A developer's plan to build 288 apartments on the west side of Troost Avenue between 89th and 92nd streets has Kansas City neighbors worried that a small, historic cemetery tucked behind their homes will end up boxed in by new construction. Homeowners in the Boone Hills neighborhood have launched a petition against the project, arguing that the burial ground deserves more protection than the current plans offer.
The cemetery, known to neighbors as Douglass Grange Cemetery, sits directly behind the homeowners' residences, according to FOX4KC. Resident Susan Combs, who has lived in the neighborhood for 35 years, said the cemetery predates her time there by at least a century. Two of the documented burials are Nancy Stukesberry, who died in 1877, and A.C. Smith, who died in 1918, with at least two dozen other burials also recorded on the grounds, per the station's report.
Bulldozers, Cut Trees, and Questions About Unmarked Graves
Neighbors told FOX4KC that developers have already cut down trees and brought in bulldozers at the cemetery site, and some are now wondering whether large stones uncovered in the bulldozed area could mark graves that were never formally recorded. Combs said removing the trees would also increase noise in the neighborhood, the station's report notes.
The Kansas City preservation office has identified 1.5 acres platted for the cemetery, but neighbors say the area developers have sectioned off with orange fencing is smaller than that. Resident Maris Ewing said neighbors want the cemetery honored and preserved as a Civil War and pioneer-era burial ground, and she said site plans show a parking lot positioned next to bedroom windows in the neighborhood, according to the same account.
Neighbors Push for an Archaeological Survey
Resident Clark Davis said the proposed buildings would rise 40 feet high and sit within just 30 feet of single-story ranch homes nearby, per FOX4KC's reporting. Neighbors have called for a non-invasive archaeological survey of the site, arguing it would help ensure that graves, including those of enslaved people, are not disturbed by construction.
Under Missouri law, an unmarked human burial is defined as a situation where human skeletal remains are discovered or believed to exist without written historical documentation or a grave marker, according to Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 194.400. In cases where the relevant authorities have jurisdiction, the state historic preservation officer is tasked with determining whether removal of such remains is necessary and appropriate for scientific purposes, per Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 194.407. The Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation administers both the state's historic preservation statutes and its Unmarked Human Burial Sites Act.
Developer Says It's Consulting State and Local Officials
The developer, Milhaus, has submitted an application for approval of the 288-unit complex, which would feature a pool and dog park, the station reports. If approved, the cemetery would remain in the middle of the southern section of the complex's parking area, surrounded on multiple sides by apartment buildings.
Milhaus has said it is sensitive to community concerns and has enacted strict operational procedures meant to prevent accidental damage to the historic cemetery, per the same FOX4KC account. The company says it has consulted the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the state historic preservation office, and local experts, and that it is working collaboratively with city departments, a cemetery preservation committee, and the Boone Hills Neighborhood Association. Milhaus says it aims to ensure full compliance, is developing a long-term preservation plan, and will take additional measures if new discoveries are made during construction.
A Kansas City cemetery listing for the site adds further, less-verified detail to the timeline: it states that plans were submitted to the city on September 1, 2026, and that a public planning hearing is scheduled for November 4, 2026, according to a listing on findagrave.com. The same listing, which refers to the site as Douglas Cemetery, includes current claims that its nearest entrance is blocked with cones and security cameras and that illegal dumping has occurred on the property.
The Center Planning and Development Council was set to learn more about the developer's proposal Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Trailside Center on Holmes Road, giving neighbors another forum to press their concerns before the project moves further through the city's review process.
