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Board of County Commissioners Says "Yes" to Overland Park Annexation

May 2, 2002

During today's, May 2, public hearing the Johnson County, KS, Board of Commissioners voted unanimously (5-0) in favor of granting Overland Park's entire request to annex nearly 5 square miles of land south of 159th street totaling 3,029 acres. The new Overland Park boundaries will run south of 159th street and west of Metcalf to 183 street, then west of Metcalf, with 167th street the new southern boundary from Antioch to Quivira. The Blue Valley Business Park is now completely in Overland Park.

Today's vote will probably be a lethal blow to Stilwell incorporation supporters who had hoped to keep Overland Park contained to 167th street. Chris Iliff and Dave Webb, two leaders of the Stilwell incorporation movement, had indicated in earlier meetings that the tax base from commercial properties that would develop south of 167th street along the Highway 69 corridor, would be critical to any incorporation of Stilwell. At today's hearing Chris Iliff, pleading for special permission to give testimony in what would have been otherwise a closed hearing, stated that he felt all of his work of several years on the Oxford Township Planning Committee (AOTPC) had been for nothing. "I was a sucker," he said. The AOTPC was appointed by the Board of County Commissioners in 1999 during Overland Park and Stilwell's dispute of how the area should be divided. AOTPC findings, recently completed, had not been acted upon when Overland Park suddenly put forth its new, December 2001, annexation request.

Norm Ledgin, a resident in the newly annexed area, maintained in his testimony that citizens of the unincorporated area had no representation--as the Board of County Commissioners, the usual body that represents the county residents, had to leave this role and act as the impartial judge in the annexation matter.

Most of the County Commissioners gave their reasons for supporting Resolution 026-02, the annexation resolution. Most said it was a difficult decision--but they had carefully weighed the 14 criteria used to evaluate the annexation request.

Commissioner Annabeth Surbaugh implored Overland Park to be mindful of the few remaining lots that were left for PRB-3 development in the Blue Valley Business Park.

During the fall of 2001, nearby neighborhoods opposed a Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership that tried to combine the two remaining lots at 161st/Metcalf and enter the Business Park. Citizens were able to document disruptive weekly motorcycle gatherings at the dealership's present location in Belton. Johnson County Planners denied the application and it was withdrawn by the applicant. In earlier hearings, Ms. Surbaugh noted that the residents were fearful that an Overland Park annexation would mean another attempt (by the Harley dealership) to seek rezoning and come into the business park. Surbaugh asked Overland Park to recognize all the hard work that had gone into the county's planning decisions for the business park.

To many attending today's hearing the annexation vote was a foregone conclusion. It was an emotional hearing and many upset Stilwell supporters left after the annexation vote was taken. One noted the supreme irony of the county's agenda declaring May 5-11 as "Suicide Prevention Week"-- right before the decision to expand Overland Park boundaries. You had to be there!

--reported by
Shirley Phillips
for Neighborhood Net (www.nbrhd.net)


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