Purpose & Need Open House – SUMMARY
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WRITTEN COMMENTS SUBMITTED
A total of 50 written comment forms were submitted to the study team as of November 10, 2006. Manycomments noted a strong preference to keep the rural character of the area intact and maintain the existing quality of life. Commenters also expressed concern that planning a new road in this area would contribute to urban sprawl, and that there should be more focus on light rail and mass transit. Other comments mentioned moving the study south of 199th Street (or expanding the study area), and addressing needed north-south routes. Some comments acknowledged the need for transportation investments in the study area for not both the region and to improve safety locally.
Land use, development, population/employment growth comments
Comments in this category are related to land use and demographics trends. Also here are comments regarding the need to expand/move the study area and comments related to Cass County influence.
All your gathered information is well and good, but it seems to me that the overall feeling from those who have attended is negative. There are too many projections and assumptions that are not very well researched. I understand that this is just a planning phase and the meeting is just informational. MARC says that the North Cass Parkway is pretty much set where it is to go, it isn’t. There is a housing development now in the way at Cleveland, south of Cambridge. Alt. Route?? If they decide to move that, what does that do to the connection west of State Line? Does everything start all over again? My sentiment is that we (in Cass County) don’t even need the parkway. The east/west corridor between 69 and 71 is albeit a nice thought but unnecessary.
The study area must be expanded. The southern Johnson area has changed dramatically since the CARNP study. The railroads have and will also change the traffic patterns. The environment must be the priority. Hwy 69 should be studied. Increased traffic may require it to go to six lanes. Don’t let Cass County drive our needs. Look at Johnson County and what is needed.
How is resident input used? What was used from Stilwell summer meeting? Certainly seems like Cass County is steering the ship. Current study area based on a study several years ago. It is very outdated with demographics changing as fast as they are and should not be restricted to current study area and need to tie to long-term overall plans considering highway 68 and railroad ties, etc. When planning roads consider zoning of areas of impact and need for roads.
This appears to me to be a solution looking for a problem. Most of the traffic growth projected to occur seems to come from projected rooftops in Cass County needing to get to projected jobs in southern Johnson County. However, the existence of the connection probably has a great deal of impact on whether these projected demands materialize. Instead, the projected connection appears to be intended more to bring existing real estate investments to fruition and to solve the commercial transportation problems of businesses that have migrated far past I-435 in search of cheap land and growth-inducing tax abatements. Meanwhile all of this serves to increase costs for distribution companies who generally serve the metro area from locations along I-70. It will not help them to serve their customers to faster or less expensively, but instead draws more of them to the periphery, further increasing distribution costs.
Put this road in Miami County!! We moved to southern Johnson County for peace and quiet. The road improvements to 179th have already increased traffic and particularly heavy truck traffic immensely.
Thank you for having this forum/open house. It was well organized and helpful. Looking south of the study area (199th and 215th) would appear to be the most practical solution. Thanks again.
I think If a roadway is truly needed land should be bought south of 199th Street where there are no houses so people will have a chance. If they want to live by a free-way! It’s a lot cheaper to buy farmland than expensive homes.
I see the growth occurring and agree. It needs to go farther south.
Cass County wants east-west access to 69 highway so they do not to improve 71 highway. Cass County wants KS to pay for and solve their road problems. People in Cass County want to drive east to 69 and go north to 435. Cass wants to use KS taxpayers money to fix MO roads problems. Say no to MO. Please move the study south to include 215th Street into Miami County. There is more traffic everyday north and south on 69 highway than any road going east-west in southern Johnson County. The traffic need is north-south. Paving roads east-west for car traffic is fine but no east-west, new roads are needed. 135th Street already connects I-35 and US 71. 135th Street connects to 150 highway and touches the entrance to Richard Gebauer. 135th Street could become the next highway. Eliminate the traffic signals with overpasses.
If you feel the truck traffic and Cass County are more important than Johnson County constituents then my property taxes should have been much lower the last 17 years. I still do not understand why Cass County is driving our roads! As is stated in your PowerPoint, Cass County courted JoCO for access to our roads. This should be farther south, south of 199th Street.
