OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Topeka Planning Commission Meeting: Land Bank, Zoning Changes, and PUD Approval - December 16, 2025

Planning Commission — Tuesday, December 16, 2025
BodyTopeka, Kansas
SessionPlanning Commission
DateTuesday, December 16, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:03:22

Transcript — Verbatim
0:10

Good evening and welcome to the City of Topeka Planning Commission meeting.

0:14

We are commission appointed by the mayor and city council to plan for the orderly growth and development of the community to hold public hearings to make recommendations to the governing body on planning items.

0:26

Please note that the governing body rules state that public hearings for planning cases shall be conducted solely by the planning commission.

0:34

No additional public hearings will be conducted by the governing body.

0:38

Tonight's cases are tentatively scheduled to be heard by the governing body next month.

0:43

Agendas can be found at Topeka.org.

0:46

Some of tonight's cases involve public hearings.

0:49

For those cases, the procedure will be as follows.

0:52

First, the planning department staff will summarize the case.

0:55

Next, we will hear from the applicant or a representative of the applicant.

1:00

Then we will receive public testimony.

1:02

Common comments are limited to four minutes.

1:06

For agenda items that do not involve public hearings, public comment is allowed provided that the person has signed up on Topeka speaks or has notified staff prior to 5 p.m.

1:17

today.

1:17

Comments are limited to four minutes.

1:21

Finally, at the end of regular business, the commission will entertain general public comment regarding matters related to commission business, provided that the person has signed up on Topeka speaks or has notified city staff prior to 5 p.m.

1:33

today.

1:34

Again, comments are limited to four minutes.

1:37

Amanda, will you please take the roll?

1:40

Miss Nelson.

1:42

Here.

1:43

Ms.

1:43

Pearson?

1:44

Here.

1:45

Mr.

1:46

Brooks.

1:46

Here.

1:48

Ms.

1:48

Heron?

1:49

Here.

1:49

Mr.

1:50

Nager?

1:50

Here.

1:51

Mr.

1:51

Mark?

1:52

Here.

1:53

Ms.

1:53

Hannan.

1:54

Here.

1:54

We have enough for a quorum.

1:58

Next is approval of the minutes of the November meeting.

2:03

Um, any motion on that?

2:06

I make a motion to approve the minutes.

2:09

I second.

2:10

Any discussion on the motion to approve November's meeting minutes.

2:19

Seeing none.

2:21

Ms.

2:22

Hannan.

2:22

Aye.

2:23

Mr.

2:24

Mock?

2:25

Aye.

2:25

Mr.

2:26

Nager.

2:26

Aye.

2:27

Miss Heron?

2:28

Aye.

2:29

Mr.

2:29

Brooks?

2:30

Aye.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning Regulations████████████████████████████████████████40%
Land Bank Management████████████████████████████28%
Procedural███████████████15%
Affordable Housing███████████11%
Historic Preservation█████5%
Housing And Development█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Topeka Planning Commission Meeting - December 16, 2025

The Topeka Planning Commission held a regular meeting on December 16, 2025, addressing a rezoning application, receiving updates on the city's land bank, discussing proposed bylaw changes and text amendments to encourage housing development, and hearing a committee report. All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of November Meeting Minutes: Unanimously approved (8 ayes).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • PUD 2513 Rezoning: Shemika King Sims, representing the Historic Old Town Neighborhood Improvement Association, spoke in support of the rezoning. She noted they could not attend the neighborhood meeting due to a conflicting standing meeting, but after speaking with the owner and viewing the site, they found the proposal appropriate and appreciated that the building was saved from potential demolition for a parking lot. No other public comments were made.

Discussion Items

  • Action Item – PUD 2513 (Rezoning): Staff presented a request by Coast to Coast Construction to rezone 0.15 acres at 2012 SW 10th Avenue from C2 to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) for limited C2 commercial uses plus 1–2 residential dwelling units. The PUD master plan was waived, with conditions placed in the ordinance. The site's small size and interior block location made it unsuitable for many C2 uses. Staff recommended approval with five conditions, including prohibitions on auto-oriented uses. The applicant did not appear. The commission approved unanimously (8 ayes).

