FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

In Summer 2024, PORT Architecture and Urbanism was selected to work with the City and the Park Planning Steering Committee to develop a community engagement plan and park design. Discovery and analysis of existing conditions took place over the summer and public engagement activities took place in the Fall.

In November 2024, PORT presented its findings from the community visioning phase along with three design concepts for the park. The full report, presentation slides, and preliminary concept designs for the park are available here. PORT proposed three different design concepts (Meanders, Activity Loops, and Central Activity), and final design could incorporate concepts from all or any of the three, as well as additional ideas from further public input.

The park design process has been paused until the outcome of the upcoming election. The election will determine if the park planning process continues forward.

Yes. As part of its work, PORT conducted a study of high-value trees (trees that are native to the region and significant in size), trees that can be transplanted, as well as trees that, unfortunately, are in poor health. Although the exact location and number of trees will depend on the final park design plans, all three design concepts focus on retaining high-value trees and supporting a lush tree canopy.

In the 2025 budget, the City began planning for the addition of at least one seasonal employee to assist with landscaping and grounds maintenance. The City does not anticipate, at this time, needing to hire other additional staff. However, the City regularly reviews staffing and will monitor its needs to protect the City’s investment in a new and larger city park.

The park design process has been paused until the outcome of the upcoming election. The election will determine if the park planning process continues forward. However, community feedback is still welcome at www.westwoodkspark.org. Additional planning and input opportunities will be available if the Spring 2025 election passes.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a strategy used by local governments to encourage economic development in a specific area. The rationale behind TIF projects is that, when new development happens in the TIF district and property is improved, the value of the property increases and, therefore, taxes on that property increase. The original amount of taxes levied prior to the improvements (the “base”) continues to go to the applicable taxing entities (County, City, School District, Fire District, etc.). However, the additional/increased tax dollars (the “increment”) can be placed in a fund and used for eligible infrastructure investments within or adjacent to the TIF district.

Typically, when developers request TIF districts, the tax increment is used to pay or reimburse developers for their eligible costs (land acquisition, site work, utilities, infrastructure, etc.). However, in the case of the proposed Karbank development, Karbank did not request these incentives or ask that the tax increment go towards their costs. Instead, Karbank has agreed that 100% of any TIF increment proceeds can go to the City for use in public infrastructure and park development.

All TIF proceeds will be used for public benefit for the City. This type of public benefit financing is rare in the metropolitan area. A similar approach was used most recently to help finance the new Meadowbrook Park in Prairie Village, Kansas.

The City’s financial advisor has prepared a preliminary pro forma for the public benefit TIF, which can be viewed here. This analysis indicates that the Karbank project is expected to (conservatively) generate between $4.5 million and $4.6 million in project-available funds over the 20-year lifetime of the public benefit TIF, sufficient to cover park development and related infrastructure costs up to that amount, without the need for any mill levy (property tax) increases on residents.

Under the Karbank arrangement, Karbank would also finance (without taking from the TIF) the City’s acquisition of the former Westwood View Elementary School site to the west ($2.65 million), pay off the School District’s long-term carrying costs caused by the delay in closing ($135,000), pay the costs of demolition of the old school building, and also pay off the balance of the City’s loan at 5050 Rainbow ($275,000), all at Karbank’s expense. Karbank has also acquired additional property along 51st Street (approximately $550,000) that Karbank would convey to the City for park space.

No. The City would likely “bond” (borrow) the costs of the park project, similar to how residents may take out a loan to purchase or expand their homes. That would provide the City with the up-front cash to develop the park immediately after park plans are finalized. In this case, the City would not have to increase its mill levy to cover any debt service (as discussed further in additional FAQs), because the bonds would be primarily secured by the TIF proceeds generated from the Karbank project. Other revenues generated by the project, such as sales taxes, liquor taxes, and franchise fees, would be available for general City uses almost immediately after project opening.

The amount bonded will ultimately depend on the final designs of the feature park and the surrounding infrastructure needs. At this time, only park concepts have been prepared. With further detail provided by the TIF project plan, guidance from the City’s financial advisors, and the work of the City Council and Park Planning Committee keeping the park design within budgets, the City will ensure that expenses do not exceed revenues.

