Construction closes lanes on Todd George
Todd George Parkway shoulders project underway
The Todd George Parkway shoulders project to add 6-foot wide shoulders is expected to last about 90 days, weather permitting.
The work will add shoulders to both sides of Todd George Parkway between Colbern Road to Woods Chapel Road, as well as portions of Strother Road east of the Interstate 470 interchange.
The improvements will provide safer paths for pedestrian and bicycle traffic using Todd George Parkway. It also creates a paved surface for emergency situations and reduces ongoing maintenance of the turf shoulders that are regularly rutted by traffic.
Traffic is being restricted to one direction at a time starting with a temporary closure in the northbound direction to complete the east-side shoulders. The northbound closure is anticipated to last about six weeks. Traffic along eastbound Colbern Road will be detoured to I-470 north to Woods Chapel Road. Westbound Colbern Road traffic will be routed along Town Center Boulevard to Independence Avenue and then north to Strother Road and onto I-470 north to Woods Chapel Road.
Once the east side shoulders are completed, there will be a temporary closure of Todd George Parkway in the southbound direction to complete the west side shoulders, also for about six weeks. Detour routes for the southbound closure are also routed from Woods Chapel Road to I-470, south to Colbern Road. Detour signs will be posted.
Watch school board on government television
Parents and community members can now see the regular Lee’s Summit R-7 Board of Education meetings on the city of Lee’s Summit government access channel.
The school board this month extended a contract for a pilot project videotaping its meetings and also made them available through the access channel.
To watch the meeting, tune in at noon on Tuesdays, 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 9 p.m. on Sundays on the city channel as AT&T U-verse 99, Spectrum 2 and Comcast 7. The meetings have been broadcast online since December 2016 and posted on the district’s YouTube Channel and on the BoardDocs page at lsr7.org, the district website.
Housing officials surveying community priorities
The Lee’s Summit Housing Authority is working on its strategic plan and is asking for comments using an online survey. If you live or work in the Lee’s Summit area, the authority asks you to participate in an online survey at lsha.digicate.com now through June 30, 2017.
The short survey will help inform the authority’s five-year strategic plan.
During strategic planning meetings, authority and stakeholders discussed housing-related aspirations, obstacles, strengths, opportunities, perceptions, issues and concerns.
It resulted in a new vision “to build communities of distinction that are multi-generational, mixed income, and meet the needs of our most vulnerable residents.”
Priorities involve the housing waiting list, mixed-income development, community engagement, and a comprehensive housing study.
Lee’s Summit couple is Heartland Humanitarians of the Year
Each year the Truman Heartland Community Foundation recognizes individuals and companies making significant philanthropic impact in Eastern Jackson County making it a better place to live, work, and play.
The foundation recently announced Brad and Sandy Cox as 2017 Heartland Humanitarians of the Year.
Sandy Cox is a past member of the John Knox Village Foundation and current treasurer for the Lee’s Summit Parks Foundation. Brad Cox currently serves on the John Knox Village Foundation, Lee’s Summit Medical Center Board of Trustees, St. Luke’s East Hospital Executive Advisory Board, and is the president of the Lee’s Summit Missouri Municipal Building Authority. He is a past chairman of Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council and served on the Lee’s Summit Advisory Board for Truman Heartland Community Foundation. They are both members of the Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit.
Some initiatives they have been involved with include the first private hospice room at John Knox Village and funding for the Hospice Wing. They founded “Instruments for Success” through the Lee’s Summit Education Foundation, which provides instruments for students who cannot afford the rental fees. Sandy Cox was a founder of the “Boo Ball,” the largest fundraising event in the St. Luke’s Health System. They were both major donors for the Appearance Renewal Center at St. Luke’s East, as well as to the Infusion Center in the Cancer Institute at St. Luke’s East. They established the Scattering Garden at Powell Gardens, and have funded numerous projects in the Harvest Garden.
They will be recognized at the Community Foundation’s 22nd annual Toast to Our Towns Gala Oct. 14, 2017.
This story was originally published June 28, 2017 at 2:42 PM with the headline "Construction closes lanes on Todd George."