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Olathe News - April 7 '08

  • Ceremony to Celebrate Raised Railroad Tracks: Work Will Continue
  • "Tree tags" Translate Woody Benefits into Real Dollars
  • Free Gas Cap Testing at Saturday's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event
  • Spots Still Available for Scouting Open House
  • City of Olathe to Host Annual Community Awards Program on April 17
  • Public Input Sought for South Metro Connection Study

Ceremony to Celebrate Raised Railroad Tracks: Work Will Continue

A ceremony to celebrate the completion of a significant portion of the railroad elevation project will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 11 at the Ridgeview crossing. The second and final set of railroad tracks was officially elevated and open to train traffic on Friday, March 28. Work will continue to complete the decorative towers at the Santa Fe crossing and to lower the roads at Park and Loula Streets. The project is expected to be complete later this year.

U.S. Senator Pat Roberts will attend the ceremony. Roberts was instrumental in securing Federal funding for this project.

Motorists can expect delays at the east railroad tracks on Ridgeview and Santa Fe as the railroad tracks are removed from these crossings. Weather permitting, work is expected Monday and Tuesday at the Santa Fe crossing and Wednesday and Thursday at the Ridgeview crossing. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction.

"Tree tags" Translate Woody Benefits into Real Dollars: Temporary Tags will Quantify Benefits of the Region's Trees

How much is a single tree worth to a community? In some cases, more than $70,000, local experts say.

In honor of Arbor Day, "tree tags," price tags that quantify in dollars the benefits of trees, will temporarily adorn some of Greater Kansas City's trees. The majority of the 100 tags will be up by Friday, April 4. The remaining tags will be installed over the next several weeks as cities celebrate their Arbor Days. Missouri's Arbor Day is April 4, and Kansas' Arbor Day is April 25.

Despite their budgetary needs for maintenance, trees don't cost money - they save money. The dollar amounts attached to each tree are based on its estimated returns to the community, including reducing stormwater runoff, improving air quality, raising real estate values and more. The amounts were calculated by the unique life span, species and condition of each tree. Some of the heftier price tags include bur oaks in several locations across the region that will provide benefits worth well over $50,000 per tree. The majority of the values range from $1,000 to $30,000.

Coordinating partners of the effort include the Mid-America Regional Council, Heartland Tree Alliance, Kansas Forest Service, Missouri Department of Conservation and Arborist Bob Haines.

The tags will be installed in Kansas City, Mo.; Gladstone, Mo.; Liberty, Mo.; Overland Park, Kan.; Westwood, Kan.; Olathe, Kan.; Mission; Kan., and Wyandotte County, Kan. More information, along with a complete list of where the tags can be found, is available online at www.heartlandtreealliance.org.

Free Gas Cap Testing at Saturday's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event

The City again will offer free gas cap testing at its Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection events. A properly fitting gas cap ensures proper pressure is maintained in the gas tank. A faulty gas cap can leak up to $35 of gas a year - harming the environment as well as budgets.

Testing will be available from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 12 at the City's Household Hazardous Waste collection facility, 1420 S. Robinson.

A properly fitting gas cap ensures proper pressure is maintained in the gas tank. A faulty gas cap is not necessarily noticeable and drivers may not be aware that their gas caps are faulty. Over time, the rubber gasket, or seal, inside a gas cap can wear out which can allow gas to evaporate from the gas tank, reducing the vehicle's fuel efficiency. However, even new vehicles can have faulty gas caps.

Gasoline fumes are a major contributor to the formation of ground-level ozone, one of Kansas City's biggest air pollutants. During warmer months, the pollutant ground-level ozone can reach concentrations that are unhealthy for everyone, but especially people with respiratory illnesses.

Ground-level ozone forms when emissions from motor vehicles, lawn mowers, power plants, and industry react with heat and sunlight. Over half of all ozone pollution is formed as a result of everyday people doing everyday things like driving or mowing their yards.
For more information, please call the Olathe Municipal Services Center at (913) 971-9311.

