Prairie Village council approves TIF agreement for Meadowbrook

The Prairie Village City Council has approved a tax increment financing agreement that paves the way for the redevelopment of the Meadowbrook Golf and Country Club and the creation of Meadowbrook Park.

Council members on Monday approved a series of agreements that represented the final major hurdle to the more than $200 million development bordered by 91^st and 95^th streets and Nall and Roe avenues.

VanTrust Real Estate plans to develop 45 acres of the former golf course for a senior living center and a mix of single-family lots, luxury apartments, twin-home units and a boutique hotel.

More than 80 acres remaining will be bought by Prairie Village and turned over to the Johnson County Park and Recreation District to develop and maintain as the largest public park in the northeast part of the county.

VanTrust is building the senior center and residential areas with private dollars, but the park and public infrastructure on the property would be paid for with tax increment financing. The city expects to sell more than $19 million in bonds, which would be paid for over 20 years or less by diverting future property tax growth on the senior center and residential areas.

City taxpayers would be on the hook for $11.4 million of the bonds if the development failed to meet projections. The developers would be solely responsible for the remaining $7.9 million.

The council unanimously approved the tax increment financing plan and development agreement.

“This is the culmination of a little over a year’s worth of work,” said Mayor Laura Wassmer, who served on a committee that negotiated the terms of the development agreement with VanTrust, the park district and the Johnson County Commission.

The developer, the city and other players still must meet a series of technical requirements before the deal is formally closed and the bonds issued, which city officials estimate could come as early as February.

For example, the city still must give final approval to the park district’s master plan for developing Meadowbrook Park.

But Richard Muller, executive vice president of VanTrust, said he was thrilled with the decision and that he expected to begin construction in late spring.

“It’s the right project for this property,” Muller said after the meeting.

Two separate agreements, one setting out obligations for the developer and another detailing the gift of the park land to the park district, also passed but generated some controversy over potential contamination on the site.

One of the requirements calls for the park district to conduct a basic “phase I” environmental assessment, which Jill Geller, executive director of the district, said should be ready in three to four weeks.

Council members Jori Nelson and Dan Runion questioned whether the council should seek a more in-depth “phase II” assessment, noting that golf courses have the potential of contamination from overuse of pesticides, herbicides and other chemical toxins.

“This is a $20 million project,” Nelson said. “I think physical testing of the soil and water is warranted.”

Other council members and city staff said “phase II” assessments usually are focused on problems identified in “phase I” and that they should wait for the park district’s results before pursuing the potentially expensive testing.

Nelson and Runion both voted against the park gift agreement while Runion cast the lone “no” against the developer agreement.

In other business:

▪ The council approved a preliminary redesign of Mission Road between 75^th and 71^st streets, answering resident concerns that the road’s narrow sidewalks create a safety hazard to pedestrians and students walking to St. Ann’s School or Shawnee Mission East High School.

The new design narrows the street from four to three lanes and envisions building an 8-foot-wide trail on the west side of the street separated from traffic by a 7-foot-wide swath of grass. The city is seeking property easements along the road’s east side to widen that sidewalk to five feet.

Neighbors who have asked for the changes since last spring welcomed the approval.

“Once this project is completed, I really look forward to walking and biking this stretch of Mission Road with my family without cars whipping by us and fearing for our safety,” said Katie Siengsukon.

The road project itself is expected to cost around $1 million with half coming from state funds.

The council also approved asking potential bidders how much they would charge to add a series of optional “quality of life” amenities to the route, such as flower beds, ornamental trees, park benches and decorative light poles. City staff members had suggested these amenities as a way to beautify one of the key gateways into the city although some council members had balked at the estimated $150,000 cost and potentially paying for it from a long-untouched economic development fund.

Jay Senter, publisher of the online Prairie Village Post, advocated in favor of using that money, saying the amenities would be a financial boon for the city.

“The only thing worse than improperly using the citizens’ money is taking it and not doing anything with it at all,” Senter said.

▪ Council members also gave preliminary approval to revamping the city’s recreation fees for 2016. In particular, the new fee schedule would chop the current menu of around a dozen annual swimming pool pass options in half and make them all based on individuals instead of families. The council also agreed to increase the daily swimming pool fee from $7 to $8.

The city’s Park & Recreation Committee developed the changes as a way to combat people misusing “family” passes to include friends and to avoid difficulty in defining “family” in cases of adoption, divorce, foster arrangements, grandchildren, or other situations.

The new slate of annual passes would charge $45 for an individual resident, $40 for a senior resident and $30 for a card good for five daily resident admissions. Non-city residents would pay $75 for an individual pass, $65 for a senior pass and $35 for a five-swim card. Babies 12 months and younger would be free.

The committee originally recommended pushing the daily fee to $10, but council members said they worried that would chase patrons to other area pools.

The council will hold a final vote on the changes at its Jan. 4 meeting.

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 9:48 AM with the headline "Prairie Village council approves TIF agreement for Meadowbrook."