Oak Grove Neighborhood

Site Overview

Site Location

Kansas City, Kansas

Site Description

The urban-centered Oak Grove neighborhood is located in the northeastern part of Wyandotte County in Kansas City, Kansas. John Garland Park is located within the boundaries of this neighborhood. Before becoming a park, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the city of Kansas City, Kansas, developed a landfill at the site. The property operated as a landfill from 1972-1974 and accepted municipal and industrial waste. When the landfill was closed it was covered with clean soil and used as a community park. In the late 1980s, the park was closed due to environmental concerns. Leachate was seeping up into the recreational areas, and methane gas migration became a concern. Since the investigation of environmental problems, improvements in maintaining the landfill cap and vegetative cover have been made. The work to improve the landfill cap required that the ball fields and playground equipment originally in the park be removed. At the time, the community concern was so great that the city did not return the site to use as a park. The city and Kansas Department of Health and Environment continue to monitor the site and work toward reducing seepage of contaminated water from the landfill and safely venting the methane gas to prevent migration and build-up in nearby homes.

Organization Requesting Assistance

Oak Grove Neighborhood Association

Beginning Date of Assistance

January 2001

Summary of TAB Assistance

The TAB program assisted the community by making several presentations about the technical construction of landfills and the environmental concerns associated with redeveloping the former landfill. A workshop was conducted with the Oak Grove Neighborhood Association to determine how the landfill should be put back into productive reuse. As a result of this workshop, the community decided a regional park would best serve their needs. Follow up visioning workshops were held with the community to develop a prioritized list of amenities for the park. A potential design for the park and a poster documenting the process was developed and delivered to the community.

TAB Information Contacts

Wendy Griswold
Center for Hazardous Substance Research
104 Ward Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506-2502

Voice: 785.843.3659
Fax: 785.532.5985
E-mail: griswold@k-state.edu

Clintel Betts
Oak Grove Neighborhood Association
2120 N. 5th St.
Kansas City, KS 66101