Overland Park still plans to add signs to its downtown area to help pedestrians and bicyclists navigate, though the price tag is bigger than initially anticipated.
Last week, the Overland Park City Council Public Works Committee recommended approving the escalated project bid to Heartland Traffic Services, Inc., voting 6-0.
City will proceed despite higher-than-expected costs
- The actual cost to complete the long-anticipated project has doubled, reaching a total of about $480,000.
- That comes after city staff struggled to bid out the project, receiving just one bidder, said Brian Geiger, supervisory civil engineer for Overland Park.
- However, according to city documents, it was determined that it was unlikely another round of bidding would yield more or lower-cost offers.
- Previously, Overland Park inked a deal with the Kansas Department of Transportation to use federal funds to cover about $220,000 of the project’s cost. Those funds are still coming.
- The higher cost for the project will need to be covered using city funds, which Public Works Director Lorraine Basalo said will come from leftover funds from other projects.
What will the wayfinding signs look like?
- Mockups shown at the Public Works Committee meeting last Wednesday show green signs of varying shapes and sizes to put at different spots around downtown.
- The expectation, Geiger said, is that the signs will have a “clocktower motif,” a nod to Overland Park’s iconic Clocktower Plaza at the heart of the downtown area.
- Eventually, these signs will be placed downtown and in a one-mile radius surrounding the downtown core.
- Each one will show proximity to nearby trails, parks, major features and other things to direct pedestrians and bicyclists. They will also have maps, distances and average walking time to various destinations.
- In total, the city expects about 40 new wayfinding signs to be installed.
Committee still supports the sign project
During the committee meeting, Councilmember Drew Mitrisin said he felt like this project was a unique “placemaking opportunity” for the downtown area. He alluded to some of the themes from the city’s new comprehensive plan, which calls for more defined community spaces.
“I think this gives us a sense of place and a really nice identity for our downtown,” he said.
Mitrisin said he hoped to see these types of projects replicated elsewhere in the city as well.
Councilmember Holly Grummert was also supportive of the project despite the higher cost, noting that it’s long been part of the plan to re-envision downtown Overland Park. She also said she sees it as a chance to encourage connectivity.
At first, Councilmember Scott Mosher seemed hesitant to sign off on the project given the higher costs and was skeptical of the project’s value, but he did not ultimately voice a dissenting vote.
“I just think that’s a heck of a lot of money for signage,” he said, suggesting the money might be better spent on keeping the aging Bluejacket Pool open.
Next steps:
- The bid agreement goes next to the full Overland Park City Council for consideration.
- City staff said, if the project is approved, they expect to have the signs installed by next spring.
Looking back: New signs in downtown Overland Park will help cyclists, walkers get around