Tell Cass County they are putting their 183rd road in the wrong place if they want to hook up with an east-west road in Johnson County. You will never get a road north of 199th and east of Metcalf without a whole lot of opposition from homeowners. It will be difficult enough even at 199th. Also you might as well consider the whole picture: the Gardner intermodal and Richards Gebauer. Won’t there be a lot of traffic between them? Won’t that take a several lane highway?
Study purpose and need comments
Comments captured under this category relate to the purpose and need of the project and travel needs for the area.
I would like to express my strong desire for the implementation of the South Metro Connection. I am a current landowner of property located at 175th & Kenneth Road and feel that the area is in desperate need of road improvement. Access to my property is cumbersome and at times very dangerous (especially in bad weather). Once you get south of 159th street, navigating or trying to get anywhere between 69 HWY and Holmes Road becomes very difficult. As time goes on the cities and counties on both sides of the state line will benefit tremendously from development of this area. I also hope to at sometime possibly move my family out to this area but won’t do so until I feel the roads are safe enough to navigate regularly. If the final project leads to a highway or a four-lane divided thoroughfare similar to 135th street, one or the other is necessary. We also need substantial improvements to roads heading south (Nall, Kenneth, Mission, and Roe). I understand that some of the other landowners in the area seek to preserve the area in its existing state, but this, I feel is a view that does not serve the entire county or area. As time moves on and things continue to move south both counties and cities need to take advantage of the possibilities in the area.
We have no difficulty traveling to Missouri. And anticipate no difficulty in the future. Travel north on 69 highway is becoming more and more difficult, 69 highway needs three lanes soon.
What we need to develop is a less-congested method of getting from south Johnson County to downtown KC — not a faster method of getting to/from Belton or Pleasant Hill, MO. I built my home in south Johnson County 20 years ago because I wanted to live in a semi-rural environment, away from traffic and all that goes with it. Now, the BOCC is considering an east/west highway that will destroy the area’s rural flavor. I grew up in Pleasant Hill and graduated from PHHS in 1970, I have no problem getting to/from that area on existing roads. The biggest issue for me is killing this study and two weeks from today, as I enter the voting booth, that is what will be foremost on my mind.
It seems to me that Johnson County’s decision to even CONSIDER connecting to the Cass County south corridor is driven by the wants of Cass County! The land owners/tax payers of southern Johnson County have spoken… Not once, not twice or even three times. They are 99.9% against this road. Cass County hasn’t even been willing to spend their own money to connect to Kansas Roads! Find another way! Worry about a north south connection to KC which is in desperate need of improvement. (i.e. I-35, I-435) We are all aware of the powers behind this plan — the railroads and corporate entities in our local government’s pockets. Listen to the voice of the people. Go away!
I am opposed to major road development in the study area. I am opposed to road development that connects Cass County roads. Huge expense to study and continue pressure to tax Johnson county residents more and more.
I do not want urban sprawl to claim the quiet land and home I enjoy. More fast traffic facilitated through here means less natural wildlife. The building lots we’ve seen offered off of farm land sales the past two years are not even being purchased and built on. Please listen to us who live here, not developers who are greedy.
Comments on the SMC Purpose and Need. A major flaw in the need statement for the study is that it projects county-wide growth trends onto this study area. Both counties can meet the growth projections without touching the study area. The study area doesn’t have to develop significantly. Improve all section line roads to three lanes and forget the SMC. Good section line roads will provide better mobility than SMC. P.S. to imply that people working at low-paid jobs in JOCO live in Cass County because that is where affordable housing is — that is wrong. JOCO needs affordable housing so the 7,000 low-wage workers at the Gardner logistics park don’t have to travel 20-30 minutes one-way to work. Trend is not destiny. Trend is what will happen if we don’t do something different. Let’s do something different so we don’t need the SMC.
