FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Correct.  If the developer does not finance both phases at the same time, then the South Phase commencement deadline is still 90 days after closing on the land and the South Phase completion date is still 3 years after the land closing.

No. The proposed amendment says that if the developer does not spend at least $105M on the overall project costs, they don't get the $6M increase to the Public Financing Cap.  In other words, if the 3 phases of the Project end up costing a total of only $95M, for example, then the Public Financing Cap remains at $22M (the Cap number in the original agreements).  The developer is required to provide documentary evidence of these Project expenditures to the City.

A continuance might be available if the request is made by the Wednesday before the listed court date.

To pay an online traffic citation Click Here. We are unable to process payments by phone at this time.

We also accept cash, check, money order, or credit card (additional fees involved) for citations at Westwood City Hall - located at 4700 Rainbow Blvd. Traffic citations can be paid anytime between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday at City Hall.

You can’t prevent a utility from accessing the dedicated street rights-of-way area or easement area to perform work, nor can the city, according to federal and state law. We encourage utility providers to notify property owners and residents as a courtesy before starting work.

The City does not take reservations for Joe D. Dennis Park. While you are welcome to hold a party at the park, please remember that this is a shared community space.

No.  Cases are handled on a first come, first served basis on each court date.

While other revenues sources will help pay for these needed repairs, the city can’t responsibly divert additional money away from other budgeted items to cover street and storm water needs without significantly impacting those other services that citizens have said are top priorities.

Fingerprinting services are available to Westwood residents and businesses Monday through Friday between 8am and 5pm. Please call 913.362.3737 beforehand to make sure a Public Safety officer is available to assist you.

The City of Westwood does not require pets to be licensed.  However, per Westwood City Code, pets must be vaccinated against rabies.  This applies to homeowners and renters.
 

Yes.  Everyone has to pay the court costs whether you come to court or not.

A building permit is required for most construction in the City of Westwood. More information about the building permit process in Westwood

Yes, Application

Read the ordinance to familiarize yourself with what you can and cannot do.  You should bring suitable identification (your drivers license or other state-issued ID) and a brochure and/or samples of the merchandise you will be selling.  A criminal background check will be performed.  Individuals who pass the background check are eligible to receive a permit. 

The permit is valid for the number of days requested in the application, not to exceed 90 consecutive days (permit is issued for 30 days at a time, renewable).  There is no charge for the application or the permit.

Permanent and temporary structures and materials that restrict access to easements or utilities are generally prohibited. Contact city staff to request approval for encroachments like fences, irrigation systems and landscaping (including street trees).

Utility companies try to limit damage to encroaching items during construction, but they are not required to replace, pay damages for or reinstall an item that impedes construction. Encroachment into an easement or street right-of-way, even if approved, may be at your sole risk.

No.  TIF, by statute can only be for 20-years for each Project Area. 

The TIF on the North Phase began in 2013 and will end in 2033. 

The Developer is asking for a new TIF Plan on the South Phase and so the "TIF Clock" on the South Phase would start over in 2016 and then expire in 2036.  But regardless of the Council's final decision on the South Phase, this will have no effect on expiration of the clock for the North Phase TIF which will end in 2033.

The city regulates utility companies through franchise agreements. We also monitor where and when work is taking place in the public right-of-way and public utility easements through a permitting process. The city can impose reasonable restrictions on how the work is done.

Not very much. The proposed Amendment includes a new concept that caps the amount of public incentive that the developer can receive for reimbursements from the property tax TIF.  No more than $19,534,921 of the developer's public incentive money can come from property tax TIF, the balance must come from either sales tax TIF revenues or CID revenues. 

This $19.5M cap number is about $1M more than the original $18.4M of revenue projected from the TIF Plan in the original project pro-forma.  As the School District and the other taxing jurisdictions’ revenues are tied exclusively to the property tax, these taxing jurisdictions’ proportional revenues will be minimally impacted.

The proposed TIF Plan does extend the life of the TIF for the South Phase of the project.  The new TIF Plan gives the developer a fresh 20-year "TIF Clock" for the South Phase of the project only.   Accordingly, if the Governing Body approves the new TIF Plan, the TIF on the South Phase would expire in 2036. 

It does not do anything to extend the TIF on the balance of the Woodside Village project, including the North Phase.  The North Phase TIF will still expire in 2033. Even though the TIF clock is being restarted, the developer is still limited to collecting a maximum of 20-years of TIF revenue from both the South Phase and North Phase of the project.

Yes, the city has curbside recycling. Guidelines and pick-up times

The City is not aware of any liens that have been filed against the property and City staff has observed both inside and outside subcontractors at work daily on the site.  Also, the Redevelopment Agreement requires the developer to provide lien waivers and other evidence of payment when it submits draw requests for incentive money.  We will be able to continue to monitor payment as the developer requests future draws on the incentive proceeds.

The Public Works Department is located at 2545 West 47th Street.  Their phone number is 913.432.1550.  Because Public Works personnel are not always in their office, an answering machine will take your message. 

Easements are typically filed at a county's register of deeds office, or in Johnson County at the Records & Tax Administration (RTA) office.  All filed easements should be listed on the property title report and/or shown on property survey information that may have provided at the time your property was purchased.  Having a complete boundary-survey of your property done with the appropriate property title research will show where any easements are located on a property.

The Westwood Police Department does not run driving record checks.  You can go to any driver's license exam station for a copy of your driving record.

The proposed new TIF Plan and changes to the Redevelopment Agreement for Project Area 2 (South) only modifies the South Phase of the Project –  everything else about the overall project (the clubhouse, tennis courts, pools, 91 residential units and 20,152 square feet of retail from the Club Phase and the North Phase) is unaffected by this proposed new plan.

The Site Plan for the South Phase has been approved by the Westwood Planning Commission and City Council.  In the South Phase, there are 2 more residential units (from 242 units to 244), an additional 77 parking spaces were added to the parking garage, and the retail component has been modified slightly to accommodate the potential for a grocery store from what the approved preliminary plan included.

However, the most significant changes to the South Phase of the project revolve around costs.  The developer has indicated that its projected costs have increased by $16.5M (from $20,875,000 to $37,369,179) – a 79% increase, and additionally, their costs for site work, parking and infrastructure have increased by approximately $3.5M (from $6,525,000 to $10M) – a 53% increase.

The deadline for beginning construction of the South Phase has changed to reflect the staging of construction.

The Club Phase must be complete to enable commencement of the South Phase construction and it has the net effect of extending the overall duration from 12 months to 14 months.  Accordingly, the commencement date for South Phase construction has moved from 90 days after closing on the South Phase land to 425 days after closing. The deadline for the completion of the South Phase moved from 3 years after closing on the South Phase land to 4 years after the closing.

Because these deadlines are tied to the South Phase land closing, if both phases are financed together, the South Phase commencement deadline really needs to move out to allow the Developer to build the Club Phase first and then build the South Phase starting 14 months later.  Similarly, the South Phase deadline for completion is also a date that is measured from the land closing – and that completion date would move out by 12 months (not the full 14 months that we would move the start date).

A traffic study was completed in 2011 before the Northern phase of the Woodside Village project broke ground.

This study considered the impact of the then proposed construction of a mixed-used development and health club renovations on the surrounding roadway network near Rainbow Boulevard and 47th Place in Westwood, Kansas.  The traffic study recommended the installation of a new traffic signal at 47th Place and Rainbow Blvd, which was installed in mid 2016.

Since that time, the City's Public Works Director, along with KCK's team, and KDOT (the Kansas Department of Transportation) staff have been in constant contact monitoring the operations of the newly installed traffic signal on Rainbow Blvd, and its impact on traffic flow.

The additional 0.9% CID money is in addition to the Public Financing Cap.  It is projected to create an additional $2.4M of additional incentive revenue over the 22-year life of the CID.   If you factor this new CID revenue into the public/private money ratio, it results in a 3% increase from 26% to a nearly 29% public/private money ratio.

Not all properties in Westwood have dedicated easements  Some lots established easement areas when the lots were first established or platted.  Other properties may have utility easements dedicated by separate instrument along rear or side lot lines that are anywhere from 5 to 15 feet or more wide, and may or may not be divided between two adjoining lots. Most easements are located along rear property lines, and many easements are within side yards as well.

