As an alternative to development at 71st Street, yesterday (Nov 14th)I called Jim Cox, Director of Overland Park Parks and Foresty (913-327-6630), to learn about the proceedures involved in having the City consider buying property for neigborhood parks. Jim called me at 8:01 this morning (Tues. Nov 15th). Explaining my purpose Jim stated that this was a fortuitous call as he had made a presentation to the City Council last night (Monday, Nov, 14th, 2004) regarding the Park Department policy of looking for opportunilties to buy properties to build parks within one square mile of housing developments in North Overland Park. This is a goal of the department and a policy decision of the Cilty Council as our North area doesn't have the park space in the ratios that parks are being built in the sounthern areas due to changes in the development standards, ect.
Jim Cox said we should work thru our Southmoor Gardens preservation group, contact our councilmen (Joan Wagstaff as president is contacting, Terri Happershier and Dave Jansen), inform them that the Southmoor Garden Neighborhood conservation group is supporting a park at this location and requests these council members to present a Policy Decision by the OP City Council to investigate and purchase this site for parkland. Jim Cox stated to me that he would be supportive of this effort and that we could inform our concilment of his support.
The next City Council meeting is Monday the 21st of November. We need to work quickly as the Planning Commission is considering the rezoning request on Monday Nov. 28th at 1:30 pm at City Hall!!! I think it is necessary to have a petition circulated & signed by as many neighbors as possible who would support a park to take to THIS very important council meeting showing overwhelming support for this park.
I will bring these petition forms to the Pot Luck this evenilng. We need an organized method for taking the petitions to all the neighbors.
Joan Wagstaff has the e-mail addresses of the councilemn and Skip Moon. She will have them available at the pot luck. We will also have them posted on the website. It will be important that individual neighbors contact these folkes to show support and request the councilment present this Policy decision item to the City Council on our behalf at the Nov. 21 City Council meeting.
Call or email me if you can help in this petition effort.
Linda Hanson
913-677-0430
Jim Cox said we should work thru our Southmoor Gardens preservation group, contact our councilmen (Joan Wagstaff as president is contacting, Terri Happershier and Dave Jansen), inform them that the Southmoor Garden Neighborhood conservation group is supporting a park at this location and requests these council members to present a Policy Decision by the OP City Council to investigate and purchase this site for parkland. Jim Cox stated to me that he would be supportive of this effort and that we could inform our concilment of his support.
The next City Council meeting is Monday the 21st of November. We need to work quickly as the Planning Commission is considering the rezoning request on Monday Nov. 28th at 1:30 pm at City Hall!!! I think it is necessary to have a petition circulated & signed by as many neighbors as possible who would support a park to take to THIS very important council meeting showing overwhelming support for this park.
I will bring these petition forms to the Pot Luck this evenilng. We need an organized method for taking the petitions to all the neighbors.
Joan Wagstaff has the e-mail addresses of the councilemn and Skip Moon. She will have them available at the pot luck. We will also have them posted on the website. It will be important that individual neighbors contact these folkes to show support and request the councilment present this Policy decision item to the City Council on our behalf at the Nov. 21 City Council meeting.
Call or email me if you can help in this petition effort.
Linda Hanson
913-677-0430
