The Challenges and Rewards of Rezoning Your Property

Property optimally positioned for its future use and growth serves both the owner and the community where the property is located. We learned that again most recently when we completed the work of rezoning two Curry-owned parcels in Kansas City, Missouri.

The properties are Antioch Village, a 26-acre parcel south and west of the Antioch Annex Shopping Center at N.E. 55^th and Antioch Road, and Brighton Village, 23 acres located generally on the southwest corner of N.E. Pleasant Valley Road and North Brighton. Antioch Village was zoned low-density residential and Brighton Village for mixed-use neighborhood and low-density residential.

The initiative to rezone property is a time and resource commitment, easily taking months to navigate city, community and even internal issues and protocols to achieve the desired outcome.

Long experience, strong relationships and a desire to listen well as we engaged with the community ultimately gave us a good result. Each parcel was approved to be zoned as a Master Planned Development with multi-family residential and commercial uses. This allowed for a mixed-use approach with options appropriate to current demand while adhering to the city’s development criteria.

Do you have property that would benefit from repositioning? Here are a few thoughts when rezoning is the goal in repositioning property for future use and growth:

• Put together a team, including outside professionals such as attorneys, architects and engineers, that has the experience to develop a plan that will ably demonstrate to decision makers and influencers it will result in a greater benefit to the city as a whole.
• Invest over time in strong working relationships with relevant municipality professional staff, appointed and elected officials. These are the experts with whom your team must work to arrive at a plan acceptable for approval.
• Know your community and its influencers. Be available to hear their interests and concerns and incorporate their wishes as much as possible in your plan.
• Be prepared to embrace what you can of the city’s ideals for your property and work with them to arrive at a plan that reflects both the city’s vision and your requirements.