Departing councilwomen punt on Plaza office-building decision

The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council on Thursday approved a plan to allow a controversial office building to be built on the Country Club Plaza. A majority of the council felt that accommodating the Polsinelli Shughart law firm, the building’s prospective tenant, trumped concerns about the design’s apparent violation of the Plaza Urban Design and Development Plan.

The vote was 8-3, with two members of the council abstaining. Departing councilwoman Beth Gottstein and Sharon Sanders Brooks refused to make a decision, a dereliction of duty that marks a fitting end to their respective tenures.