Spots Still Available for Scouting Open House

The City of Olathe will host an Open House for Scouting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10. The session will be held in the City Council Chamber of Olathe City Hall, 100 E. Santa Fe.

The Open House for Scouting offers Olathe Boy and Cub Scouts an opportunity to learn about local government and the many aspects of the City, including Olathe's form of government, the role of the Mayor and other City officials, how City departments operate, and good citizenship. Helpful handouts will be available for all Scouts who attend.

Contact Karen Hooven, assistant to the Mayor, at (913) 971-8941 or khooven@olatheks.org to make reservations to attend. Space is limited for this event.

City of Olathe to Host Annual Community Awards Program on April 17

The City of Olathe and the Olathe Human Relations Commission will recognize individuals and entities for meritorious service in the pursuit of cultural diversity and advocacy of human rights which benefit Olathe citizens at the Fifth Annual Community Awards Program from 3 - 5 p.m. on April 17 in the Council Chamber of Olathe City Hall, 100 E. Santa Fe.

The theme of the event is "Diversity Makes the Difference." The guest speaker will be Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh, Johnson County Board of County Commissioners.

Individuals living and working in the city of Olathe or living and working elsewhere who have contributed to the promotion of human rights to the benefit of the citizens of Olathe will receive awards at the event in the following categories:

  • Public Employee (City, State, Federal)
  • Private Business
  • Public or Private Educational Institutions
  • Volunteer or Civic Involvement
  • Youth (19 and under)

For more information about the awards programs or for special accommodations, call the City of Olathe Office of Human Relations at (913) 971-6490.

Public Input Sought for South Metro Connection Study

In 2006, the Mid-America Regional Council, together with its partners, began to study what type of east-west transportation connection was needed between southeastern Johnson County, Kansas, and northwestern Cass County, Missouri, from US-69 to Holmes Road between 175th Street to the north and 199th Street to the south. The study team evaluated growth trends, land use plans and traffic information for the area and the region. They determined that developing a long-term plan is essential to address the future transportation needs of the region.
The study team is soliciting public input on this issue until Friday, April 18. An on-line survey may be completed at www.marc.org/transportation/smc/; or comments may be e-mailed to southmetro@hntb.com; mailed to South Metro Connection; c/o HNTB, 7450 W. 130th St., Suite 400, Overland Park, KS 66213 or call the project hotline at 9913) 312-4911.

Once all the public comments have been received, the study team will share the results with their local elected officials who will decide how or if to proceed.

In 2007, the study team developed and evaluated five transportation concepts to address travel needs. Those concepts were:

  • No build - Includes only funded roadway projects included in the Transportation Improvement Program.
  • Planned projects - Existing roads are improved when warranted. Each jurisdiction would implement its long-range, planned roadway improvements.
  • Missing links - Completing planned projects and adding some missing roadway connections and making network improvements to create continuous east-west routes.
  • Parkway - A new, four-lane, divided roadway with a limited number of at-grade intersections that would link the North Cass Parkway to US-69 Highway.
  • Freeway - A new fully access-controlled, four-lane divided highway that would connect to the North Cass Parkway.

At the June 2007 public meeting, the study team presented a preliminary recommendation of a four-lane parkway.

Based on comments received at the June 2007 public meeting, the study team revised its recommendation and presented changes at a September 2007 public meeting. Changes reduced the speed limit, used less right-of-way, imposed truck restrictions and used more of the existing right-of-way along 175th Street.

At the November 15th, 2007, Johnson County Board of County Commissioner's meeting, the Commissioners requested the South Metro Connection Study Team to evaluate a two-lane roadway instead of the four-lane proposal.

Led by MARC, the South Metro Connection is a cooperative effort of Johnson County, Cass County, the communities of Olathe, Overland Park and Belton, Federal Highway Administration and the Kansas and Missouri Departments of Transportation. The study team includes representatives from each of these organizations.

For more up-to-date City of Olathe info. including Construction Alerts and Job Opportunities, visit the City website at www.olatheks.org.

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100 E. Santa Fe; Olathe, KS 66061
913-971-8700