Englewood / Winner Road Corridor Overlay District (WCIOC/EAOD)

Englewood became one of Leigh's clearest examples of why municipal policy has to be followed beyond the night it is adopted. She traced the City's revitalization language, redevelopment expectations and zoning strategy, then compared those promises with the practical effects on existing homeowners, landlords, businesses and vacant properties. Her research asked whether the policy was solving the problems residents were told it would solve—or whether it was primarily asking the people already there to change in order to fit a new vision for the area.

The WCIOC/Englewood Arts Overlay work was not passive observation. Leigh participated directly in the public process, organized and presented a notarized protest, sat through a roughly five-and-a-half-hour hearing, followed the overlay through Council action and later tracked the City's 2026 review of rules affecting roughly 3,700 properties. She continued examining issues such as accessory dwelling units, vacant and deteriorating properties, redevelopment incentives, code consistency and the gap between planning language and what residents could actually see on the ground.

Her reporting— including the question of who was expected to change with Englewood—grew from that accumulated record. This parent item should connect the protest, speeches, articles, later overlay-review meetings and any neighborhood-restoration proposals so the public can see the full arc: proposal, adoption, lived effect, review and continuing accountability.

The West Central Independence Overlay District was adopted on October 21, 2024, with objectives that included encouraging housing flexibility, infill development, and neighborhood revitalization across a substantial area of Independence.

Before its adoption, I helped organize a notarized protest involving affected property owners and participated in the public hearing.

My concerns included the geographic reach of the overlay, its implications for existing property owners, and whether the proposed development opportunities would produce measurable benefits for the neighborhoods involved.

On May 6, 2026, I submitted a formal request asking the City Council to examine the overlay's effectiveness using actual permit and development records.

The City's response identified residential activity, including accessory dwelling unit permits and new single-family construction, as evidence of early progress. City staff recommended allowing additional time for the overlay to produce results.

I subsequently examined the information provided, including the ordinance's definitions, permit numbers, and individual property records. My June 1 follow-up raised questions about whether the cited examples satisfied applicable requirements and whether the activity demonstrated the intended outcomes.

I requested further Council consideration, including the possibility of a study session and evaluation of whether the overlay should remain unchanged, be revised, or be removed.

The original proposal, City response, ordinance, permit information, and supporting exhibits are attached to this public record.

This work remains ongoing. My objective is to see City policies evaluated against documented results, costs, impacts on residents, and the purposes for which they were adopted.