In October 2021, ULI (Urban Land Institute - Kansas City) conducted a follow-up TAP (Technical Assistance Panel) at the request of the City.
- To learn more about ULI-KC, visit their website by clicking this link.
- To read the initial 2015 TAP, visit that page via the link in the menu bar to the left of this page or click this link.
- To learn more about the TAP program offered by ULI, visit ULI-KC's dedicated webpage by clicking this link.
From the 2021 TAP report:
Urban Land Institute harnesses its members’ technical expertise to help communities solve complex land use, development, and redevelopment challenges. Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs) provide expert, multidisciplinary, unbiased advice to local governments, public agencies, and nonprofit organizations facing complex land use and real estate issues in the Kansas City region. Drawing from its professional membership base, ULI Kansas City offers objective and responsible guidance on various land use and real estate issues ranging from site-specific projects to public policy questions. The sponsoring organization is responsible for gathering the background information necessary to understand the project and present it to the panel. TAP panelists spend two days interviewing stakeholders, evaluating the challenges, and ultimately arriving at a set of recommendations that the sponsoring organization can use to guide development going forward.
The City commissioned this second ULI TAP to revisit future land use decision making in the wake of two major shifts impacting the plans for publicly-owned property in Westwood:
- The consistent redevelopment of houses within the city and influx of families with school-aged children, and
- The eminent replacement of Westwood View Elementary School on the site of the former Entercom radio station and tower.
The three questions the City asked the ULI TAP to address were:
- What purposes (commercial, mixed-use, governmental/institutional, open space, multi-family, or alternative housing option, etc.) would be most appropriate for the City in order to maximize investment or redevelopment, meet market demands, and provide needed uses or amenities for the City of Westwood?
- Considering the properties either owned by the City (or its related Foundation) or on which the City has a right of first refusal/offer, where and how would public facilities and amenities best be located and developed (including but not limited to city hall, police, public works, parks/green spaces, or other existing or recommended future public spaces) given the limited space available and the City’s desire to create a healthy and sustainable tax base.
- The City of Westwood is interested in exploring options and best practices arising from the 2021 "Housing for All Toolkit" prepared by United Community Services of Johnson County. Which properties (or portions thereof) might be best suited for housing other than single-family-residential, what types of housing would work best on such properties (given needs, market, and property locations), and should other zoning categories be considered by the City for these properties?
The public presentation of the TAP was held in a hybrid format the evening of Thursday, October 21, 2021 at Westwood City Hall and all in the community were welcome and encouraged to attend.