Star Editorial Board’s endorsement on selling KC parkland to Ronald McDonald House | Opinion

Kansas City’s parks are the city’s sparkling jewels — beautiful green space sprinkled throughout the community, providing welcome areas for residents and families to rest, play, picnic and enjoy the outdoors.

Under most circumstances, we are skeptical of any plan to sell park property, or turn it over to private firms. Parks are that important.

Occasionally, though, a thoughtful plan emerges that helps support an important community service while protecting the public’s interest in quality parks. Question 2 on the April 8 Kansas City ballot is just such a plan.

If passed, Question 2 would allow the sale of Longfellow Park, near Children’s Mercy Hospital, to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City, for construction of additional charity housing space on the property.

We recommend a yes vote.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities runs homes and provides services for parents and relatives of sick children. One of the group’s homes is located in Longfellow Park, where it provides 41 essential beds for clients.

“Critically sick or injured children need their parents and families to be as close to them as possible while they’re receiving medical care,” Ronald McDonald House CEO Tami Greenberg told us. The vast majority of those pediatric patients undergo treatment at Children’s Mercy.

But the house is so crowded that 700 families were turned away last year, Greenberg said.

So the charity wants to expand its house in Longfellow Park, adding 40 beds to address the shortfall.

The plan calls for the nonprofit organization to purchase, at a fair market price, the 3.4 acre park at 25th and Gillham. It will use the land to build an expansion to the existing house, which would cover roughly half an acre. The deed will require the charity to maintain at least 1.5 acres of greenspace “for the public to enjoy,” according to the supporters’ campaign material.

The expansion, and the land purchase, will be privately funded — no tax dollars are involved. It’s expected the city will use the proceeds of the sale for improvements and maintenance in its other parks.

The question is on the ballot because Kansas City’s charter properly requires a public vote if any parkland is taken from the parks system.

It’s hard to see this plan as anything but a win for everyone involved. The Ronald McDonald House Charities quietly provide a vital service for families facing the nightmare of a serious illness. The homes reduce the burden on those families, and on the community.

The charity supports itself through charitable donations. It has provided services in our community for almost half a century. Passage of Question 2 could enable services to an additional 1,500 families each year.

The sale of Longfellow Park would not affect Sheila Kemper Dietrich Park, which is located directly south of Longfellow. The Dietrich Park has a playground, a shelter and tennis courts, as well as green space. It’s a popular place — a part of the park system for decades.

Nearby families and residents will still have a place for outdoor recreation if Question 2 passes.

By contrast, Longfellow Park is relatively sparse, save for benches, shade trees and a small memorial to Gulf War veterans. Like all parks, it’s an important part of the fabric of the community, but could and should serve a higher purpose here.

We think the Ronald McDonald House Charities provide an essential public service, reducing the emotional burden on hundreds of families in crisis. We think the parkland they wish to buy can help improve that service while providing money for parks maintenance and improvements in other places.

Kansas Citians should vote yes on Question 2 on April 8.

This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 5:06 AM.