The public rights-of-way for streets in Westwood all vary, but the street rights-of-way area all extend beyond the curbing of a street.  The location where the rights-of-way ends, and the private property line begins on some streets in Westwood is 5 to 15 feet beyond a street curb.

It is the Club Management's responsibility to manage the Club events such as swim team.  The City does not have responsibility for this, but the proposed new subterranean parking lot beneath the club's tennis courts should substantially increase parking availability for the Club and pool.

If you smell even the faint odor of natural gas or hear a hissing noise, notify others in person - not by phone - to leave the premises, and then leave. Once away from the area, call 1.888.482.4950 or 911. Stay away from the building until an official familiar with the situation tells you it is safe to return. Once your natural gas has been shut off, do not try to turn it back on. Only a qualified person may perform this task.

The developer is not allowed mortgage the South Phase land to benefit the North Phase, but (as discussed above) it can use the South Phase land if it finances the Club improvements and the South Phase together at the same time.  However, if it quits and never develops the South Phase as contemplated, the City has a reversionary interest  --  the right to take the South Phase land back at no cost to the City.  And if nothing happens on the South Phase, the lender will not have provided any money for the South Phase, making it easier for the City to reclaim the South Phase property.

No. The City requested a formal legal opinion from the District Court. In order to do this, they must name defendants. The City’s filing named the Johnson County District Attorney’s office and the Kansas State Attorney General’s office as defendants because they are the only parties legally able to challenge the City’s position that this City-owned property is not subject to a public vote under this State law cited by the petitioners. 

No.  All of the increased costs related to the Club Phase of the project are to be paid by the developer with private money.   The new CID money can only be used by the developer to reimburse for eligible costs in the South Phase of the project.

Yes, in some cases.  This can only be done in person at the Court Window at Westwood City Hall.  The procedure is called an amended citation.  This can only be done once a year.  The fines are basically doubled plus court costs.  You can contact the Court Clerk at (913) 362-3737 to inquire if your ticket is amendable and how much it would be.

Ballots will be mailed to all Westwood registers voters.

 

• April 10, 2018: Last day to register to vote
• April 11, 2018: JOCO Election Office ballots delivered by mail to Westwood voters
• May 1, 2018: Noon deadline for ballot return to Johnson County Election Office
• October 1, 2018: Sales tax begins (if passed)

The City does have estimates on the County appraisal for the anticipated tax-valuation of the project, which is different and not to be confused with a market appraisal.

It is not the City's responsibility to market the apartments or retail space – that is solely the responsibility of the developer.  The developer is rightfully motivated to make a profit at this project, and should have every incentive to get the highest rents from the retail and residential space which the market will support.  All of these contribute dollars toward the developer's investment returns.

With the steep increase in property valuations experienced in this area since 2011, there is not a precise way to accurately predict what the apartments will be valued at years down the road.

Yes, and that is still the case in the proposal before the Council for consideration. The original Redevelopment Agreement requires that the South Phase will not begin until the Certificate of Occupancy is issued for both the North and Club Phases of the project. The developer believes that the North Phase will be completed soon – and well in advance of commencement of construction on the South Phase.

If it is a mandatory appearance or if the case has been continued before, then a warrant will be issued for your arrest and possibly a drivers license suspension.  Otherwise, a letter will be sent to you with a new court date and there will be additional fees added.

The 9th Amendment, if approved by the City Council, would do four major things:

1. Increases the Public Financing "Cap" for the South Phase of the project;
2. Changes the deadlines for the South Phase of the project;
3. Proposed the creation of a new additional 0.9% Community Improvement District (CID) on the Club property only; and
4. Agrees to release the South Phase land to the developer prior to completion of the Club Phase of the project.

The local sales tax is imposed on all retail goods purchased within the corporate limits of the City of Westwood.  In addition to goods and items purchased at retail stores, a sales tax is levied against most utility services - like natural gas, electricity, and phone services.

If a Westwood resident spends on average $250 per month on utilities, or $3,000 per year, the proposed new ½-cent sales tax rate would be an additional $15 per year of sales tax, or an additional $1.25 per month. 

We don't know yet what the development will require and probably will not know for certain until the Project is complete and fully occupied.  The original analysis done by Chief Wells determined that no new officers would be needed.  However, if resources are required, the City will respond in a manner that will properly manage appropriate public safety needs. 

New revenues have already been collected by the City from this Project and new additional revenues will be added by the new retail spaces immediately as they open. In addition, the Woodside Club lease payment will be increasing after the club building is expanded.  All of these resources should be more than enough to offset any increased costs for law enforcement and public safety.

If the City does not grant a revised TIF Plan and approve the 9^th Amendment to the Redevelopment Agreement, then the terms and conditions of the 2011 agreement remains intact.

The Developer would then need to modify its planning for the project.

Then the City does not have to put the South Phase land in early and the South Phase deadlines are not extended at all.   Those parts of the Redevelopment Agreement document go back to the way they were originally.

"CID" stands for Community Improvement District. It allows a commercial property owner to petition the City to levy special assessments or impose up to an additional 2% sales tax within a CID to fund eligible project costs.  These costs may include infrastructure, design, engineering, and construction-related activities.

The Public Financing Cap is a contractual limit on how much TIF and CID revenue the Developer can collect from the City to reimburse itself for eligible project costs. 

No matter how much TIF revenue or CID revenue is created by those incentives, the Developer has agreed that it won't receive any additional incentive after it gets to this negotiated cap amount.  After that, the City will then shut down the TIF and CID and quit collecting those incentive revenues. 

In the prior agreement the Public Financing Cap was $22M and it was broken down as follows:

• $3.1M for the Club Phase Cap;
• $7,673,000 for the North Phase Cap; and
• $11,227,000 for the South Phase Cap. 

The Amendment, if approved by the governing body, would increase the South Phase part of the cap by $6M.

It would not increase either the Club Phase Cap or the North Phase Cap – those cap amounts remain the same.

Accordingly, the overall Public Financing Cap would go from $22M to a total of $28M.

The developer is attributing $7M to the value of the South Phase land it will receive from the City for purposes of its financing and budgets.  However, the amendment specifically says that the developer is not receiving any public incentive for that line item and it is also specifically factored out of the $105M overall project cost number for purposes of evaluating whether the City is putting in the additional $6M on the Public Financing Cap.

The existing TIF Plan and Redevelopment Agreement for the Woodside Village project is still in place from 2011.

It includes the following elements regarding TIF, CID, and property conveyance of the city-owned southern Woodside property (Phase II), on the south side of 47th Place:

• South Phase project cost previously estimated at $20,875,000
• Tax Increment Financing (TIF) 20-years began in 2013
• Conveyance of city-owned South Phase property to the developer occurs only after certificate of occupancy of the planned Woodside Club building renovations, and financing structure for Phase II are all in place.
• Reversionary Interests in the property:  Should the developer be unable to complete the Phase II project after a certain period of time, the City retains a reversionary interest in the property.  The lending institutions would have to work with the City of Westwood in determining the next course of action until the lenders are made whole.  Then the property reverts back to the City entirely.
• $22 Million was the original financing “Cap” for the entire Project, of which $11,227,000 was marked for the South Side Phase.
• Woodside Club lease payments increase following construction of the main club building addition.

On October 12, 2023, City Council voted 5 -1 to approve Karbank’s plan for a mixed-use development at 50th and Rainbow. The vote followed seven months of public engagement with Westwood residents about the proposal. Resident feedback led to significant changes in the original design, including a reduction in commercial square footage, changes in color scheme and the preservation of trees. The proposal now calls for a mix of retail and office buildings and a 3.8 acre park, which will replace the current Joe D. Dennis Park, which is less than one acre. More information about the development can be found here.

The proposed new CID is a 0.9% additional sales tax on the Club portion of the project only.

This sales tax is in addition to the City and the State sales taxes, plus the 1.1% CID sales tax that is already in place.  It will run for 22-years and is only applied to Club sales and will not apply to sales in the North Phase or South Phase retail components.  It is designed to provide additional incentive to the developer to bridge the gap in financing the cost increases for the South Phase.

