Month: March 2022

Springlike weather today, with high of 65

National Weather Service graphic
Rain is possible Thursday afternoon into Friday morning in the region. (National Weather Service graphic)

Wyandotte County will have springlike weather on Tuesday, with a high near 65, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

Wednesday’s weather will include temperatures in the mid-70s, with wind gusts up to 24 mph, the weather service said.

Widespread rain chances will return Thursday into Friday, with a quarter to half-inch of rain in the forecast for Thursday evening and night, according to the weather service.

The rain is forecast to start after 1 p.m. on Thursday, St. Patrick’s Day.

There are no freezing temperatures in the forecast for the next six nights, with the lowest temperature 37 on Thursday night and Friday night, the weather service said.

Today, it will be sunny with a high near 65 and a north wind of 3 to 6 mph, the weather service said.

Tonight, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 44 and a calm wind becoming south around 5 mph after midnight, according to the weather service.

Wednesday, it will be sunny, with a high near 74 and a south southwest wind of 6 to 14 mph, gusting as high as 24 mph, the weather service said.

Wednesday night, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 49 and a south wind of 5 to 8 mph, gusting as high as 18 mph, according to the weather service.

Thursday, St. Patrick’s Day, there is a 50 percent chance of rain, mainly after 1 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 64 with a north northeast wind of 6 to 13 mph, gusting as high as 20 mph. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is possible.

Thursday night, there is a 60 percent chance of rain, mainly before 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 37. Between a quarter and half-inch of rain is possible.

Friday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 58, the weather service said.

Friday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 37, according to the weather service.

Saturday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 68, the weather service said.

Saturday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 44, according to the weather service.

Sunday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 74, the weather service said.

Sunday night, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 52, according to the weather service.

Monday, there is a 60 percent chance of rain, with a high near 66, the weather service said.

Republicans introduce proposed redistricting map for Kansas House, Democrats on hold

Rural-to-urban shift requires House, Senate power shift to Johnson County

by Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector

Topeka — The redistricting showdown between majority Republicans and minority Democrats shifted Monday to the House with introduction of the GOP’s map accommodating a decade’s worth of rural-to-urban population shift and adhering to the quest for partisan political advantage.

The House GOP map of 125 districts introduced in the House Federal and State Affairs Committee during a 50-second exchange followed last week’s production of proposed Republican and Democratic maps for aligning 40 districts of the Kansas Senate.

Under the Kansas Constitution, state legislators must redraw House, Senate, U.S. House and state Board of Education districts every 10 years to make them roughly equal in population. The Legislature’s controversial map changing the state’s four U.S. House districts is tied up on lawsuits.

Rep. Chris Croft, the Overland Park Republican chairman of the House Redistricting Committee, convened the panel but didn’t dive into details of the proposed House map. It is expected to be posted by 5 p.m. Monday to the Kansas Legislative Research Department’s webpage devoted to redistricting.

“We’re not going to talk about the map right now because there are some discussions that are still ongoing,” Croft said.

He anticipated the committee’s public hearing on the GOP map or alternatives would occur Wednesday followed by committee votes Thursday or Friday. During the committee’s 12-minute meeting Monday, members discussed the potential of renumbering the 125 House districts to restore the traditional sequential assignment of district numbers from low in eastern Kansas to high in western Kansas.

Kansas City, Kansas, Rep. Tom Burroughs, D-33rd Dist., the ranking Democrat on the House committee, said he anticipated Democrats or others would introduce alternative maps for adjustment of House district boundaries.

The incarnation proposed Croft would cannibalize the district served by Rep. Steven Johnson, who is not seeking re-election but campaigning for the GOP nomination as state treasurer.

Johnson’s constituents would be scattered among several other central Kansas districts held by Republicans that lost significant population based on the latest U.S. Census court. This change would allow for a new district in Johnson County, the state’s population magnet.

“I regret that being a byproduct of me running for treasurer,” Johnson said. “Somebody has to go, The fact that I was already gone made that an easier choice.

Rep. Stephanie Clayton, D-Overland Park, said the final House map should adhere to the principle that areas of Kansas losing population should have less representation.

“Areas that gain population should gain representation,” said Clayton, a member of the redistricting committee. “People vote, not empty space.”

On Friday, three strategies for redrawing district boundaries for the Kansas Senate were introduced by Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats and the Kansas League of Women Voters. The Senate is expected to have a committee hearing Tuesday on redistricting and move it to the full Senate for a vote.

Under the map endorsed by Senate President Ty Masterson, Sen. Michael Fagg, R-El Dorado, would have to run against Sen. Rick Wilborn, R-McPherson. Wilborn, chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee, may not seek re-election in 2024, which would clear a path for Fagg.

The Senate GOP map would put Sen. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, in the same district with Sen. Beverly Gossage, R-Eudora. In addition, a new district would be added in Johnson County and a fourth district would be created in Shawnee County.

Sen. Dinah Sykes, the Lenexa Democrat leader in the Senate, introduced an “Eisenhower” map that would preserve core Senate districts in place since 2012.

