The city of Westwood is asking a judge to rule that it can move forward with the sale of its only city park for new development — a move that several residents have hoped to stop at the ballot box with a public vote on the matter. The city last week filed a suit in Johnson County District Court, asking a judge to decide whether a resident petition aimed at preventing the sale of the park is legally sufficient to be placed on the ballot. Residents filed the petition after the Westwood City Council in October, following months of debate, voted 5-1 approving plans for a mixed-use development on 8 acres, including the 1-acre Joe D. Dennis Park at Rainbow Boulevard and 50th Street. Johnson County-based Karbank Real Estate Company is looking to build an office and retail development on the land, which also includes the former Westwood View Elementary School, as well as a piece of vacant city property, previously occupied by the Westwood Christian Church. Karbank has agreed to pay off a $275,000 debt the city still owes on the church property, and has offered the city $2.65 million to purchase the school property from the Shawnee Mission district. It would demolish the building and grade much of the land for the city to build a new 3.8-acre park to replace Joe. D Dennis.
Source: Joco 913 News
