lets speculate about the hypothetical growth of miami county

[TinaMcG]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Miami County doesn't want to grow. They have passed laws to keep development rural there.

Plus Miami County is just plain ugly. It's kind of the stereotypical image of Kansas. Flat, barren and far from everything.

Growth on the Kansas side of KC will continue to be nearly 100% in one county and it will stop at the county line, just like it's been for the last 20 years.

And there are lots of examples of very rural counties right next to a very populated county.

This is what I was going to say. Miami likes things just the way they are.

We live in far south JoCo, four miles north of Spring Hill and about 8 miles south of where I do most of my shopping. I haven't been to Spring Hill in almost two years. This morning, I was at our Extension office at 199th and Ridgeview and asked the receptionist, who lives in Spring Hill, "What's happening down there lately?"

She said, "I don't know. I sleep there, and that's about it." So I ask if there was any more retail that opened up in the last year or so, and she told me no, just some food banks. OMG, I thought -- what a bad sign.

She has always complained that the city fathers in Spring Hill let a Price Chopper go in, allowed a pool to be built, and now they have no more interest in attracting retail or traffic. This is so disappointing to us because seven years ago when we were buying this home, our realtor assured us that "all the growth is moving down this say and southward". Wow, was she ever wrong. Spring Hill is a dump, a real sad little place with nowhere to go and nothing to do. It could be developed into a very nice little town, but there is no desire. Bad builders just keep putting up cheap homes on postage stamp sized lots and convincing young families they're living the American Dream.

[Parkerlewis33]

I can't tell you how many Miami county farmers seem to think they are going to be selling their properties to developers and Walmart in the next 10 years. I'm talking about properties that are well into Miami county. Sorry folks, you are not in the 10 year plan. In fact you are not in my lifetime plan. The area just north of Louisburg is actually very nice as there are already many nice homes in that area that are situated on substantial acreage. Anyway, some of south central to southern Miami county is actually much better than southern Johnson county as far as the natural beauty of the land. obviously it's too far out for development, but in the scheme of things there is much better land to develop down there. There is a lot of treed hilly acreage with creeks and rivers. Some of it compares to the area between Desoto and Olathe in the Cedar Creek area, which I have always found more desirable than southern Johnson county. I haven't quite understood why there hasn't been more development on the west side of Johnson county along K-10 into Douglas county. The west side of Cedar Creek acreage is just waiting for developers to move into. I have always been less than impressed with 151st-179st on the south end of Overland Park. For the most part it's full of treeless acreage with shallow rolling hills at best. Seems pretty bland to me.

[TinaMcG]

Originally Posted by Parkerlewis33

I can't tell you how many Miami county farmers seem to think they are going to be selling their properties to developers and Walmart in the next 10 years. I'm talking about properties that are well into Miami county. Sorry folks, you are not in the 10 year plan. In fact you are not in my lifetime plan. The area just north of Louisburg is actually very nice as there are already many nice homes in that area that are situated on substantial acreage. Anyway, some of south central to southern Miami county is actually much better than southern Johnson county as far as the natural beauty of the land. obviously it's too far out for development, but in the scheme of things there is much better land to develop down there. There is a lot of treed hilly acreage with creeks and rivers. Some of it compares to the area between Desoto and Olathe in the Cedar Creek area, which I have always found more desirable than southern Johnson county. I haven't quite understood why there hasn't been more development on the west side of Johnson county along K-10 into Douglas county. The west side of Cedar Creek acreage is just waiting for developers to move into. I have always been less than impressed with 151st-179st on the south end of Overland Park. For the most part it's full of treeless acreage with shallow rolling hills at best. Seems pretty bland to me.

Yep, it's bland all right. A friend from Paola always posts photos from her early morning walks. So many wooded areas with trails and wildlife!! There is NOTHING like that here in south Johnson County. I'm not even impressed with the trails around Hillsdale Lake. Meh.

[RadioSilence]

Good for Hillsdale Lake if people are buying down there, but Miami County just doesn't have the transportation infrastructure for major growth. Companies aren't lining up to start or expand business in Miami County either.

[jason87x]

To address the original post I don't think you should worry about Miami county growing. There will be probably a few more small subdivisions in Louisburg, Osawatomie, and Paola, but that's about it.

JoCo south of about 179th is full of tons of rich people who want to keep things rural, and will fight Overland Park every step of the way. I wonder if Stillwell will ever incorporate to accomplish this goal. There is tons of land to be developed out west instead. Lenexa, Shawnee, and Olathe are planning for more growth. There aren't too many infill sites in Shawnee Mission, most of it is pleasant neighborhoods already, just a few old run-down strip malls that could be put to good use, except they've already wasted a rather prominent site as has been talked about in depth. I wouldn't mind seeing more of western Lenexa, Shawnee, Olathe, and De-Soto fill in to make Lawrence seem closer.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by jason87x

To address the original post I don't think you should worry about Miami county growing. There will be probably a few more small subdivisions in Louisburg, Osawatomie, and Paola, but that's about it.

JoCo south of about 179th is full of tons of rich people who want to keep things rural, and will fight Overland Park every step of the way. I wonder if Stillwell will ever incorporate to accomplish this goal. There is tons of land to be developed out west instead. Lenexa, Shawnee, and Olathe are planning for more growth. There aren't too many infill sites in Shawnee Mission, most of it is pleasant neighborhoods already, just a few old run-down strip malls that could be put to good use, except they've already wasted a rather prominent site as has been talked about in depth. I wouldn't mind seeing more of western Lenexa, Shawnee, Olathe, and De-Soto fill in to make Lawrence seem closer.

Why? That would that be an inefficient use of taxpayer dollars to fund new low density sprawl using outmoded zoning with no mixed use. It is better when productive ag lands stay that way.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by jason87x

To address the original post I don't think you should worry about Miami county growing. There will be probably a few more small subdivisions in Louisburg, Osawatomie, and Paola, but that's about it.

JoCo south of about 179th is full of tons of rich people who want to keep things rural, and will fight Overland Park every step of the way. I wonder if Stillwell will ever incorporate to accomplish this goal. There is tons of land to be developed out west instead. Lenexa, Shawnee, and Olathe are planning for more growth. There aren't too many infill sites in Shawnee Mission, most of it is pleasant neighborhoods already, just a few old run-down strip malls that could be put to good use, except they've already wasted a rather prominent site as has been talked about in depth. I wouldn't mind seeing more of western Lenexa, Shawnee, Olathe, and De-Soto fill in to make Lawrence seem closer.

How about filling in Wyandotte County so it's less of the oddball rural/suburbia weirdness that it is first rather than trying to fill in the space between KC and Lawrence?

[Parkerlewis33]

Originally Posted by kcmo

How about filling in Wyandotte County so it's less of the oddball rural/suburbia weirdness that it is first rather than trying to fill in the space between KC and Lawrence?

Do you mean to tell me that it isn't normal for a metro with a population of 2 million to have 10,000 acres of tillable ground within 8 miles of it's downtown...

I agree something needs to be done with all the farm ground that is well inside the metro, but I also would agree that the next growth boom will be more west oriented. Like I've said, I don't understand why there hasn't been more growth in that direction. It just seems logical with Lawrence only being a twenty minute drive. I can understand how the lack of amenities could hinder any kind of substantial housing boom. I lived out west of Olathe around K-10 and having to drive 15 mile round trips for anything started to wear on me. I think that it's a prime area for large developments centered around mixed used city centers with some density. I feel its a "build it and they will come" situation. If they are smart they could develop the entire area without the crazy sprawl that you see going south towards Miami county.