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Wichita City - District Advisory Board 1 - District 1 Advisory Board Meeting 10/06/2025
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District 1 Advisory Board Meeting

Documenter name: Susan Miner

Agency: Wichita City - District Advisory Board 1

Date: Oct. 6, 2025

See more about this meeting at Documenters.org

 

 

Summary

Notes

The District One Advisory Board (DAB) meeting took place on October 6, 2025 at the Atwater Neighborhood Resource Center, 2755 E. 19th Street North. Board members present included Rachel Mastio, Joseph Shepard, Twila Puritty, Abi Boatman, Chelsea Jackson, and LaWanda DeShazer. DAB members Kaytie Brozek, Natalie Merten, Naquela Pack, and Joseph Tex Dozier were present online. Councilmember Johnson was in attendance and called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m.

STAFF REPORTS

The DAB first heard reports from city staff. Officer Stark from the Wichita Police Department (WPD) reported on crime statistics, noting that recent increases in the district are still low compared to the rest of the city. Puritty questioned why, considering they are an important part of the crime report, homicides are not included in the aggravated assaults data. Stark responded that those figures could be provided when requested. School and child safety is an important issue for the WPD and Stark reminded citizens to be aware of school buses and to allow a safe distance for students boarding or disembarking. In addition, although officers will be providing security to College Hill on Halloween, he nevertheless encouraged parents to supervise their children walking on sidewalks and taking extra care when crossing streets. Finally, Stark reported that the past Open Streets ICT event was a success and officers interacted with participants along Douglas from Grove to Seneca.

Next, Wichita Park & Recreation staff reported that enrollment in fall classes are up from 2024. In addition, the director of Edgemoor Recreation Center has received a scholarship to attend a national conference and will share what she learns with local colleagues. Finally, renovation at the Brewer Recreation Center, located at 1239 E 16th Street North, is  nearing completion. The grand opening is slated for December 6, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Staff from the Wichita Public Library promoted the events for Banned Books Week. Associated merchandise will be available at branch libraries. There are upcoming classes on digital skills, sustainable living, “spooky stories” for adults, and family story times. A new sign for the renovated Maya Angelou branch library, located at 3051 East 21st Street, will be installed soon. All libraries will be closed Monday, October 13, for staff training.

DAB MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Various DAB members provided updates. October 14 is the last day to register to vote in the November 4 election. Bus transit will be free on election day. It is important to know that USD 259 districts do not exactly overlap with city districts, so voters need to confirm which school district they live in before going to the polls. A local builder constructing and leasing affordable housing units is hoping to fill the affordable housing gap in Wichita.   

A recent town hall meeting addressed the cash bond issue, which disadvantages those without the ability to pay for their release. and proposed some alternatives. Residents can refer to the SeeClickFix app in order to report a problem and request action by the city. The Wagonmasters Chili Cookoff, which took place on September 27, was a fundraising success for the Wichita Community Foundation. The northeast/WSU location for next year’s Open Streets ICT has been set for April 19, 2026.  

PUBLIC COMMENT

Resident Sue Willey spoke about their concerns regarding Planned Parenthood’s expansion at 2226 E. Central. The organization will expand into 2219 E. Central and relocate their main entrance from the rear of the current building to the new front on Central. Willey argued that the relocation will increase traffic through the additional driveways, subject the neighborhood’s children to the presence of protesters on Central showing graphic images, increase the number of out of state patients unfamiliar with Wichita streets, lead to additional empty storefronts in the area due to businesses unwilling to operate so close to the abortion provider, and contribute to the problem of trafficked women and sex workers being compelled to seek an abortion. Willey ended by asking the best process to address these neighborhood concerns.  

Councilmember Johnson recommended discussing the situation with the police regarding traffic and safety. Puritty advised the speaker to consider the fact that some Wichitans welcome, and encourage, out-of-towners to come to the city for need. In addition, Puritty discouraged Willey from conflating sex workers with trafficked women, noting that “sex work is work.” Finally, DAB member Shepard suggested speaking with Planned Parenthood about the safety complaints to see what common ground may be reached.

