Month: July 2020

Ramp and lane closures are in effect on Turner Diagonal

Ramp and lane closures are planned this week on the Turner Diagonal. (KDOT map)

The Turner Diagonal Freeway project in Wyandotte County has numerous ramp and lane closures scheduled this week, weather permitting.

Traffic on all these projects will be diverted using mobile lane closures, signage and traffic cones.

For grading work, the closures include:
• Ramp closure at southbound Turner Diagonal Freeway to westbound I-70 and eastbound I-70 to southbound Turner Diagonal Freeway, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Thursday..

For conduit work, the closures include:
o Left lane of northbound and southbound Turner Diagonal over I-70, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday and Tuesday.

For barrier work, the closures include:
• Right lane of eastbound and westbound I-70 at the Turner Diagonal, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, July 10.

For sign truss removal, the closures include:
o Left lane westbound I-70 at the Turner Diagonal,
o Right lane eastbound I-70 at the Turner Diagonal,
o Left lane northbound Turner Diagonal at I-70,
o Left lane southbound Turner Diagonal at I-70.
o
Work will occur from 7 p.m. to midnight, Friday, July 10.

These ramps will close at 6 a.m., Friday, July 10, to Sept. 8.
o Eastbound I-70 to southbound Turner Diagonal,
o Eastbound I-70 to northbound Turner Diagonal,
o Northbound Turner Diagonal to westbound I-70,
o Southbound Turner Diagonal to westbound I-70.

The KDOT spokesman urged all motorists to be alert and obey the warning signs when approaching and driving through a highway work zone. To stay aware of all road construction projects across Kansas go to www.kandrive.org or call 5-1-1. Motorists should drive safely and always wear their seat belts, the spokesman stated.

Heat index could reach 98 today

National Weather Service graphic

Temperatures today could top out at 93 with a heat index of 98, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

There is a very slight chance of showers this afternoon.

Hot and humid conditions will affect the area from Wednesday through the end of the week, the weather service said.

The heat index all week will be in the mid 90s to the lower 100s, according to the weather service.

The next chance for widespread storms will come Thursday or as early as Wednesday night, the weather service said.

Storms could be strong, but widespread severe weather is not yet anticipated, according to the weather service.

Today, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 93 and a heat index as high as 98, the weather service said. A calm wind will become south around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 73 and a south southeast wind of 3 to7 mph, according to the weather service.

Wednesday, it will be sunny with a high near 94 and a heat index as high as 99, the weather service said. A light south wind will increase to 6 to 11 mph in the morning.

Wednesday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 74 and a south southeast wind of 5 to 9 mph becoming calm in the evening, according to the weather service.

Thursday, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 92 and a south wind of 3 to 5 mph, the weather service said. Between a quarter and half-inch of rain is possible.

Thursday night, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 72. Between a tenth and quarter-inch of rain is possible.

Friday, there is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 p.m., with a high near 91, the weather service said.

Friday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 71, according to the weather service.

Saturday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 92, the weather service said.

Saturday night, there is a 30 percent chance of storms and showers, with a low of 71, according to the weather service.

Sunday, it will be sunny with a high near 90, the weather service said.

Sunday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 70, according to the weather service.

Monday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 92, the weather service said.

Neighbors protest proposed business park at The Woodlands

by Murrel Bland

An Indianapolis, Indiana, real estate investor has proposed to buy The Woodlands which is near the intersection of 99th Street and Leavenworth Road. But nearby neighbors have some other ideas. That was obvious at a public meeting held June 29 at the Venue at Willow Creek, a meeting place at the entrance to Wyandotte County Lake.

Scannell Properties wants to build five buildings that would serve as warehouses. Shaun Cofer, representing Scannell, said the proposed sale would need a change in zoning from AG, CP-1 and CP 2. The proposed change would be to C-1 and M-2 which would allow it to be a business park. There would be five buildings which would have an estimated one million square feet of floor space. Existing buildings would be razed.

Neighbors said that they are concerned that trucks would be able to come and go from the locations 24 hours a day. One area resident, Jamie Brann, said she was concerned that the project could decrease the value of her nearby home.

Another woman who said she lived nearby asked if there was someone there from the Unified Government. Melissa Brune Bynum, a Unified Government Commissioner, said she was there only to observe and learn about the development. Another woman said she did not trust the Unified Government because it promised lower taxes when the Legends was being proposed, yet her taxes increased.

A few other neighbors, including Joe Vaught, a commercial Realtor, said they favored the complex.

The Woodlands was developed in the late 1980s, boasting as one of the finest and only combination horse and dog tracks in the country. It opened for dog racing in 1989 and for horse racing in 1990. During its early days, it attracted more than 1.7 million visitors annually.

However, by 2000, because of stiff competition from casinos in Kansas City, Missouri, attendance dropped to less than 400,000 a year.

The original developers and owners of The Woodlands were R.D. Hubbard and Richard Boushka. They estimated the cost of the project was $68 million.

In 1998, William Grace bought the track out of bankruptcy. Grace died in 2005; his heirs closed the track in 2008.

Phil Ruffin, a Las Vegas casino owner, bought the track in 2015. He is the present owner.

According to the Unified Government’s website, the property, which has about 380 acres, has an appraised value of $8,935,010. Annual property taxes are $373,004.54.

A person familiar with similar warehouse developments said such buildings could be built for about $50 a square foot. That would mean the development, when built out as proposed, could cost an estimated $50 million, or about five times the present value of The Woodlands. That could mean annual property taxes of $1.8 million. Cofer said Scannell is not asking for any tax abatements.

Scannell is proposing to donate 70 acres of the property to the Unified Government for use as a park. The development is estimated to produce more than 1,000 jobs.

The issue of the change in zoning will come before the Unified Government’s Planning Commission at 7 p.m. Monday, July 13. It will be a virtual meeting on Zoom. The website will be https://zoom.us/j/91181470857?pwd=bTU4KoQ1Y2NMOURHaUgvelhZbXZyUT09, password 721618. The meeting can also reached by telephone at 1-346-248-7799. The webinar ID will be 911-8147-0857, password 721618.

Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.