The City of Westwood approved a redevelopment plan for the Woodside Village project in 2011 which involved incentives outlined in the city's Economic Development Policy.  These incentives included TIF (Tax Increment Financing)  -- both property tax TIF and sales tax TIF -- and a CID (Community Improvement District). 

Conditions have changed drastically since 2011 when the Country was still reeling from the “Great Recession”.  Since then construction materials costs and property valuations have increased dramatically.



Tanner & White Properties (Developer) has requested a revised new TIF Plan for the South Phase, and changes to the approved Redevelopment Agreement.  This would alter the incentives for the project, and will be considered in a public hearing on October 13th, 2016 at the City Council meeting.

"TIF" stands for "Tax Increment Financing," a special tool that a city such as Westwood can use to generate money for economic development in a specific geographic area. TIFs allow a city to re-invest all new property tax dollars in the neighborhood from which they came for a 20-year period.



These "new" revenues arise if new development takes place in the TIF district, or if the value of existing properties rises, resulting in higher tax bills. These funds can be spent on reimbursable project costs such as sitework, parking structures, infrastructure construction costs, and eligible soft costs.

The CIP "Pay-as-You-Go" Option: 

Continue to budget approximately $200,000 per year, complete projects only as cash is on hand.  Downsides: Further delays needed projects, more expensive approach in the long run because construction costs/inflation will increase at a higher rate than the municipal bond interest rate.



Increase the Mill Rate / Property Taxes:

The current FY 2018 Westwood city property tax mill levy is 21.307 mills. For Westwood, 1-mill generates about $25,000 per year.

Increase City Fees:

The current storm water utility fee in Westwood is $1.00 per month, for every 500 square feet of impervious surface area on a property. This fee structure currently generates approximately $96,000 per year, that can only be used for storm water improvements.

Special Retail Sales Tax:

Westwood's current local rate of 1.0% is the lowest municipal sales tax rates in Johnson County.  In 2017 it generated about $430,000.

On December 12, 2023, a petition was submitted to the City of Westwood requesting a public vote on the proposal to sell the land currently housing Joe D. Dennis Park to Karbank, a private developer. The petition cited K.S.A. 12-1301, a statute that requires municipalities to publish a public notice of sale for park land, claiming that the City did not follow the process required in this statute. 

Although the City does not agree that State law applies in this case, officials published two public notices of sale – on Nov. 7 and Nov. 14 – in order to obtain title insurance for the property sale in the face of litigation threats. In other words, the petition – as well as the threat of litigation against the City from the attorney representing the petitioners – greatly damaged the City’s ability to obtain title insurance for the sale of the property and so, to mitigate that risk, the City decided to publish the public notices of sale even though officials do not believe it applies to the land at 50th and Rainbow. 

The purchase agreement for this property, along with additional property along 50th and Rainbow Blvd, was approved by Council on October 12, 2023. The purchase is set to close on or before August 1, 2024. 

The City of Westwood contracts with the Northeast Johnson County Animal Control Division.  To reach an animal control officer, call the Johnson County Sheriff's Department at 913.782.0720. 

Shall the following be adopted? Shall the City of Westwood Kansas be authorized to levy a one-half of one percent (0.5%) special purpose citywide retailers’ sales tax within the City of Westwood, Kansas; such additional tax, if approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon, to take effect on October 1, 2018, or as soon thereafter as permitted by law, and terminate ten (10) years after commencement; the proceeds of which shall be used to pay for, in whole or in part with any other funds, the cost of repairing, rebuilding, rehabilitating, upgrading and improving streets and storm drainage infrastructure in the City of Westwood; such program shall include grading, repair, reconstruction and rehabilitation of curbs, gutters, pavement and other surfacing, driveway entrances and structures, drainage work incidental thereto, service connections from utility mains, conduits or pipes, streetlights, street lighting systems, storm water drains, retaining walls and area walls on public ways or land abutting thereon, sidewalks, street trees and landscaping, storm water drainage projects, and all related improvements, and any financing therefor; and be in addition to the one percent (1%) citywide retailers’ sales tax currently levied within the City?

To vote in favor, vote Yes

To vote against, vote No

The City Council meets in regularly scheduled sessions on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall. Past and upcoming agendas and minutes are posted once they are approved by the Council.

GFL will collect bulk items on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Each Westwood household is allowed up to 2 items per month. Click here to contact GFL about picking up bulk items before a bulk item service day.

Bulk items include items such as furniture, beds, chairs, mattresses, box springs, and tubs. This does not include White Goods (appliances such as washers, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, and water heaters). Contact kccustomercare [at] gflenv.com (GFL)  to make an appointment.

The proposed new TIF Plan and the 9th Amendment to the Redevelopment Agreement will be considered at the City's regularly-scheduled Council meeting on Thursday, October 13, 2016 and anyone who wants to speak that night will be recognized and heard by the Governing Body at that time.

Property owners are expected to take care of the public right-of-way area (to the curb) and utility easement areas as you would the rest of your property.  The City of Westwood will generally maintain the sidewalks in the right-of-way.

The city has proposed the ½-cent sales tax to fund the infrastructure projects for several reasons. The City Council has the authority to increase the property tax mil rate, but that rate increase would only apply to Westwood property owners.

Other users of Westwood streets, including the many thousands that live outside Westwood, would not contribute to an increase in the property tax mil levy. In addition, the City Council feels that an issue this important should be the decision of the Westwood voters.

A dedicated special infrastructure sales tax ensures that all money collected must be used ONLY for the infrastructure needs outlined in the ballot.

Post-Great Recession, the construction industry has experienced a major resurgence, particularly in the multi-family segment of the commercial real estate market.  Since 2012, construction costs have increased substantially due primarily to skilled labor shortages and increased material costs of carpentry, drywall, plumbing and electric. Contractor’s are having to pay up to retain quality local subcontractors and avoid the risk of subcontractor flight mid job. This construction market reality accounts for a significant portion of the cost increases.

Also, the scope increased with the approved changes to the South Phase site plan.  Further, the developer is including a higher quality of finishes in the residential units to compete with other high-end apartment products that are in the market now or becoming available in the near future.

In order for a petition to be placed on a ballot, State laws outlines both technical and substantive requirements. Specifically, State law mandates that the petition must specify the exact wording of the question intended for the ballot. This ensures that voters can clearly choose between voting yes or no in response. The petition submitted to the City did not include this language, leading both the City Attorney and the Johnson County Counselor’s office to deem the petition not legally allowable on a ballot. In addition to its lack of a ballot question, the petition was deemed invalid due to incorrect formatting and the petitioner's failure to adhere to State law in the submission process.

More information about what, specifically, made the petition invalid can be found here, in Resolution 125-2024, approved by the City Council on January 17, 2024 at a specially-called open meeting. 

While the City received two advisory legal opinions on the validity of the petition, it requested a formal legal ruling on three issues: (1) to decide whether the language on the petition can be placed on a ballot, (2) whether the petition is invalid for additional reasons, and (3) whether the State law cited by the petitioners applies to this particular property sale.

It is projected that at current funding levels it would take decades to accomplish the needed improvements which ultimately would lead to a significantly higher costs.

The City of Westwood has typically budgeted about $200,000 a year for all capital improvement projects

Meanwhile:    

• Construction costs will continue to rise;
• Any other projects on the city's "needs to do" list are delayed 10 years or more; and
• Streets will continue to age; the streets in most need have not been significantly upgraded in nearly 50-years.

From a construction perspective, the projects have always been expected to occur one at a time.  First the North Phase, followed by the Club Phase and then finally the South Phase.

From a contract perspective, first the North Phase was contracted and now the proposed Amendment contemplates contracts for the completion of the Club Phase and the South Phase. Both the City and the developer are motivated to have the entire project completed and producing as soon as possible. 

Among other things, construction staging is necessary to build the various phases in a manner that avoids a shut-down of all activity – including the Club – at the site.

Phasing also allows time for the retail and residential components to absorb market demand in manageable pieces – i.e., trying to lease all 335 residential units at the same time would be more difficult than leasing the first 91 units on the North Phase and then leasing the South Phase units later. Now that the North Phase is almost completed and leased, the developer thinks it can get financing for both the Club renovations and South Phase.

