Details sought on Sunflower site

K-10 Assn. discusses plans for former ammunition plant

? Members of the K-10 Assn. said Friday they were pleased with what they’ve heard about plans for a new development being considered for the old Sunflower Army Ammunition plant near DeSoto.

But they haven’t heard enough.

The K-10 Assn. elected several area residents to the group’s board of directors during its annual meeting Friday in Olathe. Eudora architect Kurt von Achen was re-elected as the association’s president. Lawrence City Commissioner David Dunfield was re-elected as vice president. Bob Barnhill, Kansas University’s vice chancellor for research, was elected to the board of directors.

Members of the group, which promotes growth and development along Kansas Highway 10, said during their annual meeting they need to learn more about plans being put forth by Kessinger/Hunter & Co., a Kansas City, Mo., development firm.

Kessinger/Hunter confirmed this week it had asked the state to consider transferring the 9,000-acre area to the development company in exchange for cleaning up the property. They haven’t disclosed much about their plans beyond saying the area would be developed with commercial, residential and recreational uses. Kessinger/Hunter officials declined to answer questions about the proposal at Friday’s meeting.

“Conceptually it seems to be appealing because the company has a lot of experience in real estate development,” said Rich Caplan, K-10 Assn. executive director. “They’re also not asking for any special financial incentives from the state, so that should help the project move along.

“But we still don’t know a lot about the details of what they want to do, and as they say, the devil may be in there.”

Many association members wondered Friday whether the company would use a master plan adopted by the Johnson County Commission or develop its own plan.

Under the master plan for the property approved in 1998 by Johnson County commissioners, more than 3,000 of the 9,000 acres at the site would be used for park land and a trail system. The remaining property would be divided between residential, commercial and industrial uses. When the area is completely developed, a process that likely would take 50 years, the property would have housing for 25,000 people. It also would have a 1,400-acre high-tech business park, 250 acres of commercial development along the highway, and a 600-acre town center site.

Dean Palos, principal planner for the Johnson County Department of Planning, said he hasn’t heard the group commit to following that plan. And he hadn’t heard much else, either.

The company said this week that it doesn’t want to pursue a Land of Oz theme park. Most association members said they were glad to see the theme park plan wither away.

“I’m absolutely glad to have that idea behind us,” Caplan said. “It was a lightning rod for concern that the project didn’t need.”

Lawrence City Commissioner David Dunfield said redevelopment of the Sunflower property was an important issue for Lawrence leaders to watch.

“Lawrence’s economy is more than a strictly local economy,” Dunfield said. “What happens in the region surrounding us is important. It’s a long-term issue but this might be an area where businesses will grow and provide jobs for Lawrence residents.”

The K-10 Assn. learned Friday how other former military installations have been successfully converted into commercial and residential areas. Thomas Markham, executive director of the Lowry Redevelopment Authority, talked about efforts to develop the abandoned Lowry Air Force base in Denver.

“I really do believe these type of situations present a great opportunity for a community, but it takes a great deal of cooperation, a great deal of coordination and a lot of money,” Markham said.

Kessinger/Hunter & Co. has said that it and its financer, Cherokee Investment Partners, will have up to $50 million available to handle environmental clean-up of the land, which was contaminated by decades of munitions production.