Mayor Joe Reardon said he is bullish on new housing in Wyandotte County. That was his comment when a group of builders and developers met Tuesday, Nov. 20 at the new Holiday Inn Express in the Rosedale community.

The Unified Government, the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities and the Wyandotte Economic development Council sponsored the informational session.

For the past 15 years, there has been considerable commercial growth in Wyandotte County, particularly in the Village West area. But there has not been a corresponding growth in residential development.

Substantial incentives, including those provided from sales tax revenue bonds that paid for infrastructure, are credited for the development success in Village West. In addition, the Kansas Speedway received a 30-year property tax abatement estimated to be worth more than $70 million.

Despite the success story in Village West, it has come at a price. Builders and developers at the Rosedale meeting pointed out that property taxes in the Piper community are about 20 percent higher than in neighboring Western Shawnee.

Mayor Reardon said that to level the playing field, the U G and the BPU have waived permit and connection building fees that amount to about $5,500 per single family home.

The national economic slowdown has hurt home building in Wyandotte County during the past few years. However, at least a couple of builders, including one who offers more moderate homes and another who builds upscale homes, report a definite increase in sales in recent months.

The waiving of fees is a step in the right direction; we are certain that most– if not all– builders will take advantage of these incentives.

However, there is no guarantee that these incentives will end up with the homebuyer. Another program can assure that the homebuyer will benefit– financing through the neighborhood revitalization program. It is available in most areas of Wyandotte County except where it could have the most impactundefinedthe Piper School District.

The program could work this way. Those buying a new home in an existing yet uncompleted subdivision could receive property tax abatement for five years above the first $50,000 of appraised value. That initial threshold would help protect the school’s district’s funding.

If the Piper community is to grow, it will need more commercial and retail tax base. And that will depend on rooftops. More development means more reasonable taxes for everyone.  

Mayor Reardon said it will be important to take advantage of the 4,000 new jobs that are being created by the Cerner company as it occupies its two new office buildings in Village West during the next few years.

The mayor said that once the sales tax bonds for Village West are paid off in about five years, taxpayers should see a substantial decrease in property taxes.

The mayor and others who organized the meeting are to be commended; however, there were two obvious representatives absent from the meeting–those from school districts and public safety. Schools and security are top considerations when people make home-buying decisions. One builder said it is important for such assets as Sumner Academy and the Piper School District to be much more visible.

The meeting was a good start. It will be important for the mayor’s staff, the BPU and others to follow up to take advantage of the residential opportunities that will be available in the next few years. 

Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West 

and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.