Overland Park’s next five years of capital improvements have officially been set.
At its meeting Monday, the Overland Park City Council adopted the city’s capital improvement plan for the 2023-2027 duration. This follows approval from the Overland Park Planning Commission in March.
Details: This includes projects in several categories across the city’s Fire, Police, Planning, Public Works and Parks and Recreation departments.
The $232 million five-year plan includes capital improvements — which typically encompass new facilities or fixes to existing ones — along with some maintenance repairs and recurring costs for city programs.
Where the council landed: Before voting, some councilmembers identified aspects of the budget that they would prefer not to approve.
Councilmember Jeff Cox said if the currently allocated $11 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding could go toward street reconstruction and maintenance, he would be in favor of the budget as a whole.
“The (city’s Infrastructure Advisory Group) is going to come back to us with recommendations of the smartest way to deal with our $250 to 350 million backlog in street maintenance and reconstruction,” he said. “If we can’t make the commitment to move unallocated money that we know they’re going to ask us to spend, then to me, we’re not taking the lack of funding seriously.”
Councilmember Scott Mosher said the budget should not include chip seal for streets, given the amount of discussion and resident opposition there has been around it.
“I think it’s time to identify ‘no chip seal’ in the budget,” he said. “Let’s get rid of chip seal, and let’s do what the citizens of Overland Park want to do.”
Councilmember Tom Carnigan said aside from street infrastructure, the budget includes several things that help keep residents safe, such as new additions for the Police and Fire departments.
“A lot of amenities are being funded that make this place a wonderful place to live,” he said.
Ultimately, the capital improvement plan passed by a 7-4 vote, with Councilmembers Carignan, Fred Spears, Holly Grummert, Logan Heley, Jim Kite, Sam Passer and Melissa Cheatham voting in favor.
Councilmembers Cox, Mosher, Fairs Farassati and Scott Hamblin voted against it.
Here are some of the biggest ticket items that are currently included in the five-year plan and when residents can expect work on them:
Reconstruction of Switzer Road
- Department: Public Works
- Details: A stretch of Switzer Road will be reconstructed from 167th Street to 179th Street. The scope of reconstruction includes curb, gutter, storm sewer, sidewalk and lane improvements. A bridge will also be built over Coffee Creek and a roundabout will be added at 175th Street and 179th Street.
- Project timeline: 2024-2028
- Price tag: $24 million
Arboretum visitors center
- Department: Parks and Recreation
- Details: Work is already underway on a new 22,000-square-foot visitors center at the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. The center will include classrooms, multi-purpose room, conference room, café and gift shop. Construction also includes a parking lot and expansion to the nearby gardens. Out of its total cost of $23 million, $11.1 million will come from private donations raised by Overland Park’s Arts & Recreation Foundation.
- Project timeline: 2019-2023
- Price tag: $23 million
New police training facility
- Department: Police
- Details: A new police training facility will be built near the Sanders Justice Center, including training rooms and an indoor firing range.
- Project timeline: 2025-2026
- Price tag: $16.9 million
Rebuilding Fire Station #41 on 75th Street
- Department: Fire
- Details: This project includes demolition and reconstruction of Overland Park’s Fire Station #41 on 75th Street. Work has been been underway in some form since 2017. Following additional study in 2021, the project’s cost increased from roughly $7 million to $13 million. City staff said this was due to rising construction costs, site utility costs, concept design refinement and temporary facility use for the station during construction.
- Project timeline: 2017-2024
- Price tag: $13 million
Comprehensive plan update
- Department: Planning
- Details: The city will seek consulting services to update its comprehensive plan for longer-term improvement goals. The plan aims to build off the ForwardOP strategic plan for the next 20 to 25 years, according to the city. The city’s comprehensive plan was last updated 30 years ago.
- Project timeline: 2022-2023
- Price tag: $750,000
