On March 26 the Johnson County, KS, Board of County Commissioners will consider Overland Park's request to annex land south of 159th Street. From the Overland Park Annexation website:

The County Planning Commission considered one of 14 criteria: whether the annexation was compatible or incompatible with Johnson Count Plans. The Commission determined annexation was incompatible.

Kathy Smith of Stilwell has obtained a list of criteria to be considered by the BOCC and has provided them to NeighborhoodNet. Citizens wishing to address the BOCC on the issue of annexation might consider focusing their comments on one or more of these issues:

14 POINTS TO BE CONSIDERED

Since only the issue of compatibility was discussed and voted upon at the Planning Commission meeting in February Kathy asked for the other issues that would be considered at the BOCC Meeting March 26th. The following is a list of the other issues given to her by the Johnson County Planning Department:

1. Extent to which any of the area is land devoted to agricultural use;

2. Areas of platted land relative to un-platted land;

3. Topography, natural boundaries, storm and sanitary sewers, drainage basins, transportation links or any other physical characteristics which may be an indication of the existence or absence of common interest of the city and the area proposed to be annexed;

4. Extent and age of residential development in the area to be annexed and adjacent land within the city’s boundaries;

5. Present population in the area to be annexed and the projected population growth during the next five years in the area proposed to be annexed;

6. The extent of business, commercial and industrial development in the area;

7. The present cost, methods and adequacy of governmental services and; regulatory controls in the area.

8. The proposed cost, extent and the necessity of governmental services to be provided by the city proposing annexation and the plan and schedule of the extend such services;

9. Tax impact upon property in the city and the area;

10. Extent to which the residents of the area are directly or indirectly dependent upon the city for governmental services and for social, economic, employment, cultural and recreational opportunities and resources;

11. Effect of the proposed annexation on the city and other adjacent areas, including, but not limited to, other cities, sewer and water districts, improvement districts, townships and industrial districts and subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 12-521A, fire districts;

12. Existing petitions for incorporation of the area as a new city or for the creation of a special district;

13. Likelihood of significant growth in the area and in adjacent areas during the next five years; and;

14. Effect of annexation upon the utilities providing services to the area and the ability of those utilities to provide those services shown in the detailed plan.