COUNCILMEMBER COMMENTS

Councilmember Johnson encouraged people to watch for the new sign at the Maya Angelou branch library and to visit it as well. He also invited the public to attend the grand opening of the new Brewer Community Center, 1239 E 16th Street North, in McAdams Park. There will be special guests and a gift for the first 200 in attendance. The recent DAB 1 breakfast featured CASA, a local nonprofit providing foster youth advocacy. The next breakfast will be held on November 1 and feature Rainbows United. 

This week three council members will travel to Detroit in a city to city trip to learn from successful initiatives there. Johnson also mentioned that he participated in a training session with the Wichita Fire Department during which he experienced the extreme heat that firefighters regularly endure.  He praised their expertise conducting diving rescues and saving lives.  

Johnson also addressed questions about the new city manager position. Applications are being reviewed and there is hope to hire a new manager before Christmas. Furthermore, although current city manager Robert Layton retires at the end of the year, he will not be leaving Wichita and would be available for consultation as needed.

Concerns about AI-assisted translation of city communications were brought up. In response, Johnson said that new body camera technology will provide translation, but he was not aware of this being available for city-wide use. Puritty asked how the city is addressing the need for affordable housing. Johnson explained that, while there can be empty lots or vacant properties not being utilized because family members are unwilling to offer them for sale, the city prefers not to exercise eminent domain. Unfortunately, the  Land Bank has been less effective than intended in bringing properties to the market.  He stipulated that citizens need to weigh in on the issue, and in some cases, neighbors will have to agree to accept different styles of housing for adequate affordable units to be added.

TWO ZONING CASES

Scott Wadle, Wichita Area Planning Department Director, presented two zoning cases.

The first, PUD2025-00021, pertained to Crown Uptown Theater at 3707 E. Douglas. The owner’s request is to again seek an increase to the capacity of the theater from 850. This time, he is asking for an unspecified figure that would be allowed by the International Building Code and/or the International Fire Code. The new application also allows the building coverage area, floor area, and floor area ratio to be set by Code, which would allow a building on the site to extend to the lot lines. The planning department’s recommendation for approval includes several conditions that would limit the percentage of the site that could be used for parking. It also stipulates that parking, if constructed, be  away from Douglas. It also specifies the allowed uses of the building if the current theater were demolished and replaced by a new building.

Wadle reviewed the staff report, including the site map, photos, and the aspects of the proposal that comply with some portions of the official adopted plans but conflict with the College Hill Neighborhood Plan.The College Hill Plan designates the site’s land use as appropriate for “recreation entertainment” and states that “auto-centric development that prioritizes parking and vehicular uses is not appropriate in the Recreation Entertainment district. New uses that would encourage or require large amounts of parking should be discouraged.” Therefore, staff recommends that, if the theater is demolished, the site not prioritize parking and not be used solely as a parking lot. Staff also encourages the use of building materials similar to those along that area of East Douglas in any new construction on the site.

DAB members asked Wadle numerous questions about how the capacity figure would be determined, the details of the staff recommendations, and the history of the case. They asked if they could request that the fire marshal provide the capacity figure that the fire code would allow. DAB asked if approving this PUD would make demolition more likely. They did not want approval of the PUD to be an “end run” around the crowd size limit and expressed concern that without that figure they could not make the best decision.Wadle explained that it is unusual for building capacity to be included in a zoning designation. This is a particularly complicated case, as this Planned Unit Development (PUD) addresses building capacity as well as land use.

When all questions to Wadle were asked, the owner, Mike Brown, was invited to speak before the board. Brown distributed to DAB members copies of the descriptions of two building use designations, A1 and A2, and asked them which description described the current use of the Crown Uptown. Most agreed on A1, but Brown pointed out that the theater is currently designated A2, which includes the requirement for a fire suppression system when occupancy capacity is above 300. He argued that the building should be classified as A1 since it is constructed of fireproof materials and that it should be allowed a capacity of even more than the current 850 because of the numerous fire alarm boxes and fire exits.

There was considerable discussion among DAB members, Wadle, and the owner about the details of the PUD, the owner’s intentions, and his renewed threat to demolish the theater if he can’t operate it profitably. Brown stated that he felt “badgered” by the opposition to his efforts to operate in Wichita, that he has spent over a million dollars renovating the Scottish Rite Temple as a performance venue, that the Crown Uptown cannot be profitable without increased capacity, that he is asking the fire marshal to classify it as A1 to eliminate the need for a fire suppression system, and that without this PUD approval he will “take it to retail or residential.” He did not explain what this meant outright, but the comment suggested he would demolish the building.

