Despite passing a narrow Shawnee City Council vote last year, a proposal for a U-Haul off Kansas Highway 7 continues to face pushback from neighbors. At a Dec. 11 city council meeting, neighbors close to the proposed storage building and retail store, located in the Zarda Business Parka at 7020 Silverheel St., showed up to discuss a new bill that they hoped could halt the project. “I don’t know if there’s anything that can be done at this point,” said Ann Manzardo of Shawnee. “But we’re here. I’ve got several of my neighbors here representing our community in the hopes that we can get something changed.” Then-Mayor Michelle Distler cast the tie-breaking vote to approve the project, which includes an indoor storage facility that would have 1,000 storage units in a roughly 123,600-square-foot space. It would also include the U-Haul retail portion in a smaller structure. During previous hearings for the project, neighbors voiced their fear it would ruin their community. “This is how cities decline. They listen to special interests and power from money. Soon instead of Bedford Falls, they’re living in Pottersville or maybe Zardaville,” said Dennis All, referencing the Christmas movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” during a city council meeting last year.
Source: Prairie Village Post
