Olathe, Overland Park see significant annexations looming

Johnson County makes me sick. The entire city is run by crooks...always has been. Just ask the residents of Overland Park how well the city is taking care of the older parts of town. They'll just keep pushing outward, and the original city will go to crap just like every big city...when will grown men and women learn. I guess never when money is involved. Thieves, all of them.

Of course, Missouri has no such issues. Except for the schools. And the crime. And the roads. And the lower income, lower standard of living, lower life expectancy and worse health care. Yep, Johnson County is a hell hole. Hard to understand why it's the fastest growing county with consistently praised schools, highest land values, and strongest tax base of any county in both states. It's a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, all right. Good thing we have you folks next door to point these things out.

hey lets face it mo. and ks. both have governments that are looking out for big business not us. in 1999 we were forced to move because water dist. 1 wanted to put in a 24" water line from 111th to 119th on clare road,they wanted to charge us 3500.00 for the meter up front not monthly and a fee of 1500.00 per acre to go along with the meter fee.plus they used eminet? domain to get a 30 by 185 strip of our property for this.but 2 to 3 years later cedar creek build between 50 to 100 houses on this strip of road but the residents had to pay no fees or assesments for their water,water dist. 1 and the city of olathe are famous for this type of behavior.so yes I agree olathe and johnson county are a bunch of theives,but this also goes on in missouri also.

I am sure many of the residents who live south of the Overland Park city limits are quite angry that the city wants to annex the area. Overland Park and Olathe act like undeveloped land is a limitless resource. It is just ridiculous to see how bad the sprawl is getting with the idiotic numbered street system. What are we going to do next sprawl to 300th street?
I also agree with the other poster that Overland Park really does not care very much about some of the older areas of the city. The city always caters to the newer richer areas in the southern part of the city. I think the city should be split in two. It should be north Overland Park and south Overland Park. Each city could concentrate on infrastructure, infill, and the needs of a smaller geographical city boundary in a more efficient manner.

I like Sprawl, has a nice ring to it.
This..coming from an OP resident....residing
at 155th and Metcalf.....

All I ask is they bring more business out here.
i.e.: Borders, Panera, 1/2 Price Books Stores,
Toys R Us maybe a big ol' strip mall.

Knight,
Your opinion means nothing because you have never resided in the northern part of Overland Park. I use to live in Overland Park and am sure glad I do not live in the city limits anymore. You can have your ugly, disgusting, beige, cookie cutter landscape. The thing that southern Overland Park will never learn is that people DESIRE tree-lined streets with SIDEWALKS so people can actually walk and get exercise IN the neighborhood.

My hood IS tree lined and has sidewalks and parks.
My love and I talk walks often...but since you want to attempt at being 'strong in opinion' and offer a announcement that my opinion means nothing. I offer you this.

*hug*

Feel better? Did you lighten up a bit? No?
Irony is I'm laughing and you seem to be upset.

Sarcasm is such a waste.

Knight wrote:

My hood IS tree lined and has sidewalks and parks.
My love and I talk walks often...but since you want to attempt at being 'strong in opinion' and offer a announcement that my opinion means nothing. I offer you this.
*hug*
Feel better? Did you lighten up a bit? No?
Irony is I'm laughing and you seem to be upset.
Sarcasm is such a waste.

I live in old Prairie Village and love the trees, community and feel of the town - plus I grew up here. But, I'd trade my 50+ year old house for a new one in South OP in a second if I didn't love PV so much. My street didn't have trees when first built but doggone it, you can plant the dang things and they GROW! What a concept.

Knight,
Well, your neighborhood in obviously the exception to the rule. I have driven through many of the newer neighborhoods, and they DO NOT have sidewalks. Also, the majority of the trees in newer developments are not quality shade trees.(To many ornamental varieties) I much prefer the older neighborhoods that are 30+ years old because the quality of construction is much better on most of the homes, and is NOT stucco and vinyl siding like southern Overland Park has everywhere. I have many houses that have cracks in the stucco. Those building materials should stay in Arizona where they belong. I will take a brick house every single time over a vinyl box.

