Author: Mary Rupert

Huge flag proposed for new Camping World development

A photo was shown at the Board of Zoning Appeals meeting on Monday night of a huge American flag flying over the Wichita location of Camping World. The board approved a variance Monday to allow Camping World to fly a huge flag at its proposed development near 98th and State.
This drawing of the Camping World development near 98th and State was presented at the Board of Zoning Appeals meeting Monday night. To the left of the development is Menards.

City planners Monday night heard about plans for a huge American flag to fly over the new Camping World development near 98th and State Avenue.

The new RV dealership would be located next to Menards on former Schlitterbahn property, according to planning documents. The land, 12 acres to the south and east of Menards, is currently vacant. The location is also next to I-435.

Attorney Curtis Petersen of Polsinelli told the Board of Zoning Appeals that Camping World wanted a variance on a flag.

The facility requested a flag with an area of 3,200 square feet, when the UG only allowed 50 square feet. The flagpole would be 130 feet high, about 104 feet and six inches higher than what the UG allows.

Planning Director Gunnar Hand told the board that the zoning code just looks at flags the same as signs. Signs here are limited in their size and height.

The current request, he said, was 6,300 percent over what was allowed in the code, and four times as tall as what was allowed. For that reason, the planning staff recommended against the flag.

Petersen said there were hundreds of Camping World locations across the country flying the same large-size of flag. He showed a picture of one in Wichita.

When the board mentioned the possibility of coming back with a smaller-sized flag, Petersen said, ”If this flag is not approved tonight, we can’t move forward tonight at the Planning Commission and we lose Camping World.”

With that, the BOZA approved the the flag variance and some other variances on the project with a 5-2 vote, with James Connelly and Karen Jones voting no.

Some BOZA board members were concerned that it might set a bad precedent on signs. The board put a stipulation on it that if the property changed hands, the variance would not apply to any future owner of the property.

Later during the City Planning Commission meeting, the board approved a change of zone from agriculture district to planned commercial district, as well as a preliminary plat, for the Camping World site. The development includes a 38,000 square-foot building with a large lot to park recreational vehicles.

The zoning items will go to the UG Commission later in the month for approval.

In other action, the City Planning Commission on Monday night turned down a proposal for traffic and safety concerns to put a gas station and convenience store at 8919 Leavenworth Road, where there was a former store and restaurant.

A number of nearby residents spoke out against the convenience store and gas station being located there. Residents said they were very concerned about traffic and safety of children who live nearby. There were no public comments in favor of it. The planning staff had recommended approval.

In other action, without any discussion, the final plan review was approved for a proposed Whataburger location at 10780 Parallel Parkway.

Turner Middle School students to attend classes in new building

Demolition of the old Turner Middle School took place this summer, with a new middle school built behind it.
When debris from demolition was cleared away, the new Turner Middle School could be seen from South 55th.
The former gymnasium and auditorium was saved and upgraded for the new Turner Middle School.

When school resumes this month, Turner Middle School students will be attending classes in a new building.

The old Turner Middle School at 1312 S. 55th St. was torn down this summer. Behind it is a newly built middle school.

The demolished building is the former Turner High School building, which was converted to a middle school in 2001, according to Lauren Aiello, Turner school district spokeswoman. The building was originally constructed in the 1950s. The new high school was completed in 2001 at 2211 S. 55th.

While most of the old building was torn down, the auditorium and gymnasium from the old building has been saved and will make the transition to the new middle school, after being upgraded.

“We’re excited to preserve some of the old building, along with having some of the new,” Aiello said.

The gym, she said, is particularly beautiful, and modern-day construction isn’t like that any more.

At the same time, the new building will have a lot of flexibility.

“The new building is just gorgeous,” Aiello said.

The new building will have a two-story open-space commons area that will serve as the cafeteria and a gathering space. There will be flexible learning space in this commons area.

Also, classroom and common space furniture will include flexible seating, opportunities to work together and have hands-on activities.

Some classrooms will have moveable walls, allowing classes to join together at times. They also will have a small group learning suite.

McCownGordon was the contractor on the project, and they also were the contractor for the high school building in 2001. Voters approved a $44 million bond issue in January 2019, with projects throughout the school district, according to Aiello.

Among the projects funded by the bond issue were the new middle school building, safety and security upgrades at all buildings, furnishings and painting at all buildings, better vehicle access for Turner Elementary, air conditioning at Turner Elementary, Midland Trail Elementary and Journey School of Choice, a new commercial kitchen at Turner High School for the culinary arts program, and district-wide heating, cooling, asphalt, concrete and roofing projects.

Aiello said an open house is planned for the new Turner Middle School from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1, where community members and alumni can tour the new school facility. There also is a home football game that evening at the new District Activity Center, completed last year.

