Spring Hill Councilmember Wendy North has been on a mission to Johnson County Library officials this fall. Her message: Don’t spend $4 million next year to upgrade the tiny Spring Hill library branch. Save the money to build a new one four miles north and east, where more houses are likely to go up.
North has told county commissioners and the library board that an informal offer from a developer of single-family homes would allow the city to acquire land near Spring Hill High on 199th Street that could eventually become a new municipal center with an adjacent library similar to what Lenexa has, and what’s being built in Merriam.
It’s all in the talking stages, with nothing on the city planning books, North said, citing that as the reason she declined to name the developer. She acknowledged that she isn’t speaking for the city council, since that body has never openly talked about the idea.
Even so, North said the idea makes sense because much of the city’s rapid population growth is going to be in that area, far from the older part of town where the library branch now is.
“I think it’s a waste of taxpayer dollars to renovate that,” North said. “Let’s just wait and design something that’s up to date in an area that’s really growing rapidly and would have access to where we would like to eventually have a new police department and city hall.”
Growth influences plans for library branches
Library officials have given no indication that they are considering taking North up on her suggestion. But a population boom happening in the part of the county where some of the smallest branches are located is a topic they’ve been studying since at least 2018.
Industrial development near the Intermodal freight yards, a new Panasonic plant coming to De Soto, and people moving out of the more densely populated areas of the county are drivers of much of that population boom.
For instance, Spring Hill’s 2022 population is estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau to be 9,242, with 16.1% growth between 2020 and 2022. De Soto, with an estimated 2022 population of 6,478, had 5.9% growth over that same two-year period, and Gardner’s population of 24,206 is a 3.8% growth from that same period. (The Census bureau only supplies QuickFacts profiles for cities of 5,000 or more, so Edgerton, with a 1,748 population in 2020, was not given a growth rate.)
Meeting rooms are a priority
Built in 1982, Spring Hill’s county library branch is just 3,000 square feet with a no-frills exterior. Inside are the usual stacks of books, a hold area, computer and children’s areas against a background of colorfully painted concrete blocks.
The library generally isn’t crowded except on the rare occasions where two families of five come in, said librarian Sue Garrod. But even then the crowding is not too bad. “The people that use the library love the library,” she said.
However, conversations anywhere in the room can easily be heard. She and librarian Grant Peters said there’s a need for meeting space and a copier, a problem that will be at least partially addressed in the renovation, with design work set to begin later in 2024. The $4 million refurbishing includes an addition of 1,000 square feet of interior space for conference rooms and study spaces, a bigger children’s area, more public computers, security system and an outdoor activity space.
Public surveys set the priorities
The library’s governing board authorized a study in 2018 for Spring Hill and De Soto branches that was later expanded to include the Edgerton Library. That study, conducted in 2021 and 2022, included paper and online surveys and a public listening session. Answers from 350 people informed the future development plans for Spring Hill and the other branches in that area.
Here’s a rundown of other Johnson County Library branches in rural areas:
- De Soto has also been scheduled for some improvements in 2024. Its 3,600-square-foot library, also built in 1982, will get a new conference room, expanded kids’ section, new shelves and furniture and an improved outdoor area in front. The cost estimate on those renovations is about $2.25 million. So far, though, no De Soto officials are asking for a hold, and it hasn’t been talked about in meetings, said De Soto Mayor Rick Walker.
- The Gardner building had work done in 2022 and is still in good condition, said Scott Sime, library project coordinator.
- The Edgerton branch, which is the library system’s only leased space, operates through an agreement with the city. The county library board members decided last year not to make any major capital improvements there in the near term.
North said she questions whether Spring Hill residents knew the whole picture when they filled out the surveys on which library board members grounded their decisions. If the questionnaire didn’t present the possibility of a new library, residents might not have thought to ask for it, she said. “A lot of times surveys are put out by an entity to get the outcome they want,” she said.
North has gotten some support from County Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara, who spoke as a private resident along with North at an October library board meeting.
“I just want to ask if you would reconsider that allocation because the population is shifting north, south and east,” O’Hara said. “To put $4 million into the existing structure just did not seem like a wise allocation of resources.”
Spring Hill councilmembers Chad Young and Diana Roth and Mayor Joe Berkey did not respond to requests for comment. Councilmember Chip VanHouden said he didn’t have an opinion on it yet.
Councilmember Brian Peel said he’s heard about the developer’s offer and that a location next to the high school would be “an excellent place.” But the current library needs more space, he said, and there’s no telling how far off a development might be, if it happens.
“It sounds like they (the library board) are committed to upgrading. So it would be foolish to try to say no to that,” Peel said.
Roxie Hammill is a freelance journalist who reports frequently for the Post and other Kansas City area publications. You can reach her at roxieham@gmail.com.
