Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

I think you got some mosa yet. Okay, it's 601. and we're going to go ahead and get started. If you would stand with me, we will first say the pledge of allegiance.

I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Do I call this meeting to order? It is May the 12th and 602. Madam Chair, yes. I move we approve the minutes from the last meeting. All right. Do I have a second? Second. Have a first and a second. Any discussion? Can we do the roll call first?

Yes, I think we should. Shall I remove? Shall I? We'll come back. All right. Would you like to give us the roll call, Gabe? Absolutely. Commissioner Nesbbit here. Commissioner Ferguson here. Commissioner Ashba. Too many mics on.

Turn your mic on it. Commissioner O'Neal here. Commissioner Torres absent. Commissioner Young here. Chair Wy here. All right. Now, any discussion on the previous motion? All right. I will call for the roll vote. Commissioner Nesbbit, yes. Commissioner Ferguson, yes. Commissioner Ashpaw, yes. Commissioner O'Neal. Yes. Commissioner Young, yes. Chair Wy,

yes. And the motion passes six to zero. All right. Thank you for being here tonight. If you've never attended a planning commission meeting at this time to speed things along, we do ask anyone that is going to speak to go ahead and stand. Anyone that is going to speak. All right. Just raise your right hand. Do you promise to tell the truth to this committee tonight? If you do, say, "I will." I will. All right. Thank you very much.

Too hot. Okay. All righty. Thank you. All right. Can you hear me? Okay. because I'm not hearing anything now. Is it working? Okay. Thank you. All right. We have a fairly easy night tonight, so I will let you begin, sir.

All righty. The first case on tonight's agenda, case number 26447, an request to operate a short-term rental at 1110 South Crisp Avenue. The property is located approximately at the intersection of Truman Road and and Sterling. the the map unfortunately doesn't reflect the the correct location of the short-term rental in Western Independence. Here's a notification area map as required by city code. So, all the property owners within 185 ft that were notified of the request tonight. uh zoning district map of the subject site and the surrounding subdivision uh shows that the area in yellow consists of residential zoning district classifications. The area in red uh consists of a commercial zoning district classification. to the north and east uh of the subject site consists of single family neighborhood of similar characteristics and age uh to the proposed short-term rental. The area to the south uh consists of a vacant lot. It used to be a a general retail store.

Save a lot.

Save a lot. is an aerial image of the property in question. The blue arrow indicates that residential structure there. The property is approximately 10,450 square ft in size. Jackson County records indicate the dwelling was constructed in 1940 and encloses approximately 1,600 square ft of living area. The property features a lengthy driveway that can accommodate up to three vehicles. So, the driveway is approximately 60 feet in length. Here's a picture of the front facade of the subject property. can be defined by bungalow style architecture and street level imagery looking northbound uh up Crisp Avenue and southbound towards uh Truman Road. There's a floor plan uh for the short-term rental. So you have the entryway off of Crisp and three bedrooms on the main level

and two. You'll have to you'll have to sit down, please. you'll be given an opportunity. Okay.

And uh a floor plan, excuse me, for the lower level as well. Here's a parking plan for the proposed short-term rental showing uh that lengthy driveway that can accommodate up to three vehicles uh and one additional parking space on the street. So, the short-term rental can easily accommodate the minimum parking standards as required by city code. And this short-term rental is uh well outside of any required site separation um under the the city code for short-term rentals. City staff do recommend approval of the short-term rental with the standard conditions. The maximum occupancy of the short-term rental shall be limited to eight adult guests and the maximum number of bedrooms shall be four. That concludes city staff's presentation and I'm open to any questions.

Gabe, I just want to make sure since the first map was incorrect that the surrounding area map was correct. The surrounding area map is correct. Okay. Thank you. Anyone have any questions? Any questions? All right. Seeing none, I will invite the applicant forward. If you would please state your name and your address. The Inan Vessie um address on the property. Your your where you live. I live 523 Northwest 65th Terrace, Kansas City, Missouri 64118.

All right. Thank you. What would you like us to know about your project? Oh, just um looking to hopefully take uh advantage of this opportunity right for World Cup. Hopefully we can get it, you know, listed. There's still some reports that you know bookings are low, but you know, just going through the process of official rules to follow. Um so that's that's my plan is to get this process moving and then get the listing and you know kind of figure out and get that just we got about a month right before first game's here. So really uh close on time. So, um, just a couple slides in there where it showed 1,600 foot. It should be 1,900 foot. There's two beds on the main level, three beds on the top. So, five bedrooms, but one of them just going to be probably used as a an office. We're not going to use all five as sleeping quarters. One will just be an office with a desk and then four of them will be used as bedrooms.

