The Leawood City Council voted Sept. 21 against installing sidewalks on two streets leading to Brookwood Elementary School.

The streets, Mohawk Lane and Pawnee Lane, connect the neighborhood to the crosswalk on 103rd Street that leads to the school. A 2026 survey found 94% of residents on those streets opposed the project. The city will instead pursue a $452,000 federal Safe Streets For All grant to study broader safety improvements, as first reported by the Johnson County Post.

The sidewalk proposal gained urgency after Brookwood fourth grader Duke Ommert, 10, was struck by a vehicle while crossing near 103rd and Lee on his e-scooter on Oct. 13, 2025. He died Oct. 23, 2025. Police determined the driver's actions were not a contributing factor, KCTV5 reported.

The proposed sidewalks would have been the first on those streets. Under Leawood policy, homeowners whose properties touch new sidewalks are assessed the installation cost through a special benefit district. Beth Breitenstein, the city's director of strategic communications, said a letter to residents stated they would pay $500 to $600 per year for 10 years.

Public Works Director David Ley said the city first surveyed residents north of the school in 2022, when about 49% favored sidewalks.

A 2026 resurvey that included details on tree removal and costs drew far sharper opposition: 90% said they would not regularly use the sidewalks, 95% said they would not allow one on their property, and 100% rejected the proposed layout, Ley said. Residents on both sides of the street were polled, though sidewalks would have gone on only one side.

The Leawood Public Works Committee had voted 7-1 on Sept. 2 to recommend against the sidewalks. Kyle McCawley cast the lone dissenting vote.

"It kind of breaks my heart we're not putting sidewalks in there because I think in the long run we probably will want sidewalks there … It's sad to me because clearly there are kids who would use it and it would make them safer. But here we are," Councilmember Alan Sunkel said at the Sept. 21 meeting.

Julie Cain, who chairs the Public Works Committee, said the survey results left the committee in a difficult position. She said the central question was whether to force residents to pay for infrastructure they overwhelmingly rejected.

Councilmember Matt Peppes said the vote does not mean the broader safety conversation is over.

The city plans to use the $452,000 federal grant, a $56,000 state grant and $56,000 from its own budget for the program. Safe Streets For All is a U.S. Department of Transportation initiative aimed at eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries.

Consulting firms Burns & McDonnell and Kimley-Horn are working on the study, which covers sidewalks, crossings, street lights and bike lanes. The city's Safe Streets Leawood page lists a goal of council adoption of a safety action plan in early 2027.

Since Ommert's death, the council has enacted a helmet requirement for riders under 18 on electric-powered vehicles, rebuilt some sidewalks, reduced lanes on part of 103rd Street and lowered the speed limit on part of Lee Boulevard. Safe Streets data presented at a Sept. 8 work session showed 15% of Leawood's streets account for 78% of fatal and serious-injury crashes.

Eight councilmembers were present for the Sept. 21 vote. Mayor Marc Elkins did not vote. No public comment period was held during the discussion.

The next milestone is the Safe Streets action plan, targeted for council adoption in early 2027.