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Committee reviews Neighborhood Street Reconstruction Program; staff details PCI metrics, phasing and tree trade-offs
Summary
Staff described how the city selects streets for reconstruction using PCI data, outlined recent program outputs (lane miles reconstructed and planned), and described tree-impact mitigation and an enhanced tree-planting pilot that saved dozens of trees and plans hundreds of new plantings in neighborhoods.
Public Works staff delivered a detailed briefing on the Neighborhood Street Reconstruction Program (NSRP) and recommended updates to Resolution 42-23 at the Overland Park Public Works Committee (date not specified). Staff explained the program is driven by a pavement condition index (PCI) that ranges from 0–100 and is collected annually by a consultant using a specialized vehicle and ASTM standards; streets that repeatedly fall below 40 after maintenance are prioritized for reconstruction (staff member, speaker 8).
Staff reported program progress and near-term plans: "to date we've constructed 43.65 lane miles within this program" and staff said an additional roughly 24 lane miles are planned between 2026 and 2028 (staff member, speaker 8). They described phasing practices to preserve access during construction and the role of OP Move sales-tax funding in accelerating the program. The presentation acknowledged inflationary pressures and said the program aims to reconstruct 8–10 lane miles per year under the current baseline funding.
The committee spent substantial time on tree impacts. Staff explained two categories of tree impacts—nonpreventable (tree removal necessary for construction) and preventable (minimal impact, design changes can save trees)—and described how the city forester helps identify and protect trees during design. Staff cited recent project specifics: in the Westbrook South project staff found 171 trees in construction limits and removed 132 but saved 39 through design changes; in Wycliffe staff saved 12 trees and plan to plant 432 and 66 new street trees respectively in those neighborhoods once projects are complete (staff member, speaker 8). Council members suggested tracking canopy by 'caliper inches' removed versus replaced rather than by raw tree counts; staff agreed to consider better metrics and to document current practices in the updated resolution.
Committee feedback focused on balancing tree canopy preservation, resident impacts and operational needs (emergency-vehicle access, snow operations). Staff said they can work within the current budget and plan to incorporate committee feedback into red-line resolution text before bringing an action item for approval later this year.
