ShawneeDispatch.com

There is still time to work out citizen concerns with Shawnee's next major street project, City Council members promised residents Monday.

At its meeting, the Council approved preliminary plans for the improvements to 51st Street from Quivira Drive to Rosehill Road, but not before addressing several lingering concerns of residents who will be caught in the middle of the project.

The improvements will level out the hilly road, as well as add bike lanes and sidewalks to each side of the road. But after another neighborhood meeting Sunday evening, some residents were still concerned with aspects of the project.

The central concern was a proposed temporary gravel road that will give about seven residents on the south side of 51st access to their homes while the road is under construction. The problem is it will be constructed on their land.

Tom Robison, who lives on 51st Street, called the temporary road a "major, major problem."

"This road is going to take a lot of ground, a lot of trees; it's going to take one man's septic system and going to cause a big problem," Robison said.

Robison said he did not like the intrusion onto his property and the necessary destruction of trees to create it.

But Ron Freyermuth, public works director, said it was the best approach to giving the residents access to their homes while the road was worked on. The road could not be constructed on the city's park land north of the road because there would be no way to get through the construction to the homes.

Freyermuth said there wasn't a better alternative, considering the major cuts and fills in the hills and valleys of the road, which will be necessary to level it out.

Other residents spoke, asking if the improvements could increase traffic problems on Quivira and why it was necessary to add sidewalks to both sides of the road.

Council members noted their concerns, directing staff to work on them further, but approved the preliminary plans. Gary Montague, city manager, noted that final plans must be approved before construction can begin.

The project will cost nearly $6.5 million and will be partialThe project will cost nearly $6.5 million and will be partially funded by the CARS program. The city will fund $4.65 million.

The Council also decided Monday to table a discussion of the no-smoking ordinance for 90 days until the budget process is completed. Council member Cheryl Scott suggested the delay, noting the importance of both issues, and also asked that staff present the smoking issue to the Johnson County Board of Commissioners for consideration at the countywide level.

Council members Dan Pflumm, Neal Sawyer and Mickey Sandifer did not attend the meeting.

In other business, the Council:

• Approved a resolution declaring it necessary to appropriate private property for the use of the city for the storm drainage improvements from Parkhill west to Bradshaw, from 65th Street to 66th Street and authorizing a survey and description of the land or interest to be acquired and the relating ordinance.
• Approved a license for the sale of packaged cereal malt beverages at Shawnee BP, 13515 W. 63rd St.
• Denied a pet permit for four dogs in the 5300 block of Bonds.
• Approved a massage establishment permit for Nail Art, 13218 W. 82nd Terr.
• Approved a special-use permit previously issued to Mill Valley High School for a field house, stadium and athletic facilities.
• Approved a special-use permit previously issued to Storage USA, 12977 Shawnee Mission Pkwy., for a live-in manager.
• Approved the final plat for one lot in Buffalo Ridge in the 22100 block of Midland Drive.
• Approved a final plat for three lots in Perimeter Park in the 23700 block of 83rd Terrace.
• Approved a final plat for one lot in Widmer Retail Center in the 13700 block of 63rd Street.
• Approved a special-use permit to allow an all-day preschool program for up to 36 children at Grace Christian Fellowship Church, 7230 Quivira Rd.
• Approved rezoning from agricultural to residential a 74-lot single-family subdivision, Village at Clear Creek, in the 6800-7000 blocks of Clare Road.
• Awarded a contract to Bucher, Willis & Ratliff in an amount not to exceed $170,771 for consultant services on the Justice Center and Fire Station No. 2.
• Awarded a bid to APAC, Overland Park, in the amount of $31.85 per ton of coated chips.
• Awarded a bid to American Equipment, Kansas City, Kan., in the amount of $53,456 for a tandem hooklift system, hydraulics and equipment for a new tandem truck.
• Awarded a bid to Vance Brothers, Inc., Kansas City, Mo., in the amount of $1.15 per gallon of chip seal oil.
• Awarded a bid to Cargill Salt, North Olmstead, Ohio, in the amount of $28.32 per ton of salt for pre-season orders.
• Awarded a bid for the initial appraisal of 47th Street, Mund to Woodland, to Appraisal Dynamics, Inc., Shawnee, in the amount of $3,900, and a bid for review appraisals to Shaner Appraisals, Inc., Overland Park, in the amount of $3,550.
• Approved final plans for storm drainage improvements in the areas of 65th and Parkhill; Tomahawk Hills, Reeder Street from 71st Place to 74th Street; and 77th and Caenen.
• Approved final plans for the 61st and Monticello improvements.
• Approved a semi-monthly claim in the amount of $3,220,081.76.