Olathe City Council Meeting - March 17, 2026: Revaluation, Dillons, Animal Shelter, and Telecom Facility
Olathe City Council Meeting - March 17, 2026: Revaluation, Dillons, Animal Shelter, and Telecom Facility
The Olathe City Council met on March 17, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chamber. Mayor John Bacon and Councilmembers Vakas, Creighton, and Deneault were present; Councilmembers Schoonover, Felter, and Essex were absent. City Manager Susan Sherman and City Attorney Ron Shaver were in attendance. The meeting was adjourned at 8:14 PM. Key actions included approval of a major grocery store development, a new animal shelter, a telecommunications facility, and receipt of the Johnson County property revaluation report.
Special Business
- Planning Commission Reappointment: Resolution No. 26-1024 reappointing Megan Lynn to the Planning Commission was approved 4-0.
- Parks and Recreation Leadership Board and Foundation Appointments: Resolution No. 26-1025 appointing Phil Arbuckle, Tim Richards, and Zed Ashker (student) to the Parks and Recreation Leadership Board and Board of Trustees was approved 4-0.
- Proclamation: Mayor Bacon proclaimed Olathe a Seven Days City, emphasizing kindness and inclusion. The proclamation was presented to board member Parveen Banu Siddique.
- Johnson County 2026 Revaluation Presentation: County Appraiser Carolyn Logan presented residential and commercial property value assessments for Olathe. Key statistics: total appraised value rose to $24 billion (a 5.27% increase from $23 billion in November 2025); average single-family home appraised value is $457,000 (up from $433,000), while the average sale price was $498,000 in 2025; residential building permits were 480 in 2025. Commercial reappraisal growth was 0.13%, with $577 million in new commercial construction added. Abated properties account for 2.38% of county appraised value; Olathe leads the county in economic development incentives. Council questions addressed model accuracy, abatement dollar amounts, and how Olathe compares to other cities.
Consent Calendar
- Items A through G, I through M, and O were approved as part of the consent agenda (4-0). Item H was pulled for separate discussion. Item N (Workday Adaptive Planning contract) was withdrawn at staff request.
- Item H – Telecommunications Facility for Mather West: Resolution No. 26-1026 requested approval for a telecommunications facility southwest of 151st Street and S. Red Bird Street. Councilmember Vakas pulled the item due to resident concerns. Chief Community Development Officer Chet Belcher explained that the site is in an industrial zone, the nearest home is 675 feet away (beyond the 500-foot notification radius), and such facilities are regulated by the FCC. The item was approved 4-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were heard; one resident who registered to speak was unable to attend.
Discussion Items
- Dillons at Sunnybrook (RZ25-0020): Ordinance No. 26-11 approved a rezoning from BP (Business Park) to C-2 (Community Center) District with a preliminary site development plan and final plat for a ~100,000 sq ft grocery store, 14-pump gas station, drive-through pharmacy, and online grocery pickup on 14.11 acres southwest of College Boulevard and S. Lone Elm Road. Planning Commission recommended approval 7-0. Council approved the rezoning (4-0), preliminary site plan, and final plat (FP25-0043) unanimously. Store opening is projected for Fall 2027. Councilmember Vakas emphasized proper stormwater management; staff confirmed all truck movements occur on-site.
- Olathe Animal Care Campus (RZ25-0008): Ordinance No. 26-12 approved a rezoning from C-3 (Regional Center) and MP-2 (Planned General Industrial) to C-3 with a preliminary site development plan for a 26,000 sq ft animal shelter on 7.44 acres northwest of E. Santa Fe Street and N. Ridgeview Road. Planning Commission recommended approval 7-0. Council approved unanimously (4-0). Two future pad sites will require revised preliminary plans. Councilmember Creighton, echoing absent members, reminded staff to manage costs carefully.
- Planning Session – Traffic Ordinance Amendments: Assistant City Attorney Bob Gallimore reported on proposed amendments to Title 10 (Olathe Traffic Ordinance) regarding e-mobility devices. The goal is to simplify categories (e-bikes, e-scooters, motorized skateboards) into two categories and require helmets for riders under 18. Council requested comparative information from other cities and input from the Olathe Teen Council before bringing the ordinance forward for a vote.
Key Outcomes
- All votes were unanimous (4-0) with absent members not counted.
- Resolutions 26-1024 and 26-1025 approved; proclamation accepted; revaluation report received.
- Consent agenda approved with exceptions; Item H approved separately; Item N withdrawn.
- Ordinance 26-11 (Dillons) and associated final plat approved.
- Ordinance 26-12 (Animal Care Campus) and preliminary site plan approved with stipulation.
- Traffic ordinance amendment will be further studied with Teen Council input.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. Happy Saint Patrick's Day. Some of you are probably, oh, is that what all the greens about? No. So welcome to the regular meeting of the Olatha City Council for Tuesday, March seventeenth, twenty twenty-six. Would you please stand with me for the pledge? So that's item in on the consent agenda. Item A is consideration of resolution number twenty-six-1024, reappointing a member to the planning commission. Do I hear a motion? Yes, I moved to approve. Second. Mr. Bacon. Yes. Mr. Bacchus. Yes. Mr. Creighton. Yes. Mr. Danault. Yes. Motion passes four zero. The Oletha Planning Commission plays a critical role in guiding our community's growth to ensure we're thoughtful and strategic and laying the best path forward for a bright future. Here to introduce her is Commissioner Chair Wayne Janner. And again, happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone. I would say the majority of the time. Megan will bring up an issue through comment and questions through the application. And usually my first response is wow, that's really good. I didn't think of that. Um because her knowledge is just so deep and so useful to us. So we are very proud that she made the decision to continue uh for another term, and we're excited to have her on the planning commission. Megan. Thanks for doing this again. Thank you. You're welcome to right there. I just want to uh thank the um the mayor and the city council for the opportunity to serve Olathe again. It's a pleasure. Thank you. Let's take a quick picture. So thank you, Megan, for uh signing up for another term. We appreciate your volunteerism on the board. Item B is consideration of resolution number 26-1025 appointing members to the Parks and Recreation Leadership Board and Board of Trustees of the Olatha Parks and Recreation Foundation. Do I hear a motion? Uh yes, Mayor. I move to approve resolution 26-1025 for appointments and reappointment. Second. We have a motion and a second with the city clerk.
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