Demolition was taking place this summer on the old Turner Middle School.
More demolition photos from July at Turner Middle School. A lot of the debris now has been cleared away.
More demolition photos from July at Turner Middle School.
More demolition photos from July at Turner Middle School.

UG Commission passes mask mandate

A modified mask mandate was approved in an 8-2 vote Thursday night by the Unified Government Commission.

Commissioner Mike Kane, 5th District, proposed a “carve-out” for the resolution, with the mask mandate not applying to schools, and also not applying to the cities of Bonner Springs and Edwardsville.

The “carve-out” version passed 8-2, with Commissioners Christian Ramirez and Harold Johnson voting against it. The two commissioners supported not carving out the schools and other cities from the resolution. Ramirez and Johnson were in favor of a more extensive mask mandate.

With the “carve-out,” the local school boards and other cities will make the decision about masks for their own districts and cities.

The mask mandate is contained in a local health order and will require wearing a mask indoors in public spaces for vaccinated and unvaccinated persons who are age 5 and older, for a six-week time period. It goes into effect upon approval by the commission, according to the resolution.

According to UG Health Department officials, this mask mandate aligns with the newest CDC guidance from July 27 that counties with substantial or high transmission require masks for vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

A rather raucous crowd in the City Hall lobby spoke out against the mask mandate in person, cheering each other loudly, during the public hearing.

Speaking in favor of the mask mandate were several persons who made their comments remotely on Zoom.

Daran Duffy, who came in last in the primary for mayor on Tuesday night, said, “The thing is, we don’t need you guys telling us how to live.”

Mary Gerlt, a Libertarian who lost the Tuesday night primary election contest for the Board of Public Utilities, told the commission that this was really not their role as a government, to cheers from the lobby.

“Everyone is responsible for themselves, for their personal health,” Gerlt said.

Ned Kelley, a Libertarian who ran unsuccessfully for office in the primary, said about the doctors’ presentation, “They want you to be more scared.”

“Live free or die!” John Burns shouted.

A woman who identified herself only as Mamie, with no last name, commented on Zoom, “Can everybody in the public lobby calm down? We’re going to take care of everything, but at the same time, calm down.

“If we want to keep our families safe, wear a mask, get the shot, calm down,” she said.

The Rev. Tony Carter, pastor of Salem Baptist Church, was in favor of the mask mandate.

“The fact is, we’re all in this together,” he said. “What affects me affects you.”

Although they don’t live in the same houses, when someone makes a choice not to wear a mask or get vaccinated, it isn’t good for everyone, according to Carter. He said he was concerned about his grandchild who was too young to get a vaccine, and favors the mask mandate because of her.

Broderick Crawford also supported the mask mandate, “because I want to protect my family.”

“We need to stop the spread,” Crawford said. “The way we stop the spread is to mask and vaccinate.”

Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, spoke by a video link at the meeting. The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce had asked the UG Commission to delay their vote until after a hospitals’ presentation Friday morning, but Mayor David Alvey said the UG had already delayed the vote one week, after last week’s UG meeting, and they didn’t want to delay it more.

Instead, Dr. Stites made a presentation at the UG meeting.

The hospitals in Greater Kansas City are filling up, and need the community’s help to stop the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant, Dr. Stites said.

At this time, the hospitals are struggling to take care of their own patients, those with and without COVID, he said.

New positive cases of COVID-19 have risen dramatically in the past few weeks. The KU Health staff is seeing a rise in COVID-19, also, with more than 100 employees currently out with COVID or out while waiting test results. That is with a vaccination rate of about 75 percent for hospital staff, according to Dr. Stites.

“We’re in much more trouble now than last fall,” Dr. Stites said. The Delta variant spreads more, and spreads more quickly, also.

The community held the curve down last year by wearing masks, and Dr. Stites recommended masks again, along with vaccinations. Vaccinations take a few weeks to a month to take effect, so masks are needed now, until more people get vaccinated.

Dr. Stites asked for the community’s help. Without it, people who have heart attacks or strokes may have to wait in the hallway to find a bed for 10 to 15 minutes, which could be a serious risk.

“We have to all take care of each other,” Dr. Stites said.

In that one-week delay of the UG Commission’s vote, the COVID numbers got worse in Wyandotte County.

Last week, 512 Wyandotte County residents became sick with COVID, and three died from COVID, said Juliann van Liew, UG Health Department director.

Vaccine rates here remain low, around 35 percent.

Dr. Allen Greiner, chief health officer for Wyandotte County, said Wyandotte County is in a high transmission area and it is following CDC guidelines on masking in indoor spaces.

To see the UG Commission meeting on YouTube, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNFKCArmT3Y