The developer believes that it has the opportunity to finance the Club Phase and the South Phase of the project together as a package, but it would require a mortgage on the city-owned South Phase land when that loan for both phases closed.

The City may decide that it wants the developer to line up the financing for both of these phases together as soon as possible, as opposed to financing the Club first and hoping that the developer can later find the financing for the South Phase. However, if the City does agree to transfer this land earlier for this joint, two-phase financing, it still has a reversionary interest (a right to take the property back) if the developer fails to complete the South Phase on time.

The proposed 9th Amendment to the Redevelopment Agreement identifies 13 separate conditions which must occur before the South Phase land can be transferred to the developer – including permits, site plan approvals, guaranteed maximum price contracts and private financing for both the Club Phase and South Phase. 

These conditions are designed to ensure that both the Club Phase and the South Phase are "shovel-ready" and fully financed to further ensure completion of construction of both Phases.  The developer has also agreed that the lender's mortgage interest is subordinate (inferior to and behind) the City's reversionary rights in this property unless and until the start of construction on the South Phase.  So if nothing ever happens on the South Phase, the lender will not have funded part of the loan on the South Phase and the City can reclaim the property.  If the South Phase is started but never completes, the City still has a reversionary right, but it will be behind the lender and will have to coordinate and collaborate with the lender to get the South Phase finished.

If approved by the City Council, the City would be agreeing to additional incentive funding to recognize the developer's increase in costs, enable the developer to pursue an improved project and to insure completion of both the Club Phase and the South Phase.

The City's negotiating team has fought to minimize the City's participation in these increased costs.  The City is not considering sharing 50% of the increased costs – any additional incentive would represent less than 1/3rd of the increased project costs.  Also, when the City's negotiating team evaluated the overall budget for the project with the newly increased costs and the increased incentive that is being considered – the public incentive-to-private money ratio is actually going down (which is positive from the City's perspective).  

In other words, the original project budget for all three phases was estimated to be approximately $63M, of which $22M could be reimbursed with public incentive money – a 35% public/private money ratio. 

The new proposal is for an overall project budget in excess of $105M, with up to $28M in public incentives available for reimbursement of eligible costs – a 26% public/private money ratio. If the City approves the new CID money discussed in detail below, the result is a 29% public/private money ratio.

Your business must be of a service nature and must be clearly secondary to the main use of the premises as a dwelling place.  Your business must not change the character of or the appearance of the neighborhood with signs, material, equipment, noise, odor or other nuisance, or unusual pedestrian or vehicular traffic.  Furthermore, such home occupation shall be carried on by members of the family residing in the dwelling and no stock or commodities for sale may be kept on the premises.  For more information click here.

A second TIF is not being considered.   The City is only being asked to approve a new TIF Plan for an existing Project Area (the South Phase) which would – as discussed above – give the Developer a fresh 20-year TIF Clock for the South Phase.

The City would also agree to increase the amount of TIF revenues that the developer could receive by increasing the Public Incentive Cap from $22M to $28M, but the City would simultaneously cap the amount of that money that could come from incremental property tax TIF at $19,534,921.

As with the previous TIF project plan, the City bears no financial risk.  If bonds are issued on the project, the City bears no financial obligation for the payment of the bonds.

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.

The development agreement for this project, which includes the creation of a larger park on land currently owned by the Shawnee Mission School District, was approved by the City Council in October 2023. The purchase was originally set to close on or before January 2024, over a year ago.

In December 2023, petitions were submitted to the City of Westwood protesting the sale of Joe D. Dennis Park unless there was a public vote. In January 2024, the City requested guidance on the petitions from the Johnson County Counselor’s office, as it was not clear whether the petitions were valid under Kansas law. That office issued an advisory opinion that the petitions were not valid and that the question could not be included on a ballot. The Johnson County District Attorney and Kansas Attorney General did not challenge the County Counselor’s determination.

In early 2024, the Johnson County District Court ruled that the petitions were invalid, meaning a vote could not be held, and allowing the project and feature park to proceed. However, that decision was appealed to the Kansas Court of Appeals by one Westwood resident. So long as the appeal remained outstanding and open, the City, the School District, and Karbank could not proceed with this project. In November 2024, the Court of Appeals sent the matter back to the District Court for further proceedings on this resident’s intervention rights.

In its decision, the Court of Appeals suggested that the petitions may be valid and that the City may recognize their validity, providing an opportunity for the public to vote on the issue as originally requested. At its December 2024 meeting, the City Council accepted the Court’s decisions, recognized the validity of the petitions, and called for an election to be held on April 1, 2025.

Under Kansas tax increment financing (TIF) laws, cities can fund projects in two ways:

1. The City issues “bonds” to generate up-front cash necessary to do a project and then repays the bond over 20 years using TIF proceeds; or

2. The developer privately finances a project and then the City reimburses the developer on a “pay-as-you-go” basis as TIF revenues are generated and collected over that same 20 years.

    

There are differences between “public benefit TIF” projects (such as the one proposed by the City of Westwood) and “private TIF” projects. Most private TIF projects use the second approach, avoiding bonds.

In Westwood, Karbank did not request TIF incentives and has not asked that the tax increment go towards their private development costs. Instead, all of the TIF increment proceeds will fund a new City-owned park and related public infrastructure improvements. That is, a “public benefit TIF”.

Yet, for the City to pay for a new park, it must still generate the up-front cash in order to pay contractors, pay for play equipment, etc. Cities, however, are not permitted by law to obtain private bank loans in the same ways that private developers are.

For this public benefit TIF, the City would likely bond (borrow) the costs of the park project, similar to how residents may take out a loan to build or expand their homes. This will allow the City to fund the park immediately rather than waiting 20 years for TIF revenues to build.

Karbank has proposed an office development on City-owned land along Rainbow Boulevard, with limited retail or restaurant purposes. In exchange for the City conveying its frontage property along Rainbow Boulevard to them, plus a portion of adjacent property, Karbank would finance the City’s acquisition of the former Westwood View Elementary School site to the west ($2.65 million), 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 (for approximately $550,000) that Karbank would convey to the City for park space.

As part of the plan, the City would also develop a new and larger park, primarily on the former Westwood View site. In terms of size, Dennis Park is itself less than one acre in size. Upon completion of the project, the City’s official park area would increase to 3.86 acres.

Following several public hearings and meetings throughout 2023, both the Westwood Planning Commission and the City Council approved a rezoning and development plans for this project. The City, Karbank, and the School District have been attempting to “close” and proceed with the project since early 2024.

Throughout the process, numerous concerns and ideas raised by the public were considered, and plans were changed in response to public input. Buildings were moved away from property lines; trees were preserved; materials and colors were softened; additional traffic analysis was performed; square footage was reduced; and additional parkland was provided.

Karbank has not requested tax increment financing (TIF) or community improvement district (CID) incentives for its project. However, Karbank supports the City pursuing a “public benefit” tax increment financing (TIF) district, the revenues from which would go only to park development and public infrastructure costs, and not to Karbank’s private development costs. This would enable the City of Westwood to financially develop the new park without imposing additional property tax burdens on taxpayers.

More information about the development can be found here. Additional information on the public benefit TIF can be found in other FAQs on this website.

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.

Residents should not expect that their property taxes will go up to pay off bonds.

There are generally two types of bonds the City would consider issuing:

1. general obligation (“GO”) bonds which are backed by or paid off by City revenues; and

2. special obligation (“SO”) bonds which are backed by or paid off by revenues from specific projects (such as the Karbank project).

The City has not determined the exact structure of any future bond issuance (doing so would be premature prior to the Spring election).

While the City could issue GO bonds for the full scope of the project, the City anticipates instead that a bond issuance would include SO bonds which would be paid back by the Karbank project revenues, not general City tax dollars. The City may issue a combination of both GO and SO bonds in order to make the bonds more marketable and obtain more favorable terms (such as lower interest rates, which would reduce debt service, allowing for more dollars to be spent on the park and other public improvements).

