City Planning by “Trial & Error”

Here it comes again! The Plaza in Kansas City, our neighbor to the west, is ready for round 4. The local preservation community and even the National Trust for Historic Preservation had already claimed victory last month when the law firm, Polsinelli Shughart, withdrew its proposal to locate its new office building in The Plaza. But the plan is being revived again in the Kansas City Council chambers. Because the property is not a designated historic district, there are no helpful design guidelines, standards, or tax incentives for the property leaving its redevelopment in the hands of its North Carolina owner. The project has been designed, redesigned, redesigned again, and then repackaged to get the local city government on board. Unfortunately, the process has become painful and time-consuming, while making all parties look bad and creating a lose-lose situation, whatever the outcome. Situations were, in a way, similar in Independence in 2003 when Jim Harpool agreed to redevelop residential property on Truman Road but demanded that he be allowed to demolish two properties. He had to bypass the Heritage Commission and go directly to the City Council in order to get his way. But in the end, Harpool never bothered to finish his project leaving empty lots where historic structures once stood and leaving the National Park Service with the task of redrawing the proposed boundaries of the Truman National Historic Landmark District. And all this occurred under the guidance of the publically-funded M/TRC revitalization folks. “Historic Districts” designated and supported by local communities can provide appropriate and reasonable design standards, attractive tax credits, and a level playing field for anyone wanting to invest and contribute in a positive way to historic communities. It protects the valuable assets of our communities and our nation. Opportunities are created for tourism, economic development, and education. Yes, it creates win-win-win-win-win-win situations. Independence leaders need to realize that we do not have to have a successful minor league sports franchise to be considered a winner. And we hope that redevelopment efforts in Kansas City at The Plaza will not cast shadows on the beautiful facades and fountains of this truly architectural treasure. And if Polsinlli Shughart really wants to make a positive contribution in the community where they choose to locate their headquarters, there is a place called The Falls at Crackerneck Creek in the valley of the Little Blue River that is desperate for some tenants.

A “Spring” Story of Lessons Learned – “The Rest of the Story”

Reading of shortfalls at The Falls at Crackerneck Creek, I am reminded of another story several decades ago which also involved lots of public money and water. It was a program called “Urban Renewal” and its target was the Historic Independence Square. Streets were rerouted, entire blocks of historic buildings were clear cut leaving only bare asphalt with no landscaping, and concrete barrier walls were added to fortify the courthouse grounds. It was projected by the experts that wiping the slate clean and creating something new and not-so-authentic was necessary to attract businesses and new generations of shoppers. And as they did at Crackerneck Creek, extra water was pumped into the area to supply a new fountain smack dab in the middle of Main Street and to a new area on the southeast corner of the rerouted Noland Road to simulate what used to be an active spring. A log cabin was uncovered during the road relocation process. It was dismantled and reconstructed to appear as a historic setting of the city’s public spring and today we call it “Pioneer Spring” at the Sermon Center. The actual site of the historic public spring was to the west, located in the path of progress. City water had to be piped in to the faux spring to make it appear as an active spring to visiting tourists. Unfortunately, the syndicated commentator, Paul Harvey, exposed the scam decades ago in his nationally broadcasted radio program called “The Rest of the Story.” The water was eventually turned off. Practically everything that was built in the name of Urban Renewal has since been removed (requiring even further public investments). Was Urban Renewal in Independence considered a success? Have we been successful in maintaining “Pioneer Spring”? Are we learning from past history? Just image, if we as a community would have spent only half the money we invested in plans to create a false sense of place and invest that money in restoring those valuable assets that we already have.

“Taking It to the Next Level”

Most of the blog entries have been related to our neighborhood within the context of our nation’s important presidential history. But there is so much more to Independence. The Independence Square is the epicenter of our nation’s rich pioneer trails history. Most folks know that there are 3 major trails, Santa Fe - California - Oregon, with their beginnings here. Other trails of importance include the Mormon Trail, Lewis & Clark Trail, and the little-known “Trail of Death” of the Potawatomi Indian Tribe in 1838 (yet to be designated). The National Park Service (NPS) has a very active program with professional staff located in 15 states to interpret our nation’s 30 designated National Historic Trails traversing through practically every corner of the country, including Hawaii & Alaska. Independence is the only city in the country to have a connection to more than 3 or 4 of these national trails and we are actually important to 6. And with our central location, one would think that the federal government would include Independence as a prominent location for their staff and resources for national trails. But they do not. In fact, Independence would be the logical choice for the headquarters of the NPS National Trails System. We already have the presence of the NPS here in town, but their primary mission and focus is all about Truman. And most folks don’t know this but our National Frontier Trails Center hosts the national headquarters for the Oregon California Trails Association (OCTA), a not-for-profit group that is very active in promoting and interpreting the history of those two national trails. The City of Independence has done a respectable job with the operation of the “National” Frontier Trails Center with their dedicated staff and volunteers. But with shrinking budgets from City Hall, no federal assistance, and city priorities elsewhere, we cannot take it to the next level. And the expression “Taking It to the Next Level” was meant to be literal. There is an entire second floor in the old mill building that could potentially open up much more space for exhibition, archives, education, and offices. More recent history reminds us that our community did not roll out the red carpet for the NPS decades ago during confrontations between national preservation interests and churches. During that time, good Christian folks sent letters to their congressmen complaining about the NPS’s presence in their community. It becomes evident how our past struggles in preserving and protecting our presidential history spills over into many other aspects of our community. We should not be shy about telling our important stories to the world. And we should not be shy in inviting others outside our community to participate in this exciting venture.