BonnerSprings.com

Photo by Kevin Anderson

Tree cutting crews are working along a section of Kump Avenue to clear the way to move utility lines as part of the road-widening project from Nettleton Avenue to 138th Street. This view is looking east with Nettleton at the top of hill.

Preparations for Bonner Springs' Kump Street improvement project began this week, with crews from Wright's Tree Service taking down trees along the road.

With bidding on the project set for letting in October, there remain a number of residents still opposed to one of the main goals of the plan.

At its Monday meeting, the Bonner Springs City Council approved a resolution authorizing the commencement of condemnation proceedings for 14 properties along Kump Street whose owners had not signed temporary construction easements.

Although the city has nearly all the right of way necessary for the actual street work - City Manager John Helin estimates it at more than 95 percent - temporary construction easements still need to be signed by property owners with trees that Westar wants moved in order to relocate its utility poles that are now next to the street.

The report for the agenda item listed 14 property owners against whom the city could file condemnation proceedings in district court, though at least one has reached an agreement with the city.

Mike Isabell, who lives at 219 W. Kump, is one of the holdouts and said he sees no reason for widening the street in the first place.

The project will bring Kump Avenue between Nettleton Avenue and 138th Street about 6 feet closer to residents' homes on either side of the street to include a center turning lane, the installation of a new water main, the building of a bridge where a concrete block now supports the road over Spring Creek and sidewalks on both sides of the street.

"I'm not against putting in curbs and sidewalks," he said, "but I'm against widening the road to three lanes wide."

"The kids will have further to cross but their legs won't be any longer," Isabell said.

"They say it's because of traffic on Neconi," he said. "I've lived here 15 years and I've seen one traffic accident on Neconi : Why do we need a left-hand turn lane?"

Isabell also said the road widening will "just be getting to close to my house : When it's done I think I'm going to have a front yard 6 feet wide."

Isabell and a neighbor, Chuck Packard, 209 W. Kump - another holdout - say they can see the need for more sidewalks on the road but they fear that drivers will just go faster when it's widened.

"My sister had a vehicle run into her front porch," Packard said. His sister, Marilyn Murray, lives at 209 W. Kump. "I think it would be worse with the road widened. If they widen the street there's no telling - they might end up in our front living room."

Packard and Isabell were upset because they were unable to find out where the new utility pole locations would be. Additionally, Packard said he didn't understand why on his side of the street, the north side, there will be a 3-foot wide section of grass between the street and the sidewalk, making his yard that much smaller, while the south side features the sidewalk right next to the road.

City Manager John Helin said in addition to the road's obvious needs for improvement, it needed to be widened because it's a state highway.

In other actions Monday, the Council:

¢ Discussed the July 31 meeting of City Manager John Helin and Mayor Clausie Smith with the Basehor counterparts, Mayor Chris Garcia and City Administrator Carl Slaugh. The meeting was to discuss a request by Basehor to the U.S. Postal Service that some rural Leavenworth County addresses in the 66012 zip code with Bonner addresses be changed to Basehor addresses and the future growth boundaries of each town.

¢ Witnessed a presentation of service award to Del Coleman for seven years on the Planning Commission.

¢ Approved claims for city operations for $655,070. Council member Jeff Harrington was absent.

¢ Approved Public Housing Authority claims for $2,171.

¢ Approved changes in Public Works equipment fees and utility fees for bulk water usage and hydrant meter deposit fees. The equipment fees, for a mini-excavator, bucket truck, wood chipper and riding mower, were set in case the city were to experience an event that FEMA would reimburse the city for.

The bulk water rate is set at $25 for 1,000 gallons of water, in addition to a $1,000 deposit for the hydrant, $50 administrative fee and an extra $500 for contractors using connections that do not have backflow-prevention devices.

¢ Approved two requests by Kobi's Deli and Club, 113 Oak St., for the sale, consumption and possession of alcoholic beverages for Tiblow Days and its Sept. 6, motorcycle show in the parking lot behind the bar.

¢ Approved a resolution authorizing the issuance and delivery of $6,095,000 in general-obligation temporary notes to Union Bank and Trust, the sole bidder. The notes are to finance improvements on Kump Street, Woodend Bridge, two benefit districts in the Riverview Crossing area and the Wolf Creek sewer system.

¢ Approved the rezoning of Tiblow Centre North, a 36.7 acre planned development west of Kansas Highway 7 and north of Commercial Drive, from an A-1 agricultural district to a C-2 general business district.

¢ Approved a final plat and accepted the dedication of easements and rights of way for Bonner Springs Pointe I, a planned retail development at the northeast corner of K-7 and Kansas Avenue.

¢ Approved ordinances attesting to an increase in tax revenues for the 2009 budget. The total tax levy dollars budgeted for 2008 was $2,220,653 and the total for 2009 is $2,259,659.

¢ Approved the adoption of amendments to the 2008 budget.

¢ Approved the 2009 city budget, which is $14,711,72, a 9.5 percent increase over the amended 2008 budget. The 2009 budget includes a 1.05 mill levy reduction, bringing the city's levy rate to 29.122. A mill is $1 for every $1,000 in assessed valuation.

Comments