  • Land Bank Presentation: Quinn Cole, Senior Management Analyst, presented the land bank program. Adopted May 2023, it started with $500,000 and currently has $498,630. The three-year pilot program has sold two lots (one closing this week) and holds eight vacant lots (one more being acquired). Properties are acquired primarily through intergovernmental transfer; no private market purchases have occurred. Commissioners discussed barriers to development, including high construction costs, and the need for formal goals. Deputy City Manager Braxton Copley noted the land bank aims to increase affordable housing, with plans to stagger board terms and coordinate with the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The program will be reviewed for continuation after the pilot ends.

  • Bylaws Amendment (Discussion): Commissioner Dan Warner proposed aligning public comment rules for non-public hearing agenda items with the governing body, requiring sign-up by 3:00 p.m. on meeting day. Commissioner Pearson suggested consistency across all comment sign-up deadlines (currently 2:00 p.m. for general public comment, 5:00 p.m. for public hearings). Staff agreed to adjust the deadlines to 3:00 p.m. for all non-hearing items. The amendment will return for a vote at the January meeting.

  • Text Amendments (Discussion): Staff presented a draft proposal to allow multifamily residential development by right (removing special use requirements) on the ground floor in C3, C4, D1 (except a specific downtown corridor), and X1 districts. No changes were proposed for C1, C2, O&I, D1 on Kansas Avenue between 6th–10th, and X3 in NOTO (to preserve retail vitality). The amendments aim to reduce barriers to housing development, consistent with the comprehensive plan. Commissioners asked about potential negatives (e.g., historic preservation, incompatible uses). Staff noted the Landmarks Commission retains control over physical changes. A motion to direct staff to develop the text amendments was approved unanimously (8 ayes).

  • Standing Committee on Housing Report: The committee reported on a presentation by Ryan Vincent from the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) regarding state programs. No action taken.

Key Outcomes

  • PUD 2513 Approved: The rezoning at 2012 SW 10th Avenue was approved unanimously (8 ayes) with staff conditions.
  • Text Amendments Initiated: The commission unanimously directed staff to develop text amendments for multifamily housing in commercial and mixed-use districts, to be brought back for a public hearing in January 2026.
  • Bylaws Change to Return in January: The proposed public comment sign-up deadline change will be presented for a vote at the January 26, 2026 meeting.
  • Next Meeting: Scheduled for January 26, 2026.

Other Business

  • Adjournment: The meeting adjourned after general public comment (none offered).

Meeting Transcript

Good evening and welcome to the City of Topeka Planning Commission meeting. We are commission appointed by the mayor and city council to plan for the orderly growth and development of the community to hold public hearings to make recommendations to the governing body on planning items. Please note that the governing body rules state that public hearings for planning cases shall be conducted solely by the planning commission. No additional public hearings will be conducted by the governing body. Tonight's cases are tentatively scheduled to be heard by the governing body next month. Agendas can be found at Topeka.org. Some of tonight's cases involve public hearings. For those cases, the procedure will be as follows. First, the planning department staff will summarize the case. Next, we will hear from the applicant or a representative of the applicant. Then we will receive public testimony. Common comments are limited to four minutes. For agenda items that do not involve public hearings, public comment is allowed provided that the person has signed up on Topeka speaks or has notified staff prior to 5 p.m. today. Comments are limited to four minutes. Finally, at the end of regular business, the commission will entertain general public comment regarding matters related to commission business, provided that the person has signed up on Topeka speaks or has notified city staff prior to 5 p.m. today. Again, comments are limited to four minutes. Amanda, will you please take the roll? Miss Nelson. Here. Ms. Pearson? Here. Mr. Brooks. Here. Ms. Heron? Here. Mr. Nager? Here. Mr. Mark? Here. Ms. Hannan. Here. We have enough for a quorum. Next is approval of the minutes of the November meeting. Um, any motion on that? I make a motion to approve the minutes. I second. Any discussion on the motion to approve November's meeting minutes. Seeing none. Ms. Hannan. Aye. Mr.

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