In your study there is not consideration to substantially increased oil/gasoline prices. If cost of travel for individuals increases over the next 10-20 years people would choose other modes of transportation and growth patterns will significantly differ from steady predictions of southward growth. An oil or energy cost model needs to be a part of the study. A new road in that area will span more urban sprawl and make the region less efficient and less sustainable in the long run. We already have trouble paying for the roads we have, WE need to do a better job at maintaining what we already have.
As was stated at the listening session—I still do not see a need for this type of east-west route until the north south routes are completed. No one is listening to the people that live in this area. Take a vote—and show people who are for this roadway. I have yet to meet one person who is in support of this.
I feel the east west roadway is needed, but further south. We have 150/135 now. Also if we don’t have a link from I-35 to 71, it is not that useful. Holmes cannot support much more traffic.
I first want to express my great disappointment in the fact that, as a land owner, I was not notified regarding the meeting to discuss the South Metro Connection. As the metro area continues to expand, the implementation of the South Metro Connection is critical to ensure safe accessibility to properties in the surrounding area as well as provide many new economic opportunities. There is a price for progress. But I feel that the South Metro Connection benefits far out weigh a minor loss of some of the area's “country charm.” I support the implementation of the South Metro Connection.
Infrastructure comments
Written comments captured under infrastructure are related to comments about the concepts presented at the Open House meeting or comments related to infrastructure needs and investments.
I attended the Open House Meeting last night (October 24), and have the following comments. I believe that the population will increase in and around the study area, and the need for improved major roads will continue. I would like, however, for the study area to maintain its rural character as much as possible, since that is why I moved to this part of Johnson County.
Since there is a lot of traffic already on US-69 (and other north-south roads) both to and from Overland Park, I would like the east-west road improvements to have as little negative impact as possible on north-south travel (and preferably improve the north-south traffic situation).
For my family, it is important to:
1. Not negatively impact property values.
2. Maintain the rural character of the study area.
3. Impact as little as possible the residences already existing in the area.
Despite our property ownership in the study area, for some reason, my family did not get a chance to comment in the past on this road. We are absolutely in favor of some decent roads in this area. This area will continue to develop… with or without better roads… and it is getting and more unsafe to drive out there. We need to our community (SE JoCo) to the rest of the world at some time… I know you’ll have some localized criticism…but this is great for the community as a whole… Not only will it bring jobs and tremendous return on investment (via tax dollars), this major corridor improvement will allow us to continue to enjoy future well-planned communities…which are what makes Johnson County great! We’d also like to improve and widen …substantially the North South routes to this area….we need 4 lane divided…thoroughfare type roads down to 199th street and beyond in the future…..for Nall, Roe, Mission and State Line/Kenneth roads. Please don’t put band-aids on this area….we need well planned….wide and safe …… access roads between 71 and 69…. Lastly, I know this will be a potential route….I think the connector should connect to Cass …and then run along 175th or just south thereof…and connect at 179th and 69 Hwy.
My husband and I prefer that no upgrades be made to the existing roads. We moved here to be in a rural setting with all that it entails. If roads are upgraded, speeds will increase resulting in more accidents and more car-deer accidents. I see several deer every day on my way to and from work. Also, it is my opinion that better roads and more traffic mean more crime. Which means the county will have to hire more deputies. I know they have trouble filling the slots available now. We don’t need more crime!
In my professional opinion, the road should be a parkway. It should tie into 179th Street because that is the best east/west mover in southern JoCO. 15-20 years from now the ‘southern loop will be located on or south of 199th St. so this should be the hwy section, not this study area. Please keep me informed as to the alignment options down the road. Thanks.
135th Street has been expanded several times in the last 5 years and is at capacity. 143rd Street is heavier traffic every day with bottle necks at Kenneth, Metcalf and Mission (Nall ok). 151st is a continual mess. 159th is dangerous. HELP! We need this for the future. Johnson County continues to grow and provide jobs for Missouri.
I think the new parkway ought to connect from Harrisonville and use highway 2 and 68. This seems to make the most sense and would preserve the rural character of Johnson County (southern). The growth will get there quicker than we think.
