** VOTING INFORMATION HERE **

WELCOME, FRIENDS!

We are neighbors, old friends, and new acquaintances from the tri-city area (Westwood, Westwood Hills, and Mission Woods) who came together a few months ago to have our voices heard by Westwood's governing body — with the simple goal of preserving and expanding Westwood's green space.

Westwood is a warm and welcoming city in Johnson County. The Council’s desire to further increase commercial development by allowing it in a residentially zoned (until their recent vote) area is just not practical in our small community!

We invite you to join the hundreds of other citizens who are speaking out about the future of Westwood.

Great News!

On Thursday, December 12, 2024, after spending one year and over $100,000 of their taxpayers' money on legal fees, Westwood City Council unanimously agreed to allow a vote on the park’s future. (Sounds fair, right?) Registered Westwood residents will vote via mail-in ballot. Votes will be counted April 1, 2025. Ballots are expected to be mailed in early March.

Whether you’re a tree-hugger, a homeowner who knows their property value will plummet with the construction of a concrete complex, a parent concerned about their child’s walk to school or a driver who doesn’t need a few hundred extra cars in their way, we welcome you to our cause. We're glad you’re joining the effort to save, expand, and upgrade Joe D. Dennis Park.

In the next few months, Westwood City Council will work to convince you their plan is the only way forward. We’re here to give homeowners a choice.

Pull out that red pen and circle Sunday, February 23rd, on your calendar. That’s when we’ll host a city-wide forum to answer all your questions.

Here's to making our voices heard in 2025!

Don’t forget to like and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram (see bottom of page for links).


First Amendment Concerns


On November 8, 2023, the City of Westwood sent a cease-and-desist letter to the lawyer representing residents who oppose the proposed development, threatening legal action. When brought to the attention of the Kansas Justice Institute (KJI), a public-interest litigation firm protecting the freedoms guaranteed by the Kansas and United States Constitutions, they sent a letter to the Westwood City Attorney. In their rebuke, Sam MacRoberts, General Council and Litigation Director of the KJI, wrote,

“…the City of Westwood’s letter is heavy-handed, unacceptable, and antithetical to the First Amendment. Accordingly, as to those portions of the letter that implicate the First Amendment, they should be immediately—and publicly—withdrawn.”

Mr. MacRoberts went on to say in a public statement, “It doesn’t matter what side of the debate you’re on, what matters is that you’re able to debate it without being threatened with a lawsuit by the government,” and that, “The City of Westwood should immediately—and publicly—withdraw its threatening letter and affirm the right of the people to speak freely on matters of public concern.”

To learn more about the Kansas Justice Institute and to see their Media Release regarding this issue, check out the Westwood - Free Speech page on the KJI website.

ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY

With the sale of the former Westwood View Elementary School land impending, now is the time for the City of Westwood to buy.

The City has a choice:

                 ● Expand the existing 0.9-acre park by over 9X or
                 ● Allow a private developer to build multiple multi-story office buildings

drawing of use spaces in one park expansion option

We would like to see further discussions to enlarge the park to over 8 acres...and we're not the only ones. Experts at the Urban Land Institute (ULI) agree. In their 2021 report they recommended the City of Westwood "Acquire Westwood View elementary school property for park expansion and new civic area."

This is one example of what the park expansion could be (taken from the ULI 's 2021 report "Redevelopment Opportunities for the City of Westwood, Kansas").


For those unfamiliar, on October 12th, 2023, the Westwood City Council voted to approve the rezoning and sale of Westwood park land for a commercial development to be built on the site of Mayor Joe D. Dennis Park (herein, the Park). The land for Joe D. Dennis Park was sold to the City of Westwood in 1969 by Fred D Ellis and Bessie Mae Ellis; at this time, it was known as "Westwood Park." In 1973, after receiving Federal funding through HUD, the park was dedicated on October 6, 1973. On July 3, 2002, the park was rededicated as the Joe D. Dennis Park after the mayor of Westwood. This parkland has been the jewel of our community for more than 50 years. It is our hope that it remains a city park.

The proposed development spans W 50th Street to W. 51st Street along Rainbow Boulevard and west past Adams Street, encompassing the Park, the adjacent vacant green space (formerly Westwood Christian Church), and part of the former Westwood View Elementary site. It includes two surface parking lots, a below-ground parking garage, four two- to four-story buildings and two one-story buildings.

We, Friends of Westwood Parkland, oppose this rezoning and over the past several months have made several appeals to slow down this plan that was quickly pushed through by Westwood's governing body, this plan that did not include adequate investigation of other options (for development and funding), nor an actual bid process for the selection of developer and the sale/transfer of the public land.

THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER!!!

The proposed development of the Westwood Park, adjacent old church lot, and former Westwood View Elementary School is not yet a done deal.

Voting NO to the sale of Joe D. Dennis Park is the first step.

The Johnson County Post stated in a 12/16/24 article that Mayor "Waters told the Post that he sees rejecting the sale of the park to also mean the approved Karbank office-retail project would not be built".

Fist raised in protest

TAKE ACTION

If you would like to sign up for our newsletter, volunteer your talents, or run for city council, we'd love to have you.

Join us


DONATE

If you can, please help fund our legal battles to obtain Westwood residents' rightful vote on this issue.

Mail checks to:

Friends of Westwood Parkland
2407 W 49th Ter
Westwood, KS 66205

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