KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. Share your story idea with Isabella.
—
Neighbors living nearby one of the proposed sites for a new Royals ballpark brought their frustrations to the Overland Park City Council meeting on Monday night.
They claim a stadium near 119th and Nall in Overland Park would drastically change their community. Many called for a study of how traffic would be impacted, while some worried it would cause delays for first responders during emergencies.
"Where they want to put it now, it's not even on an interstate to get to it," neighbor Ken Sigman said. "The access is bad."
"We need a traffic study done, a current one post-COVID," neighbor Amanda Palan said. "Given the development that's already gone on the southside of the city, we need to confirm there would not be a negative impact to residents."
Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog responded to some of neighbors concerns during the public comment portion of the meeting.
"There have been no formal requests to the city on this topic at this time," Mayor Skoog said. "No applications or site plans have been submitted to the city. Should a formal request for a stadium be proposed, the City of Overland Park has a robust, development review process."
Leawood Mayor Marc E. Elkins also issued a statement last night saying a stadium at the Aspiria location would also heavily impact Leawood.
“The City of Leawood supports keeping the Kansas City Royals in our region, however, the City Council and I cannot, at this time, support the Overland Park Aspiria campus as an appropriate location for a Major League Baseball stadium. While Aspiria is in Overland Park, it is located directly across Nall Avenue from Leawood. Based on media reports and direct feedback from our residents, we share serious concerns about the potential impacts on Leawood and its citizens should a stadium be built on this property. These concerns include traffic congestion, noise and lighting, public safety and emergency access, parking in residential neighborhoods, infrastructure capacity, and impacts on nearby schools, medical facilities, senior living communities, and established single-family residential areas.
These concerns have been amplified by the State of Kansas’s lack of transparency regarding any plans for the site, which has eroded trust that residents’ concerns will be heard and meaningfully considered. We are further troubled by public statements from TMobile and the Jewish Community Centers Association, two institutions that are vital to the economic and cultural fabric of this area. Their expressed concerns about the proximity of a stadium and the negative impacts they anticipate underscore the broader risks associated with this location.
Given the concerns raised by residents and the opposition voiced by key institutions in this area, as well as the lack of information regarding the project, the City of Leawood cannot, at this time, support the location of a stadium at the Aspiria campus in Overland Park.”
- Mayor Marc E. Elkins
The Aspiria campus at West 119th Street and Nall Avenue in Overland Park is one of the proposed sites for a new Royals stadium.
More of KSHB 41's coverage can be found here.
—
