Planning commission recommends rezoning for Dillon’s grocery, fuel kiosk in Lee's Summit

The Lee's Summit Planning Commission on June 11 recommended approval of application PL2026-035, a rezoning and preliminary development plan that would allow a Dillon’s grocery store, a fuel kiosk with canopy and adjoining retail at the intersection of Northeast Tudor Road and Northeast Douglas Street.

The commission’s recommendation covers rezoning of roughly 21.61 acres to Planned Community Commercial (CP-2) and a preliminary development plan for about 15.71 acres that includes a primary grocery building (applicant described it in presentation as roughly 100,000 square feet) plus outparcels and a fuel kiosk. Staff told the commission the full PDP totals about 106,000 square feet and proposes 434 parking stalls, two detention basins for stormwater, and required road improvements including signalization and turn lanes along NE Douglas Street. Patricia Jensen, counsel for the applicant, said the team has worked with staff and “we only have 3 modifications listed in our in our presentations that shows you what modifications we need made.”

Why it matters: the project would create a grocery-anchored commercial node adjacent to expanding apartments and Lee's Summit North High School, and staff said the site’s road and pedestrian improvements are designed to serve both new customers and nearby residents. Tim Goyette of Phillips Edison, the proposed developer, said the tenant will operate a marketplace-format store that includes services such as drive-through pharmacy and order pickup, and that the anchor is expected to draw customers from beyond the immediate neighborhood.

What was in the staff report: city staff outlined five modification requests tied to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and reviewed site impacts. Staff supported most of the modifications — including the requested relaxation of the wall-articulation interval and support for taller light poles given the site’s lower finished grade — but did not support a requested reduction in the quantity/diversity of primary-facade materials on the western (rear) elevation. Staff noted a neighborhood meeting on March 5, 2026 attended by 11 residents and that no formal letters for or against the application had been received.

Key technical details and commitments: staff said the PDP proposes two detention basins to handle stormwater runoff, a traffic impact study that requires signalization and added turn lanes at NE Douglas, and a 5-foot sidewalk across the NE Douglas frontage. The application shows pedestrian entry oriented to NE Douglas and two accesses off NE Douglas (one full access and one right-in/right-out) plus one access on NW Main Street; the plan proposes 434 parking stalls to meet the UDO requirement for the proposed uses.

Commissioners’ concerns and applicant responses: commissioners repeatedly pressed the applicant on materials, the appearance of the fuel canopy, and adjacency to a school and apartments. Commissioner John Ford questioned material choices and said of the proposed elevations, “They don't look like a grocery store.” Architect Brian Young and civil engineer Marvin Brown said the design balances brand prototype and local overlay requirements, and that some rear-facade choices are driven by operational needs (back-of-house functions, loading docks) and topography. Brown explained the 28-foot parking-lot light poles were proposed to reduce the total number of poles while maintaining uniform photometric coverage and that the finished grade is roughly 7 feet lower than adjacent apartments, reducing perceived height.

Public comment and next steps: one local business owner, Scott Kenoke, spoke in support while raising accessibility and process questions; staff confirmed the application is scheduled for a city council public hearing on July 7. The commission added a condition requiring the applicant and staff to work together on an elevated gas-station canopy/facade — referencing the Olathe example shown during the meeting — and then voted by roll call to recommend approval of PL2026-035 with that condition. The roll-call votes recorded yes on the amendment and then yes on the motion (unanimous as recorded at the meeting).

The action passed: with the commission’s recommendation, the application moves to city council for public hearing and final decision; staff will continue final development plan design work, coordinate signalization and pedestrian improvements, and work with the applicant on the facade/canopy condition agreed by the commission.