The only reason why so many people move to Olathe is because the vinyl boxes are CHEAP. This is because the building materials and quality of construction is also cheap. Houses built several decades ago are usually of much better quality than the houses you see being today being thrown up overnight are.

(EDIT)
I have seen many houses that have cracks in the stucco.

You sound like a bitter Bob Villa. Why is there such a division among Overland Park residents and those who do not live there or in your case...did...?

As if our (my) decision to move to S. OPKS automatically puts me in a generalizations you allude to. LOL For me it's simple.

1. My children go to excellent schools.
2. The housing costs and it's investment return is among the best in KC and it's surrounding areas.
3. It's relatively safe.
4. It's located in a can get anywhere in KC in 20-30 mins.

Do I long for interesting architecture and "culture"? Not really..if I want that I simply get into my car and drive. Do I want huge 100ft trees?
No..I recall the ice storms of a few years ago.
Wind? Outtage. Ice...Outtage...Rain...Outtage . NTY. If you chose..and I guess did? to live where you live..good for you. I wont' sit here and judge you based on your personal living decisions..as you have me.

Cheers!

*walks my poodle down cracked cement and manicured lawns*

Knight,
I respect your opinion, but the differences between northern areas of the city and the southern areas is becoming very evident over time. Overland Park caters to the developers and new developments in the south edge of the city. It really does not pay as much attention to the older established areas of the city. It was laughable to see the city finally decide to install sewers instead of drainage ditches in some of the establihsed northern Overland Park neighborhoods. This is just one example I am pointing out.

The cookie cutter phenomenon is not unique to our city and is becoming common everywhere, unfortunately. Some people I know say that the quality of construction in the newer houses is generally quite shoddy overall.

It is not suprising that you do not value architecture and culture. That is probably why you enjoy south Johnson County so much.

Storms do create some problems, but some neighborhoods actually do have underground utility lines. It should come as no suprise that there were also huge trees in this neighborhood that had the buried lines as well.

Unfortunately, there is division in Overland Park and in the Kansas City metro area. I think it is partly because of the rampanant sprawl, and the "bigger is better" attitude that is common in most big metro areas. I also believe that the numbered streets contribute the the "keeping up with the Jonese's syndrome."

These are some of my observations after living over 20 years in the Kansas City metro area.

The city of Overland Park is still fairly safe considering its large size now. It is nice greater amounts of diversity in the city and metro area as well. You have to remember that Johnson County had practically no diversity at all until the 1980s. Even as late as the 1970s the entire county was over 96-97% white.

Real estate appreciation is very good in south Overland Park. I would not disagree with that. In the coastal cities it is the exact opposite with the most expensive real estate found closer to core CBD.

I could debate you on Overland Park all day.

Cheers!

ahem, just my 2 cents....my house IS 50 years old and so is my neighborhood (in northern op) and i have NO sidewalk on my street. i also have no street lamps. so, check your facts mr. grouchy pants d in kansas. i also have old beautiful trees that continuously throw giant branches at my house during any kind of wind or precipitation. i chose to live here. i love my house and my neighborhood. i'm just sayin' nowhere is as perfect as you'd have us believe.

Knight,
I am not not judging your personal living decisions at all. I just say things as I see it when I look at the landscape from a geographer's point of view. I just can not believe how ugly some of the new housing developments are compared with the one's built 20-30 years ago. Maybe it is just my view of things, but I know quite a few other people that agree with me. South Overland Park is a very nice place to live, but it has never been appealing to me.

k in ks,
Wow, your street has no street lamps? I know for a fact that most neighborhoods in Overland Park have street lamps.

*shrug*

I'm just glad my driveway faces the rising sun
during the winter.=)

there is a street lamp at each end...i live in the middle...they are those sad pinkish lights on top of that. i'm not moving over it, or anything, though.

can someone go wait in line for me? to get me
3 tickets to the Garth Brooks concert??? huh?

=)

Knight wrote:

can someone go wait in line for me? to get me
3 tickets to the Garth Brooks concert??? huh?
=)

nope.
no hannah montana, either!
sorry, you'll have to wait for yourself.
:)

Im going to go for it online Sat morning..wish me
luck.