. 41 Action News asked him how a petition would influence his decision on a project like this.
"We take input we receive from our residents very, very seriously, and it helps us in our decision-making process," Mayor Michael Copeland said. "A lot of the issues that come before us, there are people for and against something, so it is a balancing act."
As of now, the project is scheduled to go before the Olathe Planning and Zoning Commission on September 25. Afterward, the city council would hold several public hearings on the project before voting to approve or deny it.
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