“The map we adopt this year will determine the political dynamics of the Kansas Senate for the next decade,” she said. “The Eisenhower map is the product of a fair, collaborative process faithful to the guidelines established by the Legislature. It keeps our districts, and those partisan dynamics, largely the same.”

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/14/republicans-introduce-proposed-redistricting-map-for-kansas-house-democrats-on-hold/.

Several projects on Planning Commission agenda

Several projects are on the City Planning Commission’s agenda at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 14.

The meeting will be preceded by the Board of Zoning Appeals meeting at 6 p.m.

Projects on the CPC agenda include:

725 N. 74th Drive, plan review, NP Turner Industrial LLC. Review for Turner Industrial Complex, Building 7.

3600 Rainbow Blvd., plan review, Hudson Apartments, LLC, 228-unit complex.

529 Central Ave., 10 S. Hallock and 525 Central Ave., change of zone from single family and non-retail business district to planned high-rise apartment district for a 148-unit apartment complex, in conjunction with Master Plan amendment from urban density to high density residential, and for vacation of right-of-way, Sunflower Development Group.

1313 Quindaro Blvd., change of zone from limited business district to planned general business district to add fueling pumps at existing gas station, RB Architecture.

14140 State Ave., change of zone from planned commercial district to planned general industrial district for a contractor staging area and heavy equipment storage for Remco Demolition, and Master Plan amendment.

10020 Parallel Parkway, 2300 N. 99th St., 2314 N. 99th St., 2250 N. 99th St. and 10108 R Parallel Parkway, change of zone from agriculture district to garden apartment district to construct an eight-building apartment complex at 2300 N. 99th, APR Kansas City LLC. Also a Master Plan amendment.

428 N. 5th St., change of zone from single-family district to two-family district to bring existing duplex into compliance.

8535 Riverview Ave., renewal of an expired special use permit for two concrete pits and sampling of a variety of pipes for training, Jeff Salter, Kansas Gas Service.

901 Minnesota Ave., special use permit for a liquor store – convenience store, Frederic Ntakirutimana, F & A LLC.

403 N. 5th St., special use permit for a sports bar – drinking establishment, Blake Lostal, Hillsiders LLC.

1215 Merriam Lane, renewal of an expired special use permit for a dirt fill, Aurangzeb Khan, Jahan Enterprises LLC.

4309 Rainbow Blvd., special use permit for a short-term rental, Cactus Bed Properties LLC.

3535 Wood Ave., renewal of a special use permit for transitional housing for youth who are 16 and older, and young adults who are 18-24, Avenue of Life.

1501 N. 90th St., special use permit for privately owned athletic fields, Homefield Perfect Game, Master Plan amendment, represented by Polsinelli.

9020 State Ave., special use permit for privately owned athletic fields, preliminary plan review, Master Plan amendment, represented by Polsinelli.

3030 S. 63rd St., special use permit to keep 25 fowl on the property.

5520 Inland Drive, special use permit to operate used auto sales business, Emmanuel Igbinosun.

4011 Independence Blvd., home occupation special use permit to operate an apparel printing business.

700 Kindelberger Road, special use permit for truck maintenance facility, preliminary plan review, Austin Lage, BHC.

428 N. 5th, renewal of special use permit to operate a security company office, Angela M. Turner.

731 Tenny Ave., vacation of alley to add residential parking, Rachel Bichara, Good News Rentals.

525 Central Ave., 10 S. Hallock, vacation of right-of-way, Mark Moberly, Sunflower Development Group.

1818 S. 59th, preliminary and final plat for one lot, plan review, John Kelly, Unified Government. The project is a 15,737-square-foot fire station at Pierson Park.

1501 N. 90th, preliminary plat for six lots for Homefield Perfect Game, preliminary plan review, represented by Polsinelli.

14 N. 86th, preliminary and final plat for six single family lots, Riverview Acres.

3845 S. Thompson, preliminary plat for 25 townhouse units in three buildings, Mission Cliffs replat, Heartland Ventures. The addresses are 3859 S. Thompson, 3845 S. Thompson, 3857 S. Thompson, 3843 S. Thompson, 3841 S. Thompson, 3839 S. Thompson, 3837 S. Thompson, 3833 S. Thompson, 3829 S. Thompson, 3825 S. Thompson, 3821 S. Thompson, 3817 S. Thompson, 3813 S. Thompson, 3809 S. Thompson, 3811 S. Thompson, 3815 S. Thompson, 3819 S. Thompson, 3823 S. Thompson, 3827 S. Thompson, 3831 S. Thompson, 3835 S. Thompson, 3847 S. Thompson, 3849 S. Thompson, 3851 S. Thompson, 3853 S. Thompson and 3855 S. Thompson.

The meetings will be on Zoom. For information on how to connect to the meeting, visit https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/planning-amp-urban-design/documents/covid-19-public-letters/notice-regarding-march-14-2022-boza_cpc.pdf.