Western Johnson County residents shared their dreams for the future revamping of Kill Creek Park, while reviewing early plan concepts this past Saturday at an informal open house hosted by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District.
The county is in the initial stages of crafting a master plan that would transform the park, as well as Kill Creek Streamway and 2,000 acres of the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant nearby, into the county’s largest park over the next 15 years.
The plan aims to blend outdoor recreation, environmental restoration, an improved trail system for hiking and biking, and historic preservation over a 3,000-acre area south of De Soto and west of Olathe in an unincorporated area of Johnson County.
“This is and will be a generational park,” said Jim Wilson, the Kill Creek project manager.
JCPRD officials said most of the feedback so far has been positive. Questions about the plan commonly centered around neighboring roadways and infrastructure, the cost of cleaning up the former ammunition plant site, trail access, natural spaces, keeping historic landmarks and the timeline for the project.
Stantec Consulting of Overland Park is leading the design process.
“Everyone loves the existing park and would like to see it continue being utilized by the community,” said Sabreena Leach, a landscape designer.
“A hidden gem”
Johnson County Park and Recreation District is considering exchanging land with Sunflower Redevelopment LLC as part of the Greater Kill Creek Master Plan.
On the table is a plan to trade the 58 acres that make up the nearby Sunflower Nature Park with 200 acres within the site of the former ammunition plant. Sunflower Nature Park is nestled next to 103rd Street and Edgerton Road just outside of De Soto.
The 200 acres on the old plant site needs to be cleaned up to residential standards, and certified as such by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, before the land would go into the hands of JCPRD.
District representatives said the land transfer is expected to happen by 2030, and the master plan for the park will take another decade after that to complete.
“This is a marathon not a sprint,” said Kelby Hellwig, northwest region park manager for JCPRD.
De Soto and Sunflower Redevelopment have previously expressed interest in extending Edgerton Road to connect De Soto to Edgerton as part of a southwest transportation connection plan.
The proposed realignment of Edgerton Road would cut through Sunflower Nature Park, so park officials expect the changes, including increased traffic and lighting, will disrupt the park’s “natural habitats,” Hellwig said.
He added that Panasonic’s new electric vehicle battery plant and investment in jobs for De Soto, though, warrants the need for improving and expanding the park.
“It will put this park on the map,” Hellwig said.
What local residents want in the park plan
Neighbors Christopher Brink and Andrew Belt, who live near 127th Street and Spooncreek Road, said they were excited for more parks and park enhancements for western county residents.
“I think it is great and will have a big impact with the right infrastructure,” Brink said.
Belt, who enjoys running, wants to see the trail options expand throughout the park.
“As a runner we get bored running the same route every day,” Belt said. “A longer trail system will make marathon training more interesting.”
Belt said he was happy to see the neighboring army ammunition plant land being cleaned up to “get back to something useful.”
“Change happens, but at least we know the county is keeping the park land under their control,” Belt said.
Other residents shared with the Post they wanted to see:
- the preservation of nature spots,
- more hiking opportunities through the trees and along the streamways,
- mountain biking trail opportunities,
- more bicycle lanes and sidewalks,
- preserving the current water towers,
- having overnight and destination camping options,
- more bathroom infrastructure,
- more disability accessibility,
- community gardens,
- and improvements to the beach front.
However, not everyone that attended the open house Saturday was happy about the county’s plans for park expansion.
Gary Beers said his family has been living on property adjoining the park on the west side in unincorporated Johnson County near County Line Road since his grandfather had moved to the area in 1929.
Beers said that despite putting up a fence on his property line, people still jump his fence to access the park, become confused and lost not knowing the park land from his private property, and he worries about someone injuring themselves in the rugged terrain of the Captain Creek area.
“Signs don’t mean anything to anyone,” Beers said. “This is the only change we have — think about the people that have been here for 100 years.”
Beers told park and recreation representatives that he would like to see the county try harder to keep people in the park and off private land.
Hellwig said he agreed with Beers, the county didn’t want to invite “a bunch of people to funnel onto private property” and was thoughtfully considering what type of neighbors they wanted to be to the local, private landowners.
“We would rather be a neighbor that raises the value of homes with the park and not detract,” Hellwig said. “We want to leave a legacy for generations that serves everyone.”
What’s next
Comments and feedback from Saturday’s open house will be incorporated into future park design plans.
Residents can also give feedback through the county’s online survey through Aug. 16: https://forms.office.com/r/gXQFcHQ96A
Parks and recreation representatives said they plan to have more public feedback sessions, with the next one tentatively in October.
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