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Staff: about 2,000 acres from Sunflower site could join county parks; acceptance contingent on cleanup
Summary
JCPRD described a federal Lands to Parks transfer that could add roughly 2,000 acres from the 9,000‑acre former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant to county parkland, but staff said land would be accepted only after certification to residential cleanup standards and that improvements are unfunded.
Jeff Stewart said the district is pursuing part of the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant through the federal Lands to Parks transfer program.
"2,000 of those 9,000 acres will be transferring over to JCPRD," Stewart said, adding that the district will not accept land "until it's been determined, and certified as clean to residential standards." He estimated accepting that land would represent roughly a $30–$40 million value in park acreage.
Stewart tied the transfer to his vision for a greatly expanded Kill Creek regional park—more than 3,000 acres when combined with adjacent parkland—and described plans to connect trail systems north toward DeSoto and south toward Gardner. He emphasized the work will be phased and that current capital dollars are insufficient to complete the vision without new funding or partnerships.
Why it matters: The transfer could substantially increase conserved parkland in northwest Johnson County and create long trail connections, but the district must verify environmental cleanup and secure funding for improvements before public use or full development.
Next steps: Staff said federal transfer work is underway and that project phasing and funding will be advanced through future planning processes.