While the City operates and maintains Joe D. Dennis Park, it needs significant repairs and upgrades. As examples only, the corner fountain is no longer operational and the park is not ADA-compliant. (Karbank’s plans call for replacement with a brand-new fountain.) There are no restrooms serving the park, and play equipment is old and dated.

Substantial updates to the park would be expensive. The cost estimated over ten years ago to improve the existing 0.959-acre Joe Dennis Park was at least $800,000 (in 2013 dollars, not adjusted for inflation). With the 2022 Facilities Assessment and Feasibility Analysis (performed by Multistudio), it was estimated that the cost of redeveloping both Joe Dennis Park and 5050 Rainbow (the former church property) could be up to $1.8 million. The City would also need to pay off the outstanding $275,000 in debt on the former church property (raising the total to $2,075,000).

The City does not have immediately-available money for a project of that size. Without a funding source for these improvements—and with deferred maintenance to streets and City buildings mounting—the City does not and most likely will not have the resources to cover this cost without a significant increase in taxes.

By way of example only, if the City were to “bond” (borrow) this amount ($2,075,000) and repay it over a typical 20-year bond period, at an assumed interest rate of 4.00%, the annual debt service on that acquisition alone would be close to $151,000 (that figure could be higher or lower, depending on interest rates and other financing costs).

In 2024, one mill in Westwood generated approximately $42,750 in property taxes. Therefore, the City would need to increase its mill levy by over 3.5 mills ($151,000 divided by $42,750) to cover the annual debt service, raising the mill levy from 21.199 to approximately 24.7 mills (a 14.2% increase) and placing Westwood with the fifth-highest property tax rate (as of 2024) among all cities in Johnson County.

Those costs would be on Westwood residents and businesses only. Westwood Hills and Mission Woods residents would not share in these costs.

Borrowing money to build an amenity like a park would also limit the City’s ability to pay for necessities on the current Capital Improvement Plan, including repairs to streets, stormwater, and buildings.

More information on the City budget can be found here. See below FAQs for further information on City budget limitations.

Parks and other amenities require substantial investment to build and maintain. The City does not currently have the financial resources to develop both a new park and renovate existing space. Costs associated with this work would also include acquiring the former Westwood View site, performing all demolition and grading work, and paying off debt. To build the new park without sacrificing other essential City services the City would need either (1) a development partner, such as Karbank, or (2) a large increase to the tax burdens on City residents.

Combining elements from the 2022 City Facilities Assessment and Feasibility Analysis, the costs associated with such a project (including property acquisition, demolition, grading, development of such a larger park, and the payoff of existing debt) could reasonably be as high as $7.85 million.

The City generates less than $2.5 million in taxes each year, and the City’s budget is committed to important City projects such as Public Works (streets, streetlights, leaf pick up, snow plowing, etc.), Police Department operations, salaries and benefits for City employees, and other important City endeavors. Taxes on residents would have to increase significantly for the City to take on these new expenses.

By way of example only, the purchase price for the former Westwood View Elementary site is $2.65 million. The City does not have immediately-available money to pay that amount. If the City were to “bond” (borrow) this amount and repay it over a typical 20-year bond period, at an assumed interest rate of 4.00%, the annual debt service on that acquisition alone would be close to $193,000 (that figure could be higher or lower, depending on interest rates and other financing costs).

In 2024, one mill in Westwood generated approximately $42,750 in property taxes. Therefore, the City would need to increase its mill levy by over 4.5 mills ($193,000 divided by $42,750) to cover the annual debt service, raising the mill levy from 21.199 to approximately 25.7 mills (a 21% increase) and placing Westwood with the fourth-highest property tax rate (as of 2024) among all cities in Johnson County.

Those costs would be on Westwood residents and businesses only. Westwood Hills and Mission Woods residents would not share in these costs.

That mill levy increase would only allow for the acquisition of the former Westwood View site. Any additional costs (demolition, grading, development of a larger park, and the payoff of existing debt)—which would be additional millions of dollars—would require additional borrowing/bonding with mill levy increases in amounts sufficient to cover that additional debt.

Under the agreement with Karbank and the School District, these project costs would be paid directly by Karbank and through tax revenues created by the development as part of a “public benefit” tax increment financing (TIF) project. Additional information on the public benefit TIF can be found in other FAQs on this website.

