Topeka OKs plan to spend $15.7 million on Elevation Parkway to ease Lake Sherwood commute

Topeka's mayor and city council approved plans late Tuesday to earmark more than $15.7 million to start building a proposed Elevation Parkway — but only after learning they'll later get to make a final decision about that.

Council members Karen Hiller, Brett Kell and Christina Valdivia-Alcala voiced reservations about the project but voted as part of a 10-0 majority to approve a Capital Improvement Plan that includes financing it.

That CIP calls for the city between 2025 and 2027 to carry out the first two phases of the four-phase project to build the parkway, which would make it easier to drive into town from the Lake Sherwood area southwest of Topeka.

Tuesday's vote came after the mayor and council were told that city ordinance requires the project to come back before them for final approval before the work is carried out.

Where are Elevation Parkway's first two phases to be built?

Topeka city leaders since 1995 have discussed building Elevation Parkway. The project's name refers to a rise in elevation that occurs in the area involved.

The mayor and council took a step toward carrying out the parkway project last November by setting aside $3 million to finance design work for it.

The CIP approved Tuesday sets aside an additional $15,726,121 while making plans to build streets, a sewer line extension and a water line extension as part of the project's first two phrases.

The first phase is to run from S.W. 37th and Gage Boulevard to S.W. 41st and Fairlawn Road and the second phase from S.W. 41st and Fairlawn to S.W. 37th and Fairlawn, the CIP document said.

What is Topeka's Capital Improvement Plan?

Elevation Parkway was among topics the mayor and council discussed late Tuesday before unanimously approving city manager Stephen Wade's proposed 2024-2026 Capital Improvement Budget and 2024-2033 CIP.

Wade was absent, last week taking a leave of absence for undisclosed reasons.

Each year, the mayor and council adopt a 10-year CIP and three-year CIB. The CIP is a long-range plan for maintenance and development. The CIB identifies capital needs, estimates costs and anticipates financing methods.

Numerous projects are listed in both documents, with anticipated costs for Tuesday's approved CIP totaling $891.82 million.

The mayor and council made two amendments to Wade's proposed documents at the meeting Tuesday in which they approved them.

How much land does the planned Elevation Parkway area contain?

The area involved with the Elevation Parkway project is bounded roughly by S.W. Gage Boulevard on the east, S.W. Wanamaker Road on the west, S.W. 37th Street on the north and S.W. 45th Street on the south, the CIP said.

The area includes about 650 acres of developable land, with 85%-90% being outside the city limits, it said.

The city of Topeka's current land use and growth management plan makes that area "a priority for annexation and urbanized development," the CIP said.

Costs for many previously approved projects went up 'quite drastically'

Many of the expenditures approved Tuesday involved adding funding to the city's budgets for previously approved projects.

Freddy Maywin, the city's chief financial officer, told the mayor and council in April that inflation drove up costs for those projects ”quite drastically over a short period of time."

Maywin said that between January 2021 and January 2023, inflation has caused costs to rise by 105% for chlorine, 49% for steel, 27% for asphalt, 26% for concrete and 14% for copper.

Topeka's CIP includes full pavement reconstruction on S.W. Huntoon

The CIP approved Tuesday includes plans for the city to carry out a full pavement reconstruction on S.W. Huntoon between S.W. Harrison Street and Gage Boulevard.

City ordinance calls for the mayor and council to consider that project for final approval before the work is carried out.

The Huntoon project was approved by Shawnee County voters in 2016 to be financed using revenue from a countywide, half-cent sales tax.

Its anticipated total cost, listed at $8.16 million in the 10-year CIP approved last year by the mayor and council, is listed in this year's CIP at $18.5 million, with the increase due largely to rising prices brought by inflation.

"A concept plan is being developed in 2023 to identify the proposed lane configuration as well as additional roadway elements to be included," said the proposed CIP document posted on the city's website. "Design work is scheduled to begin in 2024 and right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation in 2025. Construction is anticipated to occur over a three year period from 2026 to 2028."

Topeka mayor and council meet behind closed doors

The mayor, council and acting city manager Richard Neinstedt met for 30 minutes behind closed doors in executive session near the end of Tuesday's meeting to discuss matters regarding an unspecified, individual city employee.

They then met in executive session for one hour to discuss attorney-client-privileged matters regarding a specific employment matter.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka mayor, council OK plans to finance Elevation Parkway project