Street light upgrades, school construction among Leawood City Council’s January updates
The new year is already in full swing, and all of us at the Leawood Chamber of Commerce are excited about what’s ahead in 2018. We have several initiatives planned to deliver more value to both current and prospective members, and that includes serving as your source for the news and legislative updates that are of particular interest to the Leawood-area business community.
First up? The Leawood City Council, which met in early January to discuss and take action on a number of topics. I attended the meeting on behalf of the Chamber and wanted to share a recap with you:
Streetlight upgrades on 135th Street between Nall and State Line
The City will be replacing streetlights on all the city-owned lighting along 135th Street. The energy savings realized from this investment are anticipated to pay for these improvements in 5½ years. The new LED lighting should also reduce light pollution along the corridor since LEDs allow more focus on where the light is directed.
Expansion of the Public Works building on Kenneth Road
Designs are being reviewed to add additional capacity to the current Public Works facility, located on 135th Street. This will be discussed at the Public Works Committee Meeting on February 7.
Special Use Permit approved for new Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Plant electrical substation
As a part of the upgrades to the Johnson County Wastewater Plant, located at 107th Street and Mission Road, an electrical substation will be added to assure that the facility has reliable access to electricity at all times. In the long run, this substation should also increase electrical reliability for an area up to 2 miles from the substation. This alternative was the preferred option to increasing the capacity of existing lines, as it will cause less disruption to the surrounding residential and commercial areas.
Remember the horse at 103rd and Lee?
Many of us in the area remember the horse in the pasture on the northwest corner of 103rd Street and Lee Boulevard. The council approved a plan to develop that land by adding three residential building lots on the property, with driveways facing Lee Boulevard.
Annual updates to the City’s Comprehensive Plan approved
This year’s updates were made to align the current plan with developments approved in 2017, including the development at the former Leawood Country Club site. The updates also incorporated a reference to the adopted Self-Propelled Leawood bicycle/pedestrian plan.
New public art coming to 117th & Tomahawk Creek Parkway
The City approved the construction of a new piece to add to the City’s public art collection, currently dubbed “Walking Woman.” There will be a public process to provide input for the final name for the piece. Construction will begin soon on the art installation.
Prairie Star Elementary School construction approved
Several temporary buildings will be replaced with permanent structures, and heating and cooling systems will be relocated from the rooftops of the building to the ground level to reduce noise. Additional landscaping will be added to the site to conform with Leawood ordinances.
Stormwater study for residential areas near I-435 and State Line advances
The Council approved funding for an engineering study to address some of the flooding issues near Interstate 435 and State Line that occurred over the summer of 2017. The city will fund 25 percent of the cost, assuming that they get approval for funding from the Johnson County SMAC program for the balance of the study’s cost.
As you can tell from the Council meeting recap, there’s some exciting construction and development activity happening in Leawood this year, and I have no doubt there’s more to come.
Stay tuned to our blog for ongoing updates, information and resources that will help give you the insight you need to build a thriving business in the Leawood area. And if you have suggestions for blogs you’d like to see or topics you want to discuss, reach out to us anytime. It’s going to be a great year in Leawood!