Finally, following the 2022 City Facilities Assessment and Feasibility Analysis, the City conducted resident surveys and held an open house, soliciting and obtaining very good feedback from residents on options the City might consider.

66% of survey respondents felt that the best approach to improving City facilities and amenities (such as increased park space) was to leverage available property to generate additional revenues from future development projects. Of the various scenarios presented, the survey respondents’ top choices contemplated development on the site of existing Dennis Park and the former church property, with adjacent enhanced and expanded green space. Information on this survey work can be seen here.

There are several reasons why a proposal such as this has not been deemed viable. A key reason is cost. For the City to acquire the former Westwood View site at this time—when the land is available for sale, and at a cost of $2.65 million—without a development partner (such as Karbank) would not be financially feasible without significantly high increases to residents’ property taxes.

In addition to acquisition costs, there would be high costs in repurposing the former Westwood View Elementary building. Although this exact scenario was not contemplated by the 2022 City Facilities Assessment and Feasibility Analysis, the Analysis did estimate that the costs of renovating our current City Hall building could be up to $4.425 million (Baseline Expanded). Even assuming this scenario could apply to the former Westwood View school (which is a completely different use, such that conversion would likely be more expensive), total costs (including purchasing the land from the School District) could be approximately $7.075 million. This would not include any improvements to Joe D. Dennis Park.

The City does not have immediately-available money for a project of that size. If the City were to “bond” (borrow) this amount and repay it over a typical 20-year bond period, at an assumed interest rate of 4.00%, the annual debt service on that total amount would be close to $515,000 (that figure could be higher or lower, depending on interest rates and other financing costs).

In 2024, one mill in Westwood generated approximately $42,750 in property taxes. Therefore, the City would need to increase its mill levy by over 12 mills ($515,000 divided by $42,750) to cover the annual debt service, raising the mill levy from 21.199 to approximately 33.2 mills (a 57% increase), and Westwood would have—by far—the highest mill levy rate in Johnson County.

Those costs would be on Westwood residents and businesses only. Westwood Hills and Mission Woods residents would not share in these costs.

In September 2023, the City Council also received a report establishing that the former school building may be considered as part of a “conservation area” and may become “blighted” due to several factors established under Kansas law. These findings included:

• Dilapidation, obsolescence, or deterioration of structures:  Examples included needed roof replacement, needed HVAC replacement, leaking doors, and lack of modern electrical facilities.

• Structure below minimum code standards:  Examples included lack of ADA compliance, lack of fire sprinklers, and electrical shortfalls.

• Building abandonment:  The report stated, “In addition to these legal requirements necessitating significant expenditure, the building conditions which led to the decision by the SMSD to vacate the school and sell the site would need to be addressed to make it viable for prolonged occupancy, likely at substantial expense for any end user.”
   

This past Fall, the City issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and Request for Proposals (RFP) with the Westwood Foundation and KU Health Systems (KUHS) as to the future of the City Hall site and surrounding property in the vicinity of 47th and Rainbow. Responses are currently being reviewed by an appointed RFQ review committee. At this time, there are no demands or plans as to what the future of this corner will or must be. However, it is anticipated that the project would include a new or at least renovated City Hall. The City does not expect to sell the entirety of the property.

With the RFQ/RFP, the City is looking for development and design partners that will help the City, the Foundation, and KUHS examine the market, present conceptual proposals, solicit community feedback, provide additional design, assist with property acquisition, and help coordinate financing and scheduling, should the City Council elect to move forward. As a result, any project will take significant time to examine, both as to financial issues, design options, and community input.

However, the former Westwood View Elementary school site is for sale now. Given the amount of time, work, and community input that would need to happen first, no project at 47th and Rainbow would be able to be used to finance the acquisition of the School District property, much less develop a new feature park. If the Spring 2025 ballot measure does not pass, the City anticipates that the School District—on behalf of its district-wide constituents—will immediately look for other purchasers of the property.

Furthermore, the City expects that any proceeds from any projects at 47th and Rainbow will need to be used for other City needs in that area, such as the new or renovated City Hall and Police Department, and proceeds will not be available for the park project. The City’s Public Works building is also in need of renovations and expansion. Other projects on the horizon include significant improvements to Rainbow Boulevard.