Traffic, parking top council’s list of Meadowbrook concerns
The Prairie Village City Council last week expressed concerns about traffic and parking at the public park proposed for the former Meadowbrook Golf and Country Club.
Rich Muller, vice president of Kansas City development at VanTrust Real Estate, and Jill Geller, director of Johnson County Park & Recreation District, were on hand to answer questions at the council’s first discussion of public feedback to the project between Roe and Nall avenues and 91st and 95th streets.
VanTrust, owners of the financially troubled country club since 2010, are collaborating with the city and county park system on the development. Plans, which include a public park currently estimated at 87.5 acres and just under 41 acres for private development to include a variety of housing and an inn, were presented at two open houses last month to gather feedback.
Councilman Eric Mikkelson inquired about traffic going into the park and agreed with public suggestions for an entrance at 95th Street.
“This is going to be a great amenity for not just Prairie Village, but we’re going to have people coming in from all over Johnson County and Kansas City, Missouri, and probably further than that to enjoy this park,” said Mikkelson. “Are they going to enter this park from 95th Street or Roe or Nall? How do you see that flow happening?”
Muller indicated that a professional traffic study would be conducted before concrete plans are made for locations of entrances to the future public park. The results of the study will be made available to the public.
“I think we’re going to be looking at 11 or 12 intersections surrounding the property. The last thing we want is something that doesn’t work,” Muller said.
Mayor Laura Wassmer emphasized the need to think long-term and take parking into account to prevent Prairie Village neighborhoods from becoming congested with parking.
“When you are doing that study, I encourage you to please take into account the proposed redevelopment at 95th and Metcalf,” Wassmer said, referring to development plans the former Metcalf South mall. “This park will be the nearest park to that particular development,” she said.
“We really need to plan for this being more successful than we’ve ever imagined,” Wassmer said. “With all the people that want to be in the park the last thing we want is people parking in the neighborhoods. All of our neighbors who are excited about this project will become less excited about the project if their neighborhood turns into a parking lot.”
A community center with a parking lot is proposed where the Meadowbrook country club is located. Much of the rest of the details are still developing, a sentiment Geller echoed about parking concerns.
“Ideally this will be all a part of the park process so we don’t have any answers yet. We’re envisioning that there will probably need to be another surface lot built certainly where the trails will be used,” Geller said.
Geller estimated that 800 people attended the city’s open houses March 10 and 11.
“We got some great input from residents during the two-night workshop,” Geller said. “Some of it was very contradictory, for those of you who may have been there. Yes, we want sports fields. No, we don’t want sports fields. Yes, we want pools. No, we don’t want pools. Yes we want a dog park. No, we don’t want a dog park. There will be additional opportunities for public input as we secure a firm to design that master plan,” Geller said.
A $12 million to $15 million tax increment financing (TIF) district is proposed to pay VanTrust for the park. The property would then be turned over to the Johnson County Park and Recreation District, which will own and manage the park’s programming and staff. No TIF money will be used for private development.
City Administrator Quinn Bennion provided a tentative draft outlining the council’s next major discussions and decisions for the park development. First up, in April, the council will discuss TIF mechanics and create a document outlining expected outcomes between all parties involved.
The park planning process is proposed to take place May through July. Zoning, creating the TIF district, and bond sale resolutions will occur from May through November.
The public process for the park is expected to conclude at the end of the year with groundbreaking proposed as early as next year.
This story was originally published April 7, 2015 at 5:25 PM with the headline "Traffic, parking top council’s list of Meadowbrook concerns."