Okay. So, you are limited to bedrooms. Um, four bedrooms. Is that correct, G? And then parking for three cars always at least is your minimum. Yeah. Yeah, that's no problem. I mean, that shows five, but there's probably six, seven availabilities, but no problem. And then 10 people staying max. Max. Yeah. Okay. I just want to make sure you understand that. I don't want more than 10 there. All right. Well, thank you for uh trying to help out with housing for the World Cup. Well, yeah. Well, hopefully hopefully there's a last minute surge and you know people start booking some places. It'll be exciting for all the areas. So, all right. Look forward to it.

Do we have any questions for the applicant? Commissioner Nesbet. Yes. So, the uh parking that you're showing off street, is that paved or gravel? Um, it's paved. the there's like a t you can go back to I'm looking at your place online here so that's why I'm looking at but these are old pictures so I didn't know yeah so if you these are taken obviously when they put the sign in whenever we go the actual picture the I think two back where it show the well we're talking about right down here on the front is that paved or is that

graveled kind of starts a sidewalk right here Okay. So that takes over ownership right here. Okay. So that is all paved not not gravel. Railro. Okay. Okay. That was my question. Thank you. Any additional questions? All right. You can go ahead and sit down and we'll call you back if we need to. For sure.

Right. Is there anyone present who would like to speak in opposition to this case? Anyone present to speak in opposition? Seeing none, anyone who would like to speak in favor of this case. Anyone who'd like to speak in favor besides the applicant? Yes. All right. Ma'am, I noticed you weren't sworn in, so you would first need to swear in. Um, do you promise to tell the truth of this committee tonight? If so, say I will. Yes. All right. What would you like us to know?

Um, so I do actually reside in this home. He is my landlord. Um, and you know, for me and my family, this is a good opportunity for all of us to kind of make some extra money. Um, and be able to, you know, just have a better position in the world. Um, I do, you know, I I'm very excited for FIFA to come in and for, you know, these opportunities that everybody is going to be able to experience. And, you know, I just I want something good to come for our family as well out of all of this surplus that's going to be in the city.

Um, can I ask where you'll be staying when visitors are in the home? Uh, with Ian. Okay. So, all right. All right. Anything else? That's it. All right. Thank you so much. Anyone additionally that'd like to speak in favor? Okay. Any final conversation? All right. Seeing none, I will close this case. Any additional questions for staff? All right. Yes.

Okay. So, he has this as a regular rental right now. He's got rental ready business license. So, there is a business license on file for uh his LLC, A Great Biz. So, he's already written it as a full-time rental. That That's my understanding. Yes. Okay. So, he already has that. Okay. That's what I want to make sure. So, good question. Thank you. Okay. All right. I will go ahead and call for the vote. So, I make a motion. Oh, please. Make a motion to approve case 26447 short-term rental at 1110 South Chris Avenue. All right. Second. And we have a second. All right. I will call for the vote. Commissioner Nesbbit.

Yes. Commissioner Ferguson. Yes. Commissioner Ashbaw. Yes. Commissioner O'Neal. Yes. Commissioner Young, yes. Chair Wy, yes. And the motion passes six to zero. for case number 2647. All right, congratulations and good luck. All right, we're going to call the next short-term rental case.

Absolutely. So, the next short-term rental case for tonight is case number 2640048, a request to operate a short-term rental at 4125 South River Boulevard. And the property is located close to the intersection of I70 and and 40 highway. Uh so in southwestern Independence, here is the notification area map as required by city code. See that the property is located at River Boulevard and 42nd Street South. And here is a zoning district map of the site and the surrounding subdivision. You can see that the site is located in a single family subdivision and surrounded by single family homes of similar age and characteristics and design. Aerial imagery of the subject sh site show that the parcel is approximately 10,000 square feet in size. County records indicate the dwelling was constructed in 1961 and encloses approximately 900 square feet of living area. The property features a double wide driveway that can accommodate up to two cars, including an additional parking area uh on the street. Uh the proposed short-term rental does meet the minimum parking standards required by city code. Here's uh street level imagery of the proposed short-term rental. The front facade and street level imagery looking

eastbound and westbound showing that surrounding neighborhood. Here's a floor plan of the proposed short-term rental. The property is characterized by ranch style architecture with three bedrooms and a parking plan for the proposed short-term rental shows that double wide driveway that can accommodate up to two cars. The nearest short-term rental is outside of any required site separation. It's required by city code and does fall within that uh regulation. Staff does recommend approval of the short-term rental with the standard conditions. The maximum occupancy of the premises shall be limited to six adults and the maximum number of bedrooms shall be limited to three. That concludes staff's presentation for this application.