After Brown spoke, the DAB allowed members of the public five minutes to speak. Stephen Holt, the owner of the two adjacent buildings and a College Hill resident, spoke forcefully about the difficulty he has had with the theatre using his parking spaces. This issue has led to the owner suing him for objecting to this incursion. In addition, Holt mentioned that Brown has refused to consider his offer to buy the theatre. Holt added that this PUD is a customized zoning designation that allows for exceptions to routine parking requirements for a business. In addition, the owner seeks exceptions to the fire code, claiming that the building is not a fire risk when, in fact, the balcony is made of flammable wood.

Parking and traffic were of concern to Holt as well. The Crown Uptown is the only Wichita venue of its type in a residential neighborhood. Built as a movie theatre before off-street parking was required, it now operates as a performance venue for 850 with only 17 parking stalls. It is unreasonable to claim that Uber or Lyft could eliminate the need for parking when there is no curb space for dropping off or picking up hundreds of patrons and nowhere for them to gather while awaiting their rides, he noted. Holt concluded by characterizing this PUD as an attempt to increase the theater capacity without directly requesting it while attempting to change the designated use to avoid installing a fire suppression system.

Two additional residents spoke in opposition to the PUD. Art Allen, who lives in the Hillcrest, quoted the fire marshal’s determination in January 2025, that a capacity of 300 or more requires fire suppression. He stated that the owner is clearly not willing to negotiate in good faith or compromise on his demands and that DAB should table the matter.

Tom Innis, a College Hill resident, objected to the plan on the basis of residential street congestion caused by the theater’s current crowd size, the uncertainty of what capacity the fire marshal will approve, the potential of a new building filling the entire lot if the Crown Uptown is demolished, the PUD’s non-compliance with the College Hill Neighborhood Plan, and that ride share services could not replace the need for off-street parking. He also brought up the pedestrian hazard of the corner of Hillside and Douglas, across which patrons would walk to utilize parking where the theater owner claims to have parking agreements. Innis added by mentioning how Jimmie Grey, a friend of his, was killed there by a motorist while crossing at that corner. The traffic speed on both arterial streets as well as the buildings’ proximity to the street corner make it dangerous, especially for a theater crowd late at night.  

Rami Stucky, who lives in the Uptown Landing apartments nearby, spoke in favor of the PUD. He sees several parking lots in the area that should be made available for theater parking. As an advocate for walkability, he does not want to see more parking lots, preferring a more pedestrian friendly neighborhood environment.

After the public comment period, DAB deliberated and voiced the need to see required safety measures for patrons and a verifiable written parking plan. Eventually, they voted 5 for and 5 against the PUD, so no recommendation to Brandon Johnson was made one way or the other.

In ZON2025-00039, the owner of a plumbing office and warehouse at 2020 E First Street is requesting the property zone to be changed from B Multi-Family and Light Commercial to Office Warehouse. The change would make the site conform with the Unified Zoning Code. Planning staff recommended approval.

Addressing the DAB, the applicant explained that their business at Bowers Plumbing is growing and that they are training several apprentices. In response to questions from DAB, the applicant noted that they are a family-owned business and have been operating in Wichita since 1955. The only concern heard from a neighbor was whether they would be storing hazardous materials. The applicant said they would not. However, they do intend to remove the multifamily residential building on the site to expand the current building. DAB members voted unanimously to recommend approval of the zoning change.

 The meeting was then adjourned at 9:45 pm. The next District 1 Advisory Board meeting is scheduled to be held on November 3, 2025, at 6 p.m. at the Atwater Neighborhood Resource Center, 2755 E 19th St N. Wichita, KS 67214. Residents also have the option to participate in DAB meetings virtually via Zoom (information provided on meeting agendas) or to watch them live on the District 1 Facebook page. Meeting dates, agendas, and minutes can be found on the City’s website.

 

Follow-Up Questions

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at dhaslam@kansasleadershipcenter.org with "Correction Request" in the subject line.