This possibility is referenced in the City’s preliminary pro forma (published here), with the assumption that bonds would be “further secured by its general obligation pledge”. This is not unusual in municipal finance for public projects that provide public benefits and reflects the City’s conservative approach to financing. However, the City’s preliminary TIF pro forma indicates that TIF proceeds from the project will be sufficient to pay all debt service payments.

As an example, in 2016, the City of Prairie Village issued approximately $19.435 million in bonds in order to develop the Meadowbrook project, which included the new Meadowbrook Park. Of those, $8.135 million were in special obligation (SO) bonds, and $11.3 million were in general obligation (GO) bonds. However, since the TIF proceeds from the project generated enough value to make all payments on both types of bonds, in 2021, the City of Prairie Village refinanced all GO bonds into special obligation (SO) bonds.

Other revenues generated by the project (outside of the TIF), such as sales taxes, liquor taxes, and franchise fees, would be available for general City uses almost immediately after project opening. Building permit fees would also be generated for immediate City use upon construction commencement.

The City will closely follow the recommendations of its professional financial advisors in determining how the bonds should ultimately be structured.

To guide the future of the community, the City has created various plans through extensive public engagement and consultation with experts in local government. In considering these matters, and in preparing to make decisions on these issues, the City Council and Planning Commission were guided by the work that has come before, all of which came with significant community input. These include the following:

• 2015 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Technical Assistance Panel Study;

• 2017 Comprehensive Plan;

• 2021 Urban Land Institute Technical Assistance Panel Study; and

• 2022 City Facilities Assessment and Feasibility Analysis (performed by Multistudio), and community surveys issued as part of that.

In approving the Karbank project, the City also considered the extent to which the proposal accomplishes other goals of the City, such as:

• Increasing park and green space (including ADA compliance and restrooms for park users);

• Putting tax-exempt properties to productive use, especially along a major commercial corridor (Rainbow Boulevard);

• Generating increased revenue for general City operations (helping to either finance additional City needs or reducing the property tax burden on Westwood residents);

• Eliminating debt on 5050 Rainbow (the former church property); and

• Providing commercial opportunities and other amenities desired by residents.

Following the 2022 City Facilities Assessment and Feasibility Analysis, the City also 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 former church property. Information on this survey work can be seen here.

In Spring 2025, registered and qualified voters of Westwood will receive mail-in ballots asking whether the following question shall be adopted: “whether the Joe D. Dennis Park shall be sold, traded, or exchanged”. This language was taken directly from the protest petitions filed with the City.

Westwood Hills and Mission Woods electors would not be eligible to vote in this election.

The Johnson County Election Office and the City will provide more information on the election during the first few months of 2025. Along with the ballots, voters will receive instructions on how to mark the ballot to vote either for or against the proposition and a stamped, addressed return identification envelope in which the marked ballot must be placed. Ballots will need to be received by the Johnson County Election Office by no later than April 1, 2025.

As a result of the several meetings and public hearings held in 2023, Karbank made a number of changes to its proposed project. These include the following:

• The overall project square footage was reduced by 15%, going from 125,000 square feet to 106,000 square feet (smaller than Karbank’s Mission Woods project);

• Building height was concentrated at the interior of the site, utilizing the natural slope of the ground to reduce apparent height;

• Karbank switched from brightly-colored exterior glazing to more exterior wood cladding, with muted earth tones and natural colors;

• Additional parkland was provided to the City;

• Setbacks were increased to create additional buffers from adjacent roads and properties; and

• Improved park access was created, with parking stalls set aside for park users.

Should the ballot measure pass, the City will move forward with the sale of the existing park to Karbank, who would then move forward with their approved plan for a mixed-use development at 5000 Rainbow Blvd.

The City would then also continue the planning process for the new feature park. Preliminary planning work for the new feature park can be viewed here. The next steps in that process would be:

1. Additional public feedback would be incorporated into a complete park proposal;

2. Park design recommendation would be finalized and submitted to the Planning Commission and City Council for acceptance;

3. Engineering and site plan review and approval;

4. Financing options for the park would be finalized;

5. Construction documents developed; construction contractor selection;

6. Construction (construction timeline depends on final design); and

7. Ribbon cutting.

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.

Karbank cannot sell or lease the property to tax-exempt entities (such as KU Med) without City approval.

Even if the City did approve a sale to a tax-exempt entity, the new owner must make “payments in lieu of taxes” (PILOTs) to the City equal to the property taxes owed for the remaining term of the 20-year TIF agreement between Karbank and the City to ensure funding for the new park and other related public improvements.

The City is not aware of KU Med having approached the City indicating an interest in acquiring Dennis Park, 5050 Rainbow (the former church), or the former Westwood View site.

The City understands that KU Med is a strong and growing presence in the area. The City of Westwood is also quite proud to be the current home of the KU Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute (NCI) “comprehensive” cancer center in the State of Kansas. Every day, KU Med—including the Cancer Center—provides amazing care for our community.

In 2025, the KU Cancer Center also intends to break ground on a new cancer center located at its 39th and Rainbow campus in Kansas City, Kansas. The long-term future of the existing facility in Westwood is not yet known.

https://www.kucancercenter.org/unitedinhope-new-cancer-building

Concerns about potential tax revenue loss after the 20-year TIF term overlook that Dennis Park and 5050 Rainbow generate zero dollars in property tax revenue, sales tax revenue, liquor tax revenue, storm water utility fees, or franchise fees. Since the sites are already tax-exempt, any future exemption would not result in a loss—rather, the Karbank project would create new revenue during the TIF term, enabling the City to fund a new park.

Trees are an integral part of the neighborhood and the environment. For the Karbank project itself (not including the new feature park), many if not most of the existing street trees will be maintained to preserve the street canopy. Additional trees and landscaping will also be planted along the perimeter of the site to maximize screening.

The picture linked here shows the existing trees being preserved (in blue) as well as the new trees and landscaping being installed (in pink). An arborist has also been engaged to inventory all existing trees and develop a tree preservation plan.

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.

All of Karbank’s buildings are proposed to be at least “Class A” buildings, and likely even “Class A+”. The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) defines a Class A building as a “premier space with rents above average for the area.” Class A office spaces have newer, high-quality finishes along with updated systems and technology.

While the values for Class A and Class A+ office space across Johnson County vary significantly, County records reflect values on some new Class A buildings north of $180 per square foot and for Class A+ buildings north of $200 per square foot.

In addition, the County Appraiser values first-floor retail in mixed-use buildings differently than office space. In Johnson County, Class A values for first-floor retail generally range from $280 to $380 per square foot. In fact, the first-floor values for Woodside Village North exceed even that, being currently valued at $384 per square foot.

The City’s financial advisor took a conservative approach in the initial TIF pro forma, so as to not overpromise or oversell the TIF analysis. That analysis may be seen here. Given Karbank’s expected build quality for the site, the City is confident in the modeling, which establishes that TIF proceeds will be sufficient to pay off the City’s bonds without the City having to look to residents and their tax dollars.

If the ballot measure fails, then the City would retain Joe D. Dennis Park and it would remain in place. Neither the Karbank development nor the new park would be built. The City would also continue to hold the vacant former Westwood Christian Church site (which is not officially part of Dennis Park) and approximately $275,000 in debt on that property.

There are not any current plans or funds budgeted for renovation or expansion of Dennis Park or the former church property. Dennis Park would remain as it currently is and continue to be used for park purposes. At some time, the City may need to determine what use—if any—should be made of the former church property, whether that be for park and green space or other uses.

The School District would likely seek another buyer for the old Westwood View school site, and the City would have no control over that sale. The City would not be in a financial position to purchase the property. If future owners of the site present their own development proposals, the City would review those under the City’s zoning regulations but would not otherwise have a say in them or participate in them.

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 benefit of any “deal” for a city depends on a variety of factors, not just financial dollars and cents. Cities provide services to residents, and do not operate as for-profit businesses. The merits of a project such as this may include non-financial considerations such as increasing park space, generating long-term revenue for City operations, providing amenities desired by residents, and generally improving residents’ quality of life.

The City also considered the concerns of residents that did not feel the project would ultimately be the right direction for the City, such as the relocation of park space, the development (in and of itself) of a commercial project on Rainbow Boulevard, and the impacts on neighboring residents.

