Shawnee County commission to discuss comprehensive plan Monday

2018-08-20T06:41:17-05:00August 20th, 2018|

Shawnee County commissioners last October asked the Shawnee County Planning Commission to address issues regarding a proposed 2037 Shawnee County Comprehensive Plan. On Monday, they’ll hear public comments and discuss the revised version of that land use plan for the county’s unincorporated areas. They’ll talk about a document that resulted from the county’s initiation in 2016 of the process of preparing a long-range comprehensive land use plan, which would guide decision-making about the physical development of its unincorporated areas. The attempts to guide orderly growth that balances environmental values and reasonable development demand over the next 20 years. It was crafted [...]

Tiny homes controversy is anything but small and cute

2018-08-20T06:38:49-05:00August 20th, 2018|

The emailed threat read like dialogue from 1930s pulp fiction. “We’re going to tell you this once,” the message began that told Jonathan Endicott to give up his fight against the MicroMansions tiny homes development planned near his Cambria neighborhood, just south of Harry and 143rd East. “If not we will use all of our resources, money and means to stop you. You’re dealing with powerful people that have no problems attacking your business, life and family if you choose not to stop.” The email came on Friday morning from someone claiming to be named Jim Ryun, but MicroMansions developer Abby [...]

Shawnee County Commissioner Bob Archer reflects on trip to White House

2018-08-20T06:34:13-05:00August 20th, 2018|

Shawnee County Commissioner Bob Archer said participating in this week’s Kansas Leadership White House Conference in Washington, D.C., was an honor and that meeting Vice President Mike Pence was thrilling. The conference, which was held Thursday, was organized by the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. The office is meeting with county leaders from every state in an effort to expand outreach so more decision-making and problem-solving occurs at the local level, Archer said. Archer said attending the conference was an opportunity to learn from the speakers and from other participants serving in positions similar to his. Returning from the event [...]

Bourbon County commissioners say they will not raise mill levy No additional deputies, bridge crew

2018-08-20T06:31:31-05:00August 20th, 2018|

Bourbon County Commissioners worked Tuesday afternoon to create a budget with no mill levy increase for 2019. That meant eliminating increases that totaled nearly 11 additional mills: 7.7 mills from the sheriff and corrections requests; about a half a mill for additional economic development funds; and the nearly three additional mills to fund a bridge crew in the Public Works Department. On Tuesday afternoon, commissioners met with Sheriff Bill Martin and Jail Administrator Bobby Reed. Martin submitted a correction on his budget request, which had included a part-time clerk that needs to be removed because Reed also had included the same [...]

Commission Approves Aggieville Hotel Rezoning

2018-08-20T06:29:45-05:00August 20th, 2018|

At the August 7th meeting the City Commission approve a rezoning request in Aggieville for a 0.87-acre site that includes part of the old City parking lot adjacent to Starbucks. The 12th Street/ Bluemont Avenue PUD rezoning will make way for a five-story hotel that will contain 127 guest rooms. The hotel will also include an attached 113-stall parking garage. The hotel plan is consistent with the newly proposed Aggieville Vision Plan which will include higher density development along the outskirts of Aggieville while keeping the historic Moro Street buildings more intact. (Read more: Manhattan - News Flash)

City of Winfield considers zoning to encourage breweries in central business district

2018-08-20T06:28:49-05:00August 20th, 2018|

Possible zoning changes to encourage breweries in the downtown Winfield business district will be the topic of an upcoming Winfield Planning Commission meeting. Current zoning rules state that breweries in Winfield cannot be located within 200 feet of a school or church. Relaxing these rules could encourage development of breweries in the central business district, which has several churches within its boundaries, city manager Jeremy Willmoth said. The city is leading the initiative to relax the zoning rules after receiving an inquiry from a party interested in opening a brewery here, Willmoth said. He declined to name the party. The city [...]

Hutch City Council to discuss where to go with park facility

2018-08-20T06:23:37-05:00August 20th, 2018|

The Hutchinson City Council will have to take another look at the proposed events center that the city wants to build in Rivers Banks Orchard Park north of town. The city was to take action on bids for the building during Tuesday’s agenda session, but bids came in nearly twice the projected cost which was approximately $850,ooo. The Council is expected to reject the bids. The action by the council also comes as questions were raised by several council members over whether the public building would cause too much competition with other privately and company owned facilities. One city council member [...]

New superintendent to focus on Shawnee Mission’s strategic plan for future-based learning

2018-08-20T06:21:09-05:00August 20th, 2018|

Strategic planning to prepare Shawnee Mission students for a fast-paced future is new superintendent Mike Fulton’s top priority. Details for exactly what that strategic plan will look like remain to be seen, but Fulton plans to make the plan a collaborative effort between the Shawnee Mission School District Board of Education, school administration, parents, students and members of the community. That means involvement from the community will be vital to prepare students for their futures and to reach their full potential, he said. “Schools exist for one reason: It has to help the children of our community be successful as adults,” [...]

Consultants unveil final recommendations for Santa Fe Commons in Overland Park — one concept with farmers market, and one without

2018-08-20T06:19:05-05:00August 20th, 2018|

A paper-airplane shaped band shell, water feature and curved walkway made it into the final recommendations for Santa Fe Commons Park. Public hammocks did not. Consultants presented their recommendations at a public input session Thursday for the 3.8-acre park in the heart of downtown Overland Park. They made two final park plans – one with a farmers’ market and one without – that will continue through various city committees before the city council decides what the park should look like. Here are proposed site plans for the two concepts. Santa Fe Commons Park, which will be re-christened Thompson Park when the [...]

Even if Wichita sells MacDonald, it can still make sure it stays a golf course

2018-08-20T08:13:45-05:00August 20th, 2018|

Wichita can ensure that MacDonald Golf Course remains a golf course, even if the city does sell it to the developer of the Waterfront, a council member said. Council member Pete Meitzner said he thinks the city could and probably would make that part of any request for proposals to sell the course. Meitzner said “It makes perfect sense for it to remain a golf-centered area,” and “If we do an RFP, we could make that a condition.” Selling the course for anything other than golf use would undercut a city pact with First Tee, a nonprofit youth golf program that [...]

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