Professional Review Panel

The City Council approved changes to the City’s zoning ordinances regarding the Architectural Review Board. The ordinance revision creates a Professional Review Panel that will review Substantial Construction projects (other than pools and sport courts) and make a staff recommendation to the ARB on whether the ARB should approve, approve with stipulations, or deny the project. The ARB must agree with the Panel’s recommendation or provide sufficient justification for not following the recommendation. The Professional Review Panel will consist of the City Architect, City Administrator, City Planner, and two other consulting professional architects/ designers. The submittal deadline for Substantial Construction (other than pools and sport courts) is seven (7) weeks before the ARB meeting date. The meeting with the Professional Review Panel will be scheduled once an official submittal of the project has been made and will take place before the ARB hearing of the project which usually takes place 5-6 weeks after the official submittal of the project. There is a non-refundable fee of $2,000 that must be paid when the project is submitted to City Hall. The fee to appear before the Professional Review Panel will not be applied toward the building permit fee. The meeting with the Professional Review Panel does not take the place of the Pre-Application Conference required for new homes. The ARB meeting will remain the public hearing where neighbors and interested parties are allowed to comment and an approval or denial of the project is made.

The following architects have been chosen to be part of the Professional Review Panel.

Mary Sullivan Deacy


Mary is the principal of Summit Architecture which was founded in 2004. Mary received her Master of Architecture from the University of Kansas in 1999 and her Bachelor of Arts from Pitzer College in Claremont, California in 1976. She gained valuable experience in industrial, government and residential projects while working for other architecture firms, including Bibb and Associates and RDM Architecture. Summit Architecture specializes in designing additions, renovations, and custom new homes that contribute to the fabric of the neighborhood. In addition to her work at Summit Architecture, in 2010 Mary co-founded Eco Abet, a public interest nonprofit organization which provides community organizations access to professional design. Eco Abet utilizes a large network of volunteers consisting of architects, urban planners, engineers, lawyers, developers, historic preservationists, and graphic designers to address the design needs of local non-profits. Mary is licensed to practice architecture in both Missouri and Kansas, is a member of the American Institute of Architects, and is LEED-AP certified.

Dana Gould


Dana is a registered historic preservation architect and project manager with Treanor Architects. She has dedicated her twenty-year career to the preservation and rehabilitation of historic buildings. Recognizing the cultural significance historic buildings represent within their communities, Dana works with property owners to preserve their building’s historic integrity while creating functional spaces for contemporary and future generations. She takes the time to understand each property she works on, delving into the history, significance and construction of the building before developing comprehensive solutions that respect its sense of place and history. Dana has served as a consultant to the Kansas City Landmarks Commission, writing Certificates of Appropriateness, and currently serves as project manager for multiple building renovations at Fort Leavenworth and as project manager of the Missouri State Capitol exterior stone renovation and repair project.


Rebecca Riden


Rebecca started her firm Rebecca Riden AIA Architect in 1996. Since then she has concentrated on designing residential projects that are specifically tailored to her client’s needs, dreams and property. Specializing in new homes, renovations and additions, her award winning projects are built throughout the Midwest. Her client’s homes have been featured in the KC Star, KC Magazine, Kansas City Homes and Gardens and on HGTV’s Beyond the Box Series. Prior to starting her own firm, she gained a wide range of architectural experience working for a renowned design firm in New Mexico, a historic preservation firm in Maryland, a land and community planning firm in Virginia and multiple firms in Kansas City. Rebecca is licensed to practice in Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico and Michigan. In addition to running her firm, she teaches a first year Environmental Design Studio at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Department of Architecture, Urban Planning + Design.


Matthew Walter


Matthew works as an architectural designer for Bell/Knott and Associates in Leawood and lives in Prairie Village. He holds a BA in Interior Design from the American College in London, England (1988), a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Hawaii (1991), and most recently, an MFA in Theatre Design from the University of Iowa (2004). He developed his use of historical style and décor during his studies in London; studied urban planning in Hawaii, and developed an understating of traditional materials and methods of construction working in the field. With his two decades of experience, Matthew has come to understand that design should be considered from a practical perspective and not merely in isolation of the drawn plans. He has worked for various architectural firms in Kansas City; Iowa City, Chicago and New York working on commercial, educational and residential projects. He also had the privilege of teaching design at the College of Charleston, Cornell College, and the University of Iowa and spent two seasons as the Resident Scenic Designer Assistant at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.