We moved to Stilwell (Sweet Briar Estates) a year and a half ago for the rural feel and to get out. Please consider updating the existing roads, but don’t bring a major artery through our town! There is lots of open land around 207th for a freeway type of project. Our neighbors all agree that we don’t need a major link in this area. If you do, we understand, but do it in an undeveloped area such as south of Stilwell.
I don’t feel the need to ‘add’ anything in the current study area. The residents of Stilwell, KS, have moved there or have lived there for a number of years because of the rural quaintness of the town. We don’t mind having rural roads to get east/west. IF others desire an e/w corridor find more green space to create something that won’t impact the number of residences in Stilwell — i.e., more green space — less individual uproot south of 199th.
South Johnson County does NOT need a new highway. The KC Metro Area already has more highway miles per capita than other comparable metropolitan areas. Past studies in Johnson County have demonstrated that the public is content with the existing road system. The primary traffic flow problem affecting south Johnson County is north-south on US 69. The construction of the south metro connection will make north south traffic worse, not better. Johnson County should pull its funding from this misguided ‘study.’
Connect the 71 highway to 69 with 68/2. Surface road improvements in the study area for rural growth and maintain property values and quality of life. No divided highway. No trucks.
This needs to move south if you want to do anything that involves concept 3 or concept 3 as defined by Station 7. The only way this will get funded is if you get local, state or federal funding for it, which we all know means the “study” wants to see concept 3 or 4 picked to ensure funding that will be necessary to create what the “study” people want. There simply is no traffic on the 151st, 195th, and 199th and 175th streets—go ahead and pave these and it will hold traffic for a long time, unless, that is, the interest is not about Johnson County residents and is more driven by intermodal and Richards Gebauer and other economic interests. If you want to build it bigger than it already is—go south! South of 199th and to Miami County. Pave what we have it will last a long time. I would like to see a list of the phone numbers called in the ‘phone survey’ and the zip codes that go with those numbers. Where can I get that information?
As a norm, Johnson County has incremented every 16 blocks, with occasional exceptions, such as 159th Street. 159th Street offers an east-west connection that can take advantage of Kenneth Road and connect through primarily open land to 58 highway. This also offers passage through existing and proposed commercial properties and open farm land, again leading to Kenneth Road, and offering a bypass across open area to 58, crossing the little Blue one time. Other alternatives including improving passage at 151st, which already has a right away from county to county. That’s my two cents, improve the rural passages, pave them, and minimize the impact to both the natural environment and quality of life.
The truth is I do not go east to Belton but twice a year. Question: would I like a road? Yes, it would be nice. Do I need a road? NO! Do I want the traffic? NO! NO! NO! NO! Do I think this is mostly about the two railway ports and getting goods east west? YES! This study is just a ploy to convince people we NEED this road. No matter — the neighborhoods do not want the traffic. If just east-west street was made passable with asphalt and not a big road without condemning property and taking out houses, fine, have at it. Now! If the railroad wants a road to take truck traffic from east to west then the railroad can fund building a road. They can overpay for the land (like the county) get permission from the landowners to buy their land and build something way south! We might consider the proposal, if we knew exactly where the road would go. As it is the whole project is a nebulous concept. All your graphs, studies about growth, traffic patterns are all true. Anyone could have told you that. Growth is a given. If something needs to be done, 69 highway needs to be larger. If we even pave a street from east to west it only increase the traffic up 69 highway 2-3 times more traffic. This ROAD will only compound an already problem on 69 highway. If the people in Belton and Cass County want to work in Olathe, etc, they should consider moving. Economically living where you work is a safer, healthier, family like thing to do and cheaper.
General comments
General comments captured include comments regarding the perception of the Missouri and Cass County influence on Johnson County as well as comments regarding the environment, quality of life and loss of property.