Thank you very much. Any questions for staff? All right. I will invite the applicant forward and please state your name and your address. Uh my name is Karen Price. We live at 2163 West 80th Terrace in Shaunie, Kansas. And what would you like us to know about your home?

Well, really, I'm very happy to answer any questions. I we have several other um Airbnbs or short-term rentals um in the state of Kansas, and so this isn't, I guess, a new process. I've been through this a few times. Um in different uh cities, but um we just we bought this home. It was a foreclosure. It was in really ugly condition. um filled five 45 yard dumpsters of trash. Um and once we got it cleared out, we thought this could be a really great location for adding to our Airbnb um profile for our properties. And it's very close to I70, which makes it very easy for travelers even just coming through. I don't really The World Cup is Yeah, it's great, but it's not really my motivating factor for for this. But, um, I'm looking more long-term. We have 105 rental properties that are regular rentals, and I would choose a short-term rental all day long, every day, over long-term rentals. Very different group of people. So, I will say the Google pictures are not kind to your home.

They're old. So I what's on there is old. So I drove over there. They had Yeah. Well, that's that's new. Yeah. That rock's going to go out back and we got trees to trim. It's it's it looks That was going to be my only concern was the rock was still on your driveway and the tree definitely needs some trimming.

You can't I can see We have cameras up. I can see these kids walking. They can't even get down the sidewalk without those trees coming up. They're so low. Yeah. So, we still have the exterior. I I when I learned that we were going to have this meeting, I put kind of everything on pause. So, that looks like a pretty recent picture right now. But yeah, we have to still fix up the outside, but I assure you it is tenfold better than what it was a few weeks ago. So, anyway, but no, I can answer any questions anyone has on it. Commissioners, any questions? Chair. Yeah. Yes, Commissioner Nesbet. Okay. Your address again. State your address again because the address is different than what's on the application here.

So the application might have our business address on Merlin. Okay. That's okay. So that's Landmark Equity Group. That's our company. Okay. Yeah. The company owns the property, not Danny and Karen Price. We own Landmark, but the the property is in our business name. That's that's what I wanted. There you go. Yeah. In that. Yeah. So since this is the first one in Missouri, first short term rental. Yeah. Our we have four others and they're all in Kansas. We have them in Manhattan, Kansas, and then tha and then this will be our first one, the Missouri side. So

do you see any problems with if there is a problem getting over to the site or handling it? No, we have properties all over Kansas City. Yeah. So we are out. I have Yeah, I have staff and Yeah, we are all everywhere. So my staff will be the ones doing the cleanings between guests and Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. Any additional questions? All right. Thank you very much. Is there anyone present who would like to speak in opposition of this case? All right. Were you sworn in, sir? Yes.

Okay. Go ahead and come forward. State your name and your address. My name is Robert Fan. I live at 4117 South River Boulevard Independence. I object to this 100%. Do y'all realize that corner is a 60-year-old school bus stop? I have a problem with people coming in running shortterm, not knowing how many kids are on our street. and those kids that run down and meet their big sisters at the bus and give them hugs. How many people are going to get hurt because people don't know what's going on there? This is not a short-term rental neighborhood. These are people like me who have had their family house for 65 years, who have lived there, who have been good neighbors. We don't want a short-term rental that we're gonna have to call the cops on every time they have a party because I see graduation coming up. What's the first thing I see? Oh, let's rent the house out for a night to the graduates. What's going to happen? The cops will be out there in no time. Everybody that lives around this house is older and retired. We don't need this type of thing. And those two Bradford pear trees, they're the weeds of the trees, are they not? Would any of you personally want to say yes to a short-term rental next to the house you've lived in for 65 years? Probably not. I would love to quiz you all on that, but I'm I'm not an not an attorney. But I would love to hear your answers on that. Would you agree to a

short-term rental on a house that you have put so much into your own home, kept it up, and you're proud of your neighborhood? I talked to three different neighbors today and they all were worried about the bus stop. And I think that's something we have to consider. If we use our common sense, we know people that come in and don't know the neighborhood don't know that that is going to be a bus stop for kids from kindergarten all the way to high school. Is that a safe place to have a rental house that's shortterm? Will there be background checks done on these people or will it be you got the money, come on in, you got the house. That's my biggest concerns and I apologize if I seem a little bit emotional, but it is an emotional thing for me. You know, I I love my neighborhood. I grew up there and I've watched what happened when people that don't know the street come by. My best friend was killed, not killed, ran over by a truck when we were just yay high. All because they didn't know the road. They didn't know that it dead ends into I70. Please let us keep our peaceful neighborhood. Let's not make this a party central.

