Overland Park has submitted three applications for Mid-America Regional Council grant funding for planning projects that would enhance understanding of creating sustainable areas in Overland Park.
Mid-America Regional Council’s Planning Sustainable Places program assists local cities with strategic planning efforts for site- and project-specific areas.
This year, Overland Park submitted applications for assistance with the
- Merriam Drive Gateways Corridor Study, which would analyze the relationship between land use and transportation along Merrian Drive and recommend opportunities to improve land use, enhance mobility, and create “complete streets” and sustainable stormwater infrastructure solutions. The Cities of Merriam and Kansas City, Kan. are proposed partner agencies on this project.
- College + Metcalf Walkability Study, which would consider options for a more active transportation choice to connect employees, visitors and residents to employment, the Convention Center and hotels, transit stops, open spaces and amenities in this area.
- College + Metcalf Overlay District, which would consider providing a more flexible mixed-use zoning code for this area in an attempt to spur reinvestment as well as provide more housing, retail and restaurant uses, recreational amenities and other opportunities.
Both College and Metcalf studies would further implement the OP Central College + Metcalf special area study, which Mid-America Regional Council previously funded as a Planning Sustainable Places project.
“These projects provide additional opportunities for Overland Park residents and business owners to engage with their community in building high quality, welcoming and sustainable places,” said Planning and Development Services Director Jack Messer. “These are some of the main goals the community shared with us during the Forward OP visioning process.”
Mid-America Regional Council requests your feedback on each of these projects. Visit MARC’s website to read details of each project and leave comments for the evaluating committee to consider. Comments are due July 3.
In recent years, the Planning Sustainable Places program assisted with planning studies for Vision Metcalf and Downtown Overland Park.
Mid-America Regional Council is a nonprofit association of city and county governments and the metropolitan planning organization for the bistate Kansas City region.