BonnerSprings.com

The Bonner Springs Economic Development Council would like the city to consider a moratorium on building permit fees to spur residential growth.

Steve Breneman, president of the EDC and a city councilman, asked fellow council members during their Nov. 20 meeting to at least discuss the idea.

Although council members were hesitant at first, they did agree to discuss the issue and look through information on the subject during a future work session.

"Obviously, for reasons unknown, nobody wants to come here," Breneman said. "They'll go all around us, but won't come here."

Breneman said that developers want to build large residential developments across the county line in Leavenworth County, but added they often shy away from Bonner Springs and Wyandotte County.

The Leavenworth County Commission recently approved plans to build a large residential development near Bonner Springs' city limits.

The total amount of fees paid to the city for single-family, multi-family and commercial-industrial development permits in 1999 was $25,609.63. The figure does not include utility fees.

As of Nov. 25, the city had issued 20 new single-family, zero multi-family, nine new commercial and 12 manufactured home building permits this year.

There have been 24 single-family remodeling-addition and 18 commercial remodeling-addition permits issued this year.

Although those permits generate revenue for the city, Breneman said it wasn't a significant enough amount, compared to the dividends large new developments would bring to the city.

"Eleven thousand dollars is not much of an amount to invest if it will bring in more tax revenue," he said.

Bonner Spring is located in an ideal spot in the metro area, with K-7 Highway, I-70 and K-32 Highway running through the city limits and I-435 nearby.

However, the city is also located between two competing counties Johnson County, that has been experiencing significant growth and Leavenworth County, which seems to be poised for growth.

"We have to figure something out to entice developers to come here instead of Leavenworth or going across the river to Johnson County," Breneman said.

The EDC agreed the city should consider a three-year or higher moratorium on the permit fees.

Whether the City Council would consider such an proposition remains unanswered and there hasn't been a tentative date set when the issue will even come up for discussion.

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