That's all I have to say. Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you for listening. Is there anyone else who would like to speak in opposition? Were you sworn in, ma'am? Yes, ma'am. All right. State your name and your address.

Karen Wilson. Address 4121 South River Boulevard. I am right next door to the uh uh to the uh um home. Um, I don't I mean I I know that the uh person that was in there um uh thank Karen for coming in and um remodeling or whatever. But it wasn't that bad from the outside, okay? Because I live right next door to it. But anyway, um the problem I have it's a community, okay? And uh uh when I um moved in to the uh uh when I bought my house, I think it's five years now. Uh it was um it was single family home. Single family home is for families. Um I know the World Cup and I know people want to make money, but after that I would love my neighborhood. We all um uh my neighbors, we know each other, we respect each other, and you know, we know, as Bob said, the kids to get off the bus, you know. Um but I I I think that the problem is the unknown, not knowing um who the people are. Is there a background check? I know like in the neighborhoods we do have that uh email where you know it says hey do you know what's in your neighborhood and stuff like that that's that's comforting in a way and then I know that sometimes people get on there and they put extra stuff but I'm saying it's a community it's a community and I guess my concern is will there be background checks um uh

when something does go wrong how is it addressed you know um um When my family used Airbnbs, we went to Branson. It wasn't in the neighborhood. These are, like I said, it's a um that's the issue that I have. And um I think about will it decrease my property value? I I don't know. Well, taxes, how would that I I'm not sure how all that plays, but um um that's uh Airbnb is a business. Okay. And once again, this is a residential area and I'd like to keep it that way. You you kind of have, you know, when people move in, even if they're renting, you do get to know the renters for a while, and if they are a problem, they can be removed. Okay? But you want people to have children. I mean, not everyone to have children, but you want family, and that's what I'm looking at. I I just want I just I don't want a business next door to me. I I don't And I know, as I said, I know that the World Cup is coming and then after that, how often will this I mean, I think she said she has plenty of places, you know, but living in Shauny Mission and me being in Independence, how How is that all going to play out? I think that's all I have to say.

All right. Thank you very much. Thank you. All right. Karen, is it would you like to come forward and address any of the concerns? Um, some of the notes I took was um potential parties, background checks, um, property values, uh, the concern for the bus stop area. Yeah. Um, yeah. So, first I respect Make sure you address us, please.

So, I respect everything that they both came up and presented. I really do. Um, I met Karen before she was storing the previous neighbors junk outside the home for them kindly for a little bit and we threw it away. Um, so first, let's see, parties. Let's see. I have my other properties for over five years. I've never once had a problem with it. All of our properties have cameras on them. So, I have Ring cameras already set up um over the front corner of the garage and the back is up over the back door. So, I'm already monitoring the property. Fortunately, I'm not seeing any alarming issues. Um if there were to be unruly guests or I don't allow parties, it's very clear in our thing. The only people actually can be staying at the property are the people on the reservation. So that will max out at six. The home is very much set up for a family to be staying there. One of the rooms is even a children's room with children's toys. Um so I don't allow parties. I don't I'm very much neighborly in my efforts with all of our properties. Um let's see. And if there was a problem, they would be removed. We would be I' they'd be gone. Um, so another thing, um, some Airbnb guests may book for someone else, and I do not allow that. It's very clear in my profile. The person booking has to also be the one staying there. So, even if it's the mother of a bride booking for the bridesmaids, I do not allow it. I've had that request before. And if you're booking it, you're going to be staying there. Um, because I find that the checkout duties, the starting their laundry and taking out their trash and

everything tends to not always be followed as well if the person booking is not staying there. Um, the next item was bus stop. Um, you know, I don't I was not sure I have any thoughts about it's traffic rules, traffic laws. I'm I'm not sure I understand a concern with that one with any cars coming and going.