A comment about the telephone survey — sure, they answered "yes." Way too broad a question for an accurate survey of the need when the respondents weren't presented w/ all the facts and haven't been a part of all that has transpired in this study. I consider it a loaded question and, of course, they would think it a good idea. My guess is that most people in the KC region have not even been out here in the "study area" and have no idea what the impact would be to one of the prettiest areas in Johnson County. I grew up in O.P. and had no idea what was out here in the very southern tip of Jo Co until two years ago. Maybe a road of some kind needs to be thought out for the far out future, but it should not be anywhere near the targeted study area. And for the comment from a study team member that a highway (I-35) has not changed the Flint Hills — this study area is not the same type of area w/ vast open areas for miles and miles. This area is mostly developed w/ land and residential home owners. Any kind of new roadway would alter all of it. Rethink what is going on here. Maybe Cass County needs to try to work w/ Miami County. They may want the development.
I have lived on our farm for 66 years. My husband and I tried to keep our farm intact for grandchildren to grow up on and eventually build homes. When Johnson County put into law no more than two divisions could be made without platting the ground. Children built elsewhere. Their children now enjoy the land for hiking, hunting and riding 4 wheelers, etc. Please do not put a road through it and destroy our farm.
The corridor for this connection should have been designated 15-20 years ago. We lived at 187th and Mission—My mom has 140 acres at 191st and Mission because we chose to leave it as farmland. Are we going to be penalized with a road through our farm because we chose not to sell to developers and did not want house on it? Neither do we want a road through it. It seems the area south of 199th is less developed. However, I don’t want it there either. What about north/south traffic? Especially on 69 if you funnel all Missouri traffic. We have ample roads to get to Cass County. Need more roads north and south.
This ‘open house’ is really great. I appreciate the study group trying to present their ideas to the people who have to live with these changes and pay for it. The people in the study area don’t want or need east/west roads. Go study somewhere where else. I’m sure there are communities that may want and need your ‘help’.
We love this area for the reasons that we do not have urban sprawl that would be brought on or at least encouraged by this ‘connection.’ Pease do not do this unnecessary roadway.
This CARNP Plan has turned into a regional issue. While it has evolved to a regional issue, there has been no reconsideration if the Cass Parkway is appropriately placed. This is driving the decision that might not otherwise be made. To do the study appropriately, the team should start over rather than letting the Cass Parkway tail wag the dog. This forces the road to go between 175th and 183rd.
The study area in Johnson County has been determined by the location of Hwy 58 in Cass County. Why has Johnson County allowed Missouri to dictate the future of roads and truck traffic? The SMC study seems to be a project purely for the politicians and not for residents (especially the safety of children) in southern Johnson County. The politicians are surely pushing the SMC (to connect the intermodals in MO and KS) solely for tax purposes and without regard for taxpayers. I strongly suspect that southern Johnson County voters will demonstrate their displeasure with politicians Nov. 7.
Please consider making your recommendation as soon as possible to put some of us at ease. We are VERY concerned about what happens to our property value if a parkway goes in on our street. Even if it takes years, if it is in the plan it will reduce the ability to sell our homes.
Johnson County’s desire for this road seems to stem from Missouri’s need. Most of the residents in this area don’t have a desire to go to Belton and other areas. Diversity of a county is a sign of quality. It assists in maintaining value of homes. It brings in diverse business and people. 435 was well planned. Built out of population allowed small businesses to get close to it and it buffered residential and family area. This benefits everyone. Eminent Domain is not the answer. Money seems to be the motivator of the commissioners.
This is so sad for this county. People always lose. Government takes over. Environment ruined. Green is the future…get on board.
199th Street is already a nice road. It just needs to be connected on the Missouri side to go east and west. Then for an additional route connect 183rd Street to Missouri Parkway. On Kansas side, curve up to 179th.
This area of southern Johnson County and northern Cass County is so scenic and peaceful that would be a shame to build a large road through it. We don’t need a large highway that would move large volume truck traffic through here. Such a road would ruin the quality of life we have here. Why not just improve some of the existing roads? For instance put on an exit at 69 and 159th street, extend 167th eastward to hook up with 171st which goes to Stateline. Also extending Nall Avenue through 175th Street would help traffic flow immensely.
