What’s new: The plan now reduces the number of units from the original 180 in two-story apartment buildings to 97 in duplexes and single units.

• The plan also expands the amount of land from the original 10.6 acres to 21.1 acres, meaning the development would eliminate holes 15 and 16 of the golf course.
• The golf club owner plans to replace those holes with two new holes elsewhere on the 27-hole course, Stallings said.

The project, dubbed Luxe Villas at the Greens, would be built in the 23600 to 23800 block of Clear Creek Parkway and will be marketed to seniors, Stallings said.

• The land is currently undeveloped, except for the two golf holes.

Zooming out: The Villas is part of a larger project that began with the course, the country club and 420 apartments, known as the Greens at Shawnee.

• Development of the second phase, the Trails at Shawnee, was delayed for improvements on the parkway.
• Construction of the 444 residential units for the Trails is now underway across the parkway from the Villas site.

What else: The Villas will be significantly less dense than the original plan.

• Instead of fifteen two-story apartment buildings, the newly revised Villas plan calls for 46 duplexes and five single unit buildings, the developer said.
• The amount of land used would be doubled.

Discussion: The new plan did not face any objections from neighbors at a previous neighborhood meeting, the developer said.

• Keven Straub, who said he will be selling the units, was the only speaker at the public hearing during the planning commission meeting Monday.
• He said the development will help fill a need for housing among the fast-growing market of seniors.

Key quote: “They don’t want to live in an apartment or nursing home or assisted living,” he said. “They want to have their own place that’s maintenance provided and one-level living.”

A final thought: There was a sticking point with planning staff and the commission.

• The new plan does not meet the city’s design guidelines, which require that 50% of the building front is masonry.

How they voted: Ultimately the commission voted 7-3 in favor of the rezoning and preliminary development plan, and the item goes to the City Council on Jan. 9.

Roxie Hammill is a freelance journalist who reports frequently for the Post and other Kansas City area publications. You can reach her at roxieham@gmail.com.