I think the understanding is a known resident would know that bus stop is there. So, could you mitigate their concerns um in any way about the res the people staying knowing there's a bus stop there? No, I don't think I have any thought on that because I I would only assume the city would have and the school district would have selected a safe spot for a bus stop with proper stop signs and anyone following proper traffic laws should that should be mitigated in itself. So, I'm not sure I have any control over any vehicles up and down that street and a bus stop. I'm not sure I could help that. I would be happy to put a a thing on my front door inside which also has like all of our house rules in it. I'm happy to include something there notifying them that there is a bus stop and to be slow, kind, and courteous of that. I'm happy to kind of do whatever with that if there's something that I can offer.

And then um

what about background checks? So, Airbnb the the port uh I use Airbnb for all of our bookings and they have an internal system for that and I honestly so no I do not run a background check on individuals staying at our properties. Um and like I said I have my interests aren't so much with the World Cup. I mean honestly the other properties aren't even booked. Most Airbnbs aren't booked for the World Cup. So, I would never be turning a property into an Airbnb at this point in time for just for the World Cup. But, um, most of the people that have stayed in our properties have been in in Manhattan, Kansas at Kate. A lot of it is people coming in for KState activities. We get a ton of youth traveling sport teams, like families coming to watch their children play sports. That's probably my tha number one guest. We have um families coming in for weddings or reunions. Nothing's held at the house, but that's just where they're choosing to stay as a family instead of in a hotel room where they have to get multiple rooms. That's the majority of our youth sports, hands down, is as the number one driver of people coming through Kansas City looking for Airbnbs. So, I think I just got off track, but what was

anything else? I think one of the things was property value.

And I can tell you taking full weekly ability to manage the property instead of handing it over to a long-term renter who can just let it go. I know I deal with it a lot. Um I will only improve their property value as I already have by doing what I've done here. So um we'll maintain it well. It'll be a beautiful corner. And I agree with the neighbors. It is a lovely neighborhood. Lovely. I can feel it. And that's what I'd love to share with people coming through Kansas City. I don't I don't disagree with them at all. That was one thing I thought this is cool. You know, I met the next door neighbor. She's lovely. I thought great group of people. This would be a great spot um for offering this. So, that was my position. Certainly don't ever mean to stir a pot up at all. So,

all right. Any additional questions, chair? Yes, Commissioner Desmet. Okay. I think the biggest thing is they're worried about the background check, but you said Airbnb handles that. Do you do any type of checks on Airbnb people coming? Yes. Yes. So, they have to have a certain rating. So, are you very familiar with Airbnb? I'm not, but I know some people are. That's why a lot of people

Yeah. So there's a there's a rating system, a star system, one through five stars. Guests can rate the Airbnb itself and the Airbnb owner can also rate guests. And so owner to owner um we can see all any and all reviews of these individuals. I do not accept anyone under a four star. So, they have to have had a four or five star um history to to book our place. Um I am a superhost, which means I know if you're not familiar, superhost is a five-star. You have to maintain a 4.9 or higher host rating. And so, like when we travel somewhere, I can go in there and look. I only want to look at Super Host properties because I know they're providing a really great place to stay. So, I've had superhost status for five years and I will do everything to keep that because it's very important in a successful home. So, yeah.

Any additional questions? Anyone? All right. Thank you so much. Right. Gabe, let me clarify. Is there a legal protest on this case? There is not currently a legal protest petition against this application. All right. Thank you very much. All right. Anyone any additional discussion between us? All right. I will entertain a motion. Got close. Oh, yes I do. And the case is closed. Thank you,

chair. I'd like to make a motion. I make a motion we approve case 2648 short-term rental at 4125 South River Boulevard. All right. Did you second that? I I did quietly. Yes. Okay. Thank you very much. I have a first and second. All right. I will go ahead and call for the vote. Commissioner Nesbbit, yes. Commissioner Ferguson, yes. Commissioner Ashbaw, yes. Commissioner O'Neal, no. Commissioner Young, yes. Chair Wy,

yes. And the motion passes 5 to one for case number 26400 um 48. I just always encourage when anyone has had opposition to just encourage you as the owner to just continue to communicate well with the neighbors. And I wish you well. Thank you. All right, Rick, anything we should know?

Uh, just prepare for next meeting will be a little bit longer. Um, we have quite a few cases on there, although several of them are going to be um one presentation, but we'll have to vote on two different cases. So, but nothing else for tonight. Thank you. All right. Thank you so much. And I will adjourn us at 6:39.