KCRag Forum

Highlander wrote: Did it have to be either - or?

Don't think that Cass and Platte would be involved in the transit issue since that appears to be a Jackson County only issue (I think). The officials in Cass and Platte just don't want to be part of the zoo.

Don't know about the legality of not putting the issue on the ballot but since KCMO is not putting Chastain's petition on the ballot maybe locals do have some discretion on these matters.

aknowledgeableperson wrote:

Highlander wrote: Did it have to be either - or?

Don't know about the legality of not putting the issue on the ballot but since KCMO is not putting Chastain's petition on the ballot maybe locals do have some discretion on these matters.

We both know the difference between the two ballot proposals. The zoo plan is entirely feasible and Chastain's plan absolutely is not. There's no excuse for what Cass and Platte Country are doing.

I was just talking about the "discretion" of putting the issue on the ballot. Not saying the zoo issue is "not feasible".

Guess two of the reasons for not putting the issue on the ballot was the cost to the counties for placing the item on the ballot plus the up-front costs to be borne by the counties of establishing the zoo district if passed. Guess it will be up to the courts to decide if that discretion is a valid excuse or not.

Now, maybe if FOTZ had approached the counties and said it would reimburse or front the costs, like it did to Jackson County and maybe Clay County, then maybe the issue would be on the Platte and Cass counties ballots.

aknowledgeableperson wrote:I was just talking about the "discretion" of putting the issue on the ballot. Not saying the zoo issue is "not feasible".

Guess two of the reasons for not putting the issue on the ballot was the cost to the counties for placing the item on the ballot plus the up-front costs to be borne by the counties of establishing the zoo district if passed. Guess it will be up to the courts to decide if that discretion is a valid excuse or not.

Those are not good enough reasons. While I certainly believe discretion needs to be used when putting anything coming from a petition on the ballot, denail cannot be related to something like "well it will cost too much to put it on the ballot". The Chastain proposal, as well as the proposal by the KC peace group that wanted to 86 the Honeywell Plant in south KC, are essentially bogus proposals that could never be implemented if passed. Chastain's proposal doesn't even identify a source of funding for the majority of the project, not to mention several other misleading features, and the effort to shut down the Honeywell Plant was just wishful thinking from the start, not a realistic idea in that proposal. The zoo proposal is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get proposition. The ballot initiative raises X amount of funds that goes to the zoo. It doesn't promise Avatar type creatures or replicas of the Himalayas with abominable snowmen for our viewing pleasure, just money to support the zoos efforts and expansion.

I remember reading in The Star that FOTZ did approach both counties with similar proposals to help fund the special election. If not offered up front, they would certainly have been willing to discuss with the county officials. I also remember reading in The Pitch that at least one of the county commissions ( I think in Platte County) had previously funded and placed a single item on the ballot when it met one of the commissioners personal agenda items. Funny how that works!

Star editorial on tax increase for the zoo.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/22/32 ... s-tax.html

Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo has $175 MILLION in (privately funded) expansion/improvements under way... KC's publicly funded catch-up can't come soon enough.

Anyone voting for or against the zoo tax today?

Not to dissuade you, but polling shows a landslide victory for the tax.

http://www.tonyskansascity.com/2011/11/ ... ansas.html

I voted for it. I think its a very nice Zoo as is, and I'd love to see it go next level.

Of course, Kansas Citians will keep poo-pooing it for the next 15 years no matter what.

As and aside, my favorite Chastain "idea", was running LRT down Meyer to Swope/Zoo. A true BRT line from KCI ==> N. Oak==> Union Station ==> Troost/Meyer ==> Zoo is probably the best $ for $ use of transit funds I can imagine after a DT==>Plaza streetcar.

Will be voting yes later today.

Looks like this will pass in both counties. Really cool. This could really push the KC Zoo over the top. I already think it's a great zoo. It just needs some improvements. With dedicated funding like this, it should be one of the better zoos in the midwest in the next decade.

Great news!!! Now if only the remaining two Missouri counties that had valid petitions for a vote (Platte and Cass counties) can hold a vote.