As to financial questions, as of 2024, Dennis Park (which the City would be conveying to Karbank) had a County-appraised value of $40,910, and 5050 Rainbow (the former church, and which the City would also be conveying to Karbank) had a county-appraised value of $81,050, for a total of $121,960. Both properties are tax-exempt and generate no property taxes, sales taxes, or franchise fees for the City.

In 2022, JLL Valuation & Advisory Services—an international and Fortune 500 firm—established a combined market value conclusion of $1.57 million for the two sites. However, that appraisal assumed current land use and zoning (residential/park), not the ability to develop the site.

In the 2022 City Facilities Assessment and Feasibility Analysis, Multistudio estimated that the properties would have a value between $3.5 million and $4.3 million, but only if rezoned for development purposes. Any development could generate property and sales taxes, unless developed for a tax-exempt use (such as the KU Cancer Center property). Karbank would be prohibited from selling (or leasing) the property to tax-exempt entities without the approval of the City.

Financial benefits to the City (in terms of dollars) are estimated to include the following (either paid for by Karbank, or generated from the project):

Acquisition of former Westwood View site                                 $2,650,000

Payment of School District Carrying Costs:                                     $135,000

Payoff City Debt on 5050 Rainbow:                                                   $275,000

Demolition and Grading (estimated)                                             $1,000,000

Value of Additional Land Donated by Karbank:                             $550,000

Public Benefit TIF (Property Taxes) (20 years):                            $4,500,000

TOTAL:                                                                                        $9,110,000.00

This figure does not include sales taxes, liquor taxes, franchise fees from utilities, building permit fees, storm water fees, and other revenues that the City would likely realize from the Karbank project.

Although a portion of the former Westwood View site would be used for part of the Karbank development, the above total (not including future sales taxes and other fees) well-exceeds the highest appraisal figure received by the City for Dennis Park and 5050 Rainbow of $4.3 million (which was dependent on development zoning). 

The City understands the confusion surrounding demolition cost estimates. No formal bids have been obtained, but estimates vary: Multistudio’s 2022 assessment projected $1.7–$2 million, while the City’s Donation Agreement with Karbank lists $350,000. This discrepancy arises from differences in scope—Multistudio’s estimate included grading and sodding, while Karbank’s figure covers only school demolition.

This issue was noted in the August 28, 2023, Message from the Mayor regarding the Karbank and Park Development Project and can be referenced here.

Whereas Multistudio’s demolition estimates included “finish grade and sodding”, the $350,000 referenced in the Karbank Donation Agreement only applies to “the cost of the School Demolition” (not grading or sodding) (and the cost is not limited to $350,000—it is just a stated estimate).

To provide a balanced estimate, the City FAQ (direct link available here) referenced a $1 million demolition and grading estimate.

Although that was just an estimate used for illustrative purposes, and included “grading”, changing the demolition figure to $350,000 in the cost calculation shown in the FAQ linked above would result in a total net benefit to the City of $8,460,000.00, all other factors left as stated in the FAQ calculation. 

Even using the lower $350,000 figure, the Karbank contribution exceeds the highest appraisal for Dennis Park and 5050 Rainbow received by the City ($4.3 million), which appraisal was dependent on the property being rezoned for development and not remaining as it currently is, based on rezoning).

The City would also own 3.8 acres of land, compared to the 2.8 acres of land it has now, the City debt on the 5050 Rainbow property would be paid off, and the City would have new and future revenue streams for City operations and projects. 

The Johnson County District Court ruled that the petition could not be put on a ballot because it failed to include the proposed question to be voted on and because the petition document signed by residents didn’t meet the formatting requirements set by State law. 

The City encourages all residents to exercise their rights to vote in the Spring election. Preliminary information on the election is currently available at https://www.jocoelection.org/events-elections/april-1-2025-city-westwood.

With this FAQ, the City intends to provide only factual information, budget analyses, and summaries of public planning processes. Under Kansas law, while the City may educate and inform residents on matters to be voted on, the City cannot convey favoritism, partisanship, partiality, approval, or disapproval. Accordingly, this FAQ should not be interpreted as the City’s recommendation—one way or the other—as to how residents should vote in the Spring 2025 election.

The City is committed to working with the Johnson County Election Office to ensure a free and fair election for all qualified electors of Westwood. The City encourages its residents to review all pertinent information, talk with their neighbors, participate in debate and discussion, listen to and respect all sides and opinions, and vote their conscious. The City respects the election process and the ultimate decision made by the Westwood community.

The City filed a motion to dismiss the appeal of the recent Johnson County District Court ruling that a petition requesting a public vote on the proposal to sell City-owned property at 50th & Rainbow Blvd. to a private developer could not be put on a ballot.

The motion to dismiss is based on numerous grounds, including:

• The Johnson County District Court ruled that the petition did not meet the necessary requirements because it failed to comply with state law in numerous respects.
• Both City legal counsel and Johnson County legal counsel also previously ruled the petition invalid.
• The Kansas Attorney General and the Johnson County District Attorney’s office—who were named as parties to the declaratory judgment action—did not disagree with the City’s positions.
• The City views the appeal as meritless and intended only to cause delay in order to taint the impending sale

No. Karbank cannot change the project to residential “at any time”. The property is zoned “Planned Commercial”, and offices and retail are the approved uses of the development. 

Should Karbank—or any other future owner—desire to change the approved zoning or use (such as to multifamily residential), they would need to follow the standard rezoning process and make application to the Planning Commission for consideration and approval by the City Council. This cannot be done without a public review and approval process, including a public hearing, with statutory notice to surrounding property owners.

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.

Yes. Should the development be completed, Karbank is under no requirement to own the property for any amount of time. Karbank can sell the property after the development is constructed. However, Karbank has indicated to the City that it intends to construct and manage the project well into the future, as it currently does with its existing projects.

Even so, Karbank is limited in who they could sell to. Karbank would be prohibited from selling (or leasing) the property to tax-exempt entities without the approval of the City and, even in that case, the City would require that such an owner make payments to the City equivalent to the amount of property taxes that would have been paid during the remaining term of the 20-year tax increment financing (TIF) agreement between Karbank and the City.

The City of Westwood can move forward with the redevelopment project only after the litigation is resolved and once the City's land sale to Karbank and land purchase from the Shawnee Mission School District closes. The City is currently working with its partners at Karbank and the Shawnee Mission School District to determine the path forward and next steps. 

The November 15, 2024 Court of Appeals ruling ruling comes a day after the professional park design team at PORT presented the results of the community visioning that took place this Fall and shared potential designs for the new feature park. Without the sale of the City’s property to Karbank and the purchase of the former Westwood View School site by the City (which purchase would be fully-funded by Karbank), the new feature park cannot be built. The City does not have the ability alone to update or expand the existing Joe D. Dennis Park, as capital resources are directed first and foremost to streets, sidewalks, streetlights, and deferred maintenance on City buildings, including the Public Works facility, as planned in the City's Capital Improvements Plan.

The City's original purchase and sale closing date was in February 2024. In December 2023, the contracts were extended to set closing in August 1, 2024. In December 2024, the City hopes to again extend the contracts to extend the closing date to work through the ongoing litigation.

If the Spring 2025 ballot measure fails, then the School District would likely seek another buyer for the old Westwood View school site. The City would have no control over that sale, and the City would not purchase the property itself. The City does not know what other types of projects could be proposed by future owners. The City would review those proposals under the City’s zoning regulations but would not otherwise have a say in them or participate in them.

The City does maintain certain controls over the development of property through its zoning regulations, subdivision regulations, and building codes. However, under Kansas law, zoning controls are not unlimited. For example, cities may not exercise their zoning authority in an arbitrary or capricious manner. Kansas law further provides that, when considering zoning and planning decisions, the “public welfare” means the community as a whole, not just immediate neighbors.

In 2023, the Planning Commission and City Council held several public hearings and public meetings on rezoning and development plans for the site. The Planning Commission recommended approval of these applications, and the City Council approved the rezoning with a supermajority vote following the submittal of a protest petition. Additional FAQs on this website address those matters which the City considered in approving the Karbank proposal.

