BonnerSprings.com

Bonner Springs residents will have the opportunity to ask questions about and comment on the establishment of a tax-increment financing district next month.

The district will be in a planned retail and restaurant development at the corner of Kansas Avenue and Kansas Highway 7.

City Council members, at their meeting Tuesday, approved a resolution setting a public hearing on the TIF for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 24 in City Hall, 205 E. Second St.

Creation of the district is contingent on the city approving a TIF application by the developer, KAVE Inc.

The improvements would come in three phases and be paid for by city-issued bonds, which would be retired using anticipated increases in real-estate tax revenue. The bonds couldn’t be used for the construction of buildings or other structures to be owned or leased by the developer. If the increase in property tax revenues from the developed land doesn’t cover the bonds’ repayment, the responsibility for repaying will fall to KAVE.

The developer has submitted a TIF application to the city with a $5,000 application and established a $20,000 fund to cover the city’s expenses in processing.

The 15.4-acre development will include more than 73,000 square feet of retail space in three stores, including a Walgreen’s at the corner of K-7 and Kansas Avenue, and at least one restaurant.

Rezoning and platting of the development has been approved by the Council.

In other actions Tuesday, the Council:

• Approved payment of claims for city operations for $702,409.

• Approved payment of Public Housing Authority claims for $7,947.

• Approved specifications for the construction of two new soccer fields at North Park and an authorization for staff to seek bids on the project. The project is estimated to cost $200,000 and will include grading, seeding and irrigation of the fields.

City Manager Jack Helin said he hoped dirt-turning would begin within 60 days and the sod for one field to be laid before winter sets in so that it would be ready for play in the spring.

• Approved a motion to accept the water and sewer improvements at Riverview Crossing.

• Approved an amended and reinstated memorandum of agreement with Ash Grove Cement, which bought Holliday Sand and Gravel.

The agreement conveys the sand plant’s property to the city for a park.

• Heard Helin’s city manager report. The Council will meet with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kan., Board of Commissioners at 5 p.m. Oct. 30 at the George Meyn Center in Wyandotte County Park. Among the topics of discussion will be a smoking ban.

Helin said he expected the newly installed stoplights at the intersection of Cedar and Front streets to be operating within the week.

• Heard Mayor Clausie Smith’s report. Smith attended the recent annual Kansas League of Municipalities meeting, where he attended a city ethics seminar and learned “we’ve got it pretty good,” in light of the “bloodletting” over casino disagreements in Sumner County and the revenue-sharing agreement reached by Edwardsville, Bonner Springs and Kansas City, Kan.

Comments