The next legislative priority should be to orchestrate a vote on the Kansas side to truly make this a metro-wide resource for an economic generator that can bring increased tourism to the city. I attended a preview of a 20 year master plan this last year that would really make the KC Zoo world class--just like the Nelson, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts , National World War I Museum, ...

GRID wrote:Looks like this will pass in both counties. Really cool. This could really push the KC Zoo over the top. I already think it's a great zoo. It just needs some improvements. With dedicated funding like this, it should be one of the better zoos in the midwest in the next decade.

That's great news. Hopefully the other counties will jump on board and it becomes bi-state.
Apparently, there is conservation work that the zoo actually helps out with, though it seems to be relatively peripheral or has to do with lifestyle work such as recycling (not trivial task itself though).
What could definitely be done with the funding would be to create a research/conservation/breeding center along the lines of the WildCare Institute or Institute for Conservation Research.
That is the true way for it to rise up the ranks.

Could a bi-state tax include some kind of merging of the KC Zoo and Danna Rose Farm with funding for both? DRF has similar "American" attractions to the KCZ but I don't think there would be a lot of overlap, and it would put both on solid funding ground.

Does a KCZoo Master Plan exist? Do we have any indication of how the Zoo will be using this revenue long term or short term?

IMO, a new Big Cat exhibit is in dire need. We need to leave the lions in Africa but consolidate all of the other big cats into one large exhibit. The current cat enclosures are sad.

Big Cat Falls at Philly Zoo is what I envision.

http://www.ehdd.com/index.php?p=ehdd&flashid=1964

KC-wildcat wrote:Does a KCZoo Master Plan exist? Do we have any indication of how the Zoo will be using this revenue long term or short term?

IMO, a new Big Cat exhibit is in dire need. We need to leave the lions in Africa but consolidate all of the other big cats into one large exhibit. The current cat enclosures are sad.

Big Cat Falls at Philly Zoo is what I envision.

http://www.ehdd.com/index.php?p=ehdd&flashid=1964

Not sure about the title, so I will just refer to him as the King of the Zoo...

The King of the Zoo was on Up to Date last week, and he mentioned that a world class penguin exhibit was already planned and was a major priority if the funding was passed. He said that exhibit would be on par with or better than what Omaha has. So, I believe that they already have many plans ready to fire. You may want to check out that Up to Date podcast if interested.

Yeah, there's a master plan, including a big cat exhibit

That will benefit zoo visitors whether they live in the new district or not because it will allow the zoo to accelerate progress on its master plan. Future attractions will include a new outdoor orangutan jungle, a “predator canyon” for big cats, a water play area for kids and a giraffe feeding station.



Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/08/32 ... z1dDpFP5Y5

I know you city dwellers will be shocked to hear that many suburban and rural families do not go to the Kansas City Zoo because of the lack of easy access to I-435. You all must realize that developers over the last 50 years have looked to interstate access as their money grabbing savior. You only have to look as far as the sports complex, WOF, The Legends, etc. etc..

Why can't a new exit and updated 63rd street corridor be developed for the nervous suburbanites who fear driving through Swope Park. The park needs larger better placed directional signs also.

I have a 1960 KC map that shows all the proposed parkways and interstates. It shows the park being divided by a new Gregory parkway and Manchester parkway, I found most of the proposed routes to be better.

zlohban wrote:I know you city dwellers will be shocked to hear that many suburban and rural families do not go to the Kansas City Zoo because of the lack of easy access to I-435. You all must realize that developers over the last 50 years have looked to interstate access as their money grabbing savior. You only have to look as far as the sports complex, WOF, The Legends, etc. etc..

Why can't a new exit and updated 63rd street corridor be developed for the nervous suburbanites who fear driving through Swope Park. The park needs larger better placed directional signs also.

I have a 1960 KC map that shows all the proposed parkways and interstates. It shows the park being divided by a new Gregory parkway and Manchester parkway, I found most of the proposed routes to be better.

Not sure what, if anything, can be done to help this mentality. Just try it once and you'll realize your fears were misguided.

Good lord, if any suburbanites are scared of driving to/through Swope Park, they should put their diapers back on and suck their thumbs.

They do need to improve the intersection outside Swope Park - it can be a clusterf--- at times. I guess more of when there is an event at Starlight or the Ethnic Festival.