If the Spring 2025 ballot measure fails, then the School District would likely seek another buyer for the old Westwood View school site. The City would have no control over that sale. Subsequent purchasers of the former Westwood View site could apply to the City for rezonings, development plans, special use permits, and the like, all of which would be handled through regular City processes. Depending on the nature of the proposed development, plans could require public hearings and review and approval by the Planning Commission and the City Council.

Offices and retail are the approved uses of the development. Office buildings are also designed and constructed much differently than apartments, making conversions very costly. Should Karbank—or any other future owner—desire to change the approved use (such as to multifamily residential), they would need to follow the standard process and make application to the Planning Commission for consideration and approval by the City Council. This cannot be done without a public review and approval process, including a public hearing. 

This spring, the City will launch a citizen survey aimed at better understanding residents’ vision for the future of Westwood. City officials will use the feedback to shape a Governing Body strategic planning process. 

The City has developed a park planning steering committee to guide officials on plans for Westwood’s greenspace. This group is set to begin meeting in early March and broader public engagement on the park design is planned for Fall 2024.

Residents are encouraged to sign up for the City newsletter via this link to receive notices and updates. 

Karbank recently announced its plans to construct a new three-story Class A office and residential building in Mission Woods, known as the “1957 Building”. Karbank’s zoning in Mission Woods allowed for this project and in May 2024, the Mission Woods Board of Zoning Appeals also approved the project. Karbank followed all Mission Woods requirements and obtained all Mission Woods approvals necessary.

If Karbank ever seeks to amend its approved development plan in Westwood, it would require City approval, including review by the Planning Commission, City Council approval, resident notification, and a public hearing.

The Karbank project cannot expand into the new City park. Karbank cannot develop City-owned land, and the City is entering into a Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions ensuring the site remains a park for over 40 years.

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.

Traffic and safety improvements will be a key part of the development, with Karbank constructing entrances and exits that prioritize pedestrian safety. These improvements include constructing a sidewalk on the north side of 50th St. between Rainbow Blvd. and Adams to allow families walking to and from Westwood View to avoid crossing the entrance to the Karbank shops and offices.

The development also aligns with the Rainbow Boulevard Complete Streets and Traffic Management Plan. This plan recommends a new crosswalk at 51st Street and Rainbow and at 48th Terrace and Rainbow to allow students and families to safely cross Rainbow at locations closer to their homes. This is expected to reduce the number of students using the 50th Street and Rainbow intersection.

Taxes generated by the Karbank development are also planned to be used for capital expenses to upgrade streets adjoining the park such as enhancing pedestrian access and creating bike-friendly pathways at 50th Street and along 51st Street/51st Terrace. 

A traffic study of the Karbank development was conducted and independently reviewed by a third-party traffic engineer. The vast majority of vehicular traffic coming into the development will be at entrances south of the 50th Street and Rainbow intersection since there is no garage or Rainbow frontage parking available via 50th Street.

There will be no drive-throughs and no street parking as part of the project. More information about the development’s traffic and pedestrian impacts can be found here and here.

At the same time, the City is currently reimagining the Rainbow corridor, which should result in reduced traffic lanes, speed limit reductions, the addition of bicycle lanes, and other pedestrian improvements. More information on that initiative is available here.

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.

State law provides strict requirements for adding items to a ballot and, under the Kansas Constitution, cities are limited to very specific issues when holding a referendum.

Given the Johnson County Counselor’s advisory opinion on the petitions, the City was uncertain if it had the legal authority to place the question on the ballot. In January 2024, the City asked the Johnson County District Court to determine:

• if the language on the petition could be placed on a ballot;
• if the petition was legally valid; and 
• whether the State law cited by the petitioners applied to this particular property sale.

The Johnson County District Court ruled in February 2024 that the petitions were not valid and that the question could not be put to a vote. However, in November 2024, the Kansas Court of Appeals sent the case back to the District Court for further review. In its decision, the Court of Appeals suggested that the petitions may be valid and that the City may recognize their validity.

At its December 2024 meeting, the City Council accepted the Court’s decisions, recognized the validity of the petitions, and called for an election to be held on April 1, 2025. The City also voluntarily dismissed the legal case.

The City will own the new park. Karbank will not have a lien on it. 

Yes, appraisals were obtained by the City.

In 2022, JLL Valuation & Advisory Services—an international and Fortune 500 firm—established a combined market value conclusion of $1.57 million for the Dennis Park and the 5050 Rainbow (former church) sites. However, that appraisal assumed current land use and zoning (residential/park), not the ability to develop the site.

In the 2022 City Facilities Assessment and Feasibility Analysis, Multistudio estimated that the properties would have a value between $3.5 million and $4.3 million, but only if rezoned for development purposes.

No. The City was uncertain if it had the legal authority to call an election based on the petition submitted to the City. In its request for review to the Johnson County District Court, and in accordance with previous Kansas Supreme Court precedent, the City named only the Johnson County District Attorney’s office and the Kansas State Attorney General’s office as defendants. No residents were named or sued.

One resident attempted to intervene in the case. The District Court determined that she was not entitled to intervene. The resident then appealed this decision to the Kansas Court of Appeals. In November 2024, the Court of Appeals remanded the case back to the District Court for further proceedings on this question.

On December 18, 2024, the City, the Kansas Attorney General, and the Johnson County District Attorney jointly dismissed the declaratory judgment action with the Johnson County District Court. On December 30, 2024, the one Westwood resident filed pleadings seeking to prevent the legal case from being dismissed.

The City does not establish property values; that function is performed by Johnson County. Property values for homeowners in the area are influenced by many factors. Similar projects in the area suggest that properties adjacent to or near high-quality commercial developments see no negative or slightly positive impact to the value of single-family home properties. Adjacency to high-quality public school and park space also likely points to higher property values for homeowners.

The City has reviewed similar projects and found the value of homes adjacent to these developments were either higher than or in-line with homes several blocks away from the projects, including:

• the Karbank office/retail/restaurant development in Mission Woods;

• the residential properties adjacent to the Fairway Shops;

• the residential properties closest to Woodside Village (these properties have had some of the highest levels of new investment and percentage increases in value in all of Westwood, ); and

• the residential properties immediately around the new Westwood View Elementary.

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.

The City and residents have explored various ideas for the area through planning efforts such as the 2015 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Technical Assistance Panel Study, the 2017 Comprehensive Plan, the 2021 ULI Study, and the 2022 City Facilities Assessment and Feasibility Analysis.

Perhaps most importantly, many options, ideas, and choices were presented to the residents of Westwood for their input.

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. That is, several conceptual choices were provided to Westwood residents, and residents were asked to provide their opinions on these choices from both a “land use” perspective and from a ”financial” perspective.

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. Of the various scenarios presented, residents’ top choices contemplated development on the site of existing Dennis Park and former church property. 

Ideas and concerns were also considered by the Planning Commission and the City Council during the nearly seven-month-long public engagement process that started in March 2023. Many public hearings and open meetings were held, several of which lasted for several hours as the City received public input and feedback.

As a result of this input, Karbank made a number of changes to its proposed project. These include the following:

• Reduced project size by 15%;

• Concentrated building height in the interior;

• Switched to muted earth-tone materials;

• Added more parkland and increased setbacks;

• Improved park access with dedicated parking.

The Planning Commission and the City Council determined that the Karbank proposal aligned with the City’s goals and objectives and the preferences of most Westwood residents.

The City encourages residents to attend or listen to City Council meetings. Anyone interested in what’s happening in Westwood—not just Westwood residents—are also encouraged to sign up for the City e-newsletter via this link to receive notices and updates about important issues. You can also follow the City on Facebook 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.”
   

Protection of our residents is of the utmost importance to the City. The City of Westwood Police Department also provides police protection services to the City of Mission Woods, where Karbank’s similar office and retail development is located. Between 2020 and 2024, no violent crimes—zero—were reported at the Karbank project in Mission Woods. Karbank also has full-time security routinely patrolling its properties as well, and that would also be in place for its Westwood project.

The litigation issues of this past year delayed the commencement of this project, and contractual agreements were amended to account for that. If the April 2025 ballot measure passes, Karbank would fund the acquisition of the former Westwood View Elementary school by no later than May 19, 2025. Karbank would then fund demolition of the former school building by August 4, 2025, and be required to commence its development by January 31, 2027, though Karbank would likely begin much sooner than that.

The Karbank project and the new park are linked, with part of the development planned for the former Westwood View site. The City does not own that property—it is owned by Shawnee Mission School District.

In late 2022 and early 2023, the School District informed the City that it would soon market and sell the former Westwood View property, offering the City a chance to "match" the highest bid. However, the City lacked the funds to immediately purchase the property and match any expected bids.

When Karbank presented its proposal in March 2023, the City worked with the School District to exercise the City’s 2019 option agreement, pausing the bid process and allowing the City to consider the proposal. In March 2023, the City began a public engagement process, lasting seven months, to determine if the Karbank project was a good fit.

As a result, the City, Karbank, and the School District agreed on a $2.65 million purchase price, and the School District paused its marketing plans. Following public hearings and feedback, both the Planning Commission and City Council approved the rezoning and development plan.

Throughout the process, the project was adjusted based on public input, including changes to building placement, tree preservation, materials, traffic analysis, project size, and additional parkland.

The City has considered whether selling residential lots could fund park redevelopment, but this approach presents significant challenges. The City is not a developer of residential subdivisions.

In order for the City to sell homesites, the City would first need to purchase the former Westwood View Elementary site. The City cannot sell property it does not own to residential developers, or to anyone for that matter. The City does not have immediately-available money to pay the $2.65 million purchase price for the school site. 

Bonding (borrowing) even $2.65 million alone would require a 21% property tax increase (over 4.5 mills). Additional borrowing for demolition, debt repayment, upgrading both Dennis Park and 5050 Rainbow, and the like—millions of additional dollars of debt—would further increase taxes.

Furthermore, the previous option agreement with the School District expired in February 2024, and the site’s current appraised value exceeds $3 million.

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

This plan also assumes the City could successfully replat, develop, market, and sell lots at high values to quickly repay bonds. This is highly uncertain and risky for taxpayers. If the City is unable to do any of those things, then the lot sale revenues would fall short of the amounts needed to pay off any general obligation (GO) bonds of the City.

Finally, it is not appropriate to use the purchase price for recent tear-downs as a guide for establishing the value the City could get for selling new lots:

• The value of existing tear-down lots would not include the costs of survey and engineering fees for designing and engineering a new residential subdivision.

• The City would need to construct new streets, rights-of-way, curbs, gutters, storm sewers, sidewalks, and streetlights. Current lots in Westwood, even tear-downs, are priced as if the costs of streets and the related infrastructure serving them are already included.

• The City would need to construct and install (or pay for) utilities to the sites, such as electricity, gas, sanitary sewer, and fiber. Current lots in Westwood, even tear-downs, are priced as if the costs of bringing utilities to them are already included.

Those are costs—in millions of additional dollars—that are not accounted for when pricing lots according to existing tear-down values. The City and its residents would be responsible for these costs, including payments on general obligation (GO) bonds.

In contrast, the current public benefit TIF plan funds park development without raising property taxes, making it a more financially viable solution.

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.

To minimize disturbances during construction, the City would monitor and intervene on issues including dust control and noise management. The City would prioritize communication with residents throughout the project to keep everyone informed of construction timelines and impacts, as well as quickly respond to issues brought by residents. Any residents who encounter issues with construction on this or any other City project are encouraged to share their concerns with City staff and elected officials so they can be resolved.

Traffic and safety improvements are a key part of the development, with a focus on pedestrian safety. This includes building a sidewalk on the north side of 50th St. between Rainbow Blvd. and Adams to help families avoid crossing the entrance to the Karbank shops (employee parking for the office tenants is not accessible via 50th Street).

The project aligns with the Rainbow Boulevard Complete Streets and Traffic Management Plan, which recommends new crosswalks at 51st Street and Rainbow and at 48th Terrace and Rainbow to allow students and families to cross safely at locations closer to their homes. This should reduce pedestrian traffic at the 50th Street and Rainbow intersection.

Taxes from the Karbank development are also intended to fund upgrades to nearby streets, including pedestrian access improvements and bike-friendly modifications on 50th Street and 51st Street/51st Terrace.

A traffic study of the Karbank development was conducted and reviewed by an independent third-party traffic engineer. Most traffic will enter the development south of the 50th Street and Rainbow intersection, as no garage access and no Rainbow frontage parking is accessible via 50th Street. The development will not have drive-throughs or street parking.

More information about the development’s traffic and pedestrian impacts can be found here and here.

The City is also reimagining the Rainbow corridor to reduce traffic lanes, lower speed limits, add bicycle lanes, and improve pedestrian access. More information on that initiative is available here.

The City developed a Complete Streets Plan and Policy in 2021 and has been working diligently ever since to find funding for the recommendations and to design and build them. You can read more about this plan and access the full document here. The following is a current status of the City’s work on walkability and pedestrian safety:

• Rainbow Boulevard. – In Summer 2024, the City and area partners completed a Complete Streets study and plan. Woodside has agreed to dedicate significant funds to help pay for Westwood’s portion of implementing the recommendations. The City is actively working with regional and state level partners to pursue additional funding. The City is hopeful a demonstration of planned improvements can occur in 2026, with the full project occurring in 2028. More information is available here.

• Mission Road. – In 2025, Westwood and Roeland Park are partnering to apply Complete Streets principles here, with the introduction of signed crosswalks, separated bike lanes, and modern street lighting to make walking after dark safer. 

• 47th Place. – In 2021, the City conducted a design charette to explore ways to make this street between Rainbow and State Line better for pedestrians and cyclists. The City is actively working with Woodside on ways to partner to fund these improvements in 2026. More information about the planning work is available here. 

• 47th Street. – In Spring 2024, the City completed construction on Complete Street improvements. This project now serves as a model for transforming Rainbow Blvd. into a Complete Street. More information is available here. 

• Belinder Avenue. – Edge lines added in 2020 to give the effect of a narrower street to slow drivers. Pedestrian crossing and sidewalks added at 49th Terrace in 2021 to create safer ways for students to get to Westwood View Elementary School. Recommendations made in 2024 by the Planning Commission to explore adding crosswalks and in-street pedestrian crossing signs at 47th Terrace and 51st Terrace., which City staff is currently investigating. 

• Interior Streets. – In 2019, the City issued bonds to improve a number of streets, to replace sidewalks, and to install modern pedestrian-scale street lighting. In 2022 and again in 2024, the Planning Commission studied pedestrian improvements on interior residential streets. Recommendations for incremental integration of traffic calming strategies are now being explored for implementation in 2025.

Should the ballot measure pass, the City will move forward with the sale of the existing park to Karbank, who would then move forward with their approved plan for a mixed-use development at 5000 Rainbow Blvd.

The City would then also continue the planning process for the new feature park. Preliminary planning work for the new feature park can be viewed here. The next steps in that process would be:

1. Incorporate additional public feedback into the park proposal.

2. Finalize the park design recommendation for Planning Commission and City Council approval.

3. Complete engineering and site plan review.

4. Finalize financing options for the park.

5. Develop construction documents and select a contractor.

6. Begin construction (timeline depends on final design).

7. Hold a ribbon cutting ceremony. 

If the ballot measure fails, then the City would retain Joe D. Dennis Park and it would remain in place. Neither the Karbank development nor the new park would be built. The City would also continue to hold the vacant former Westwood Christian Church site (which is not officially part of Dennis Park) and approximately $275,000 in debt on that property.

There are not any current plans or funds budgeted for renovation or expansion of Dennis Park or the former church property. Dennis Park would remain as it currently is and continue to be used for park purposes. At some time, the City may need to determine what use—if any—should be made of the former church property, whether that be for park and green space or other uses.

The School District would likely seek another buyer for the old Westwood View school site, and the City would have no control over that sale. The City would not be in a financial position to purchase the property, and the City expects that the school building itself would remain in place until a buyer with a development plan having sufficient economics to permit demolition and development materialized. The property could remain vacant and perhaps fenced off until that time.

The City does not know what other types of projects could be proposed by future owners. If future owners of the site present their own development proposals, the City would review those under the City’s zoning regulations but would not otherwise have a say in them or participate in them.