CITY APPROVES $16,000 DIAGNOSTIC REVIEW
The Parkville Board of Aldermen took the first step in a process to explore whether to alter train whistles throughout the city so they’re not as disruptive to the community.
The board, who voted unanimously at last Tuesday’s meeting, calls for a “quiet zone” diagnostic review at a cost of $16,000.
Results of the one-to two-month review will help city officials decide if they want to proceed with implementing a plan to install whistles on poles at Parkville’s four train crossings. The pole whistles sound at a lower decibel rate and provide an alternative to horns sounding from the approaching trains and blaring while trains approach and leave intersections.
Several downtown business owners and some Park University staff have complained about the train noise, in which the horn sounds for about a half mile prior to entering and exiting intersections, city staff reported at the meeting.
Alderman Greg Plumb said he asked about 50 of his neighbors/constituents if they favored the quiet zone designation and they overwhelmingly supported the measure. The whistles currently sound at high decibels at the city’s two public roadway crossings, East and Main streets and two private crossings at the Ball Power Equipment Plant and the city’s sewer plant, said Stephen Lachky, the city’s community development director.
Alderman Tina Welch said the train whistles were responsible for Park University staff moving a program featuring musical performances and “it would be nice to have this back in Parkville.”
Plumb, a Park instructor, indicated the horns interfere with classroom instruction.
“It would be nice to teach a class and not have to stop,” he said.
The last time the issue surfaced was about two years ago, when aldermen began the process of investigating alternatives to reduce the noise. City representatives traveled to Johnson County to hear and witness the system in use and came away with “positive feedback,” Mayor Dean Katerndahl said at the meeting. The issue was tabled until it appeared on the agenda for last week’s meeting.
A Parkville resident wrote a letter to aldermen and made comments during last week’s meeting, objecting to the proposed change. “This has never been a proven concern among citizens and is desired by downtown business owners and owners of Airbnb units,” Elaine Kellerman said in an email to The Landmark.
She listed the cost to taxpayers as a major reason for her objection, which Lachky said is estimated to be about $560,000 plus an annual $5,000 maintenance fee.
In addition, Kellerman believes there’s not enough citizen support for the plan and voiced concern that officials might not seek adequate public input. However, Katerndahl said citizen input will come later in the process, after the diagnostic review.
He said officials are planning “a number of public hearings…and opportunities for folks (residents) to speak on this.” He added, “If it turns out it’s way too much money, we may not do it.”
In addition, officials discussed several means of obtaining funding to offset the cost, including grants, establishing a Community Improvement District (CID), and/or a Transportation Development District (TDD), increasing operating taxes and a capital improvements sales tax. Officials also mentioned possibly partnering with Park University to fund the project.
A former railroad employee who lives in Parkville voiced support for the plan during the meeting. He said quiet zone designations have been successfully implemented in numerous locations. But he stressed that despite the designation, the railroad company still has the authority to sound the horn located on the train when approaching intersections if they deem it necessary for safety reasons.
The Federal Railroad Administration, which provides railroad oversight, offers this explanation, according to Lachky: “Notably, in a quiet zone engineers have no legal duty to sound the horn, but may exercise discretion during emergency situations (i.e. the presence of a vehicle or a person on the track). Under federal regulations, engineers must sound the horn to warn railroad maintenance employees or contractors working on the tracks. If a railroad or individual engineer fails to sound the locomotive horn as required or is unnecessarily sounding the horn in an established quiet zone, they are subject to enforcement action by FRA.”
Katerndahl emphasized the diagnostic approval did not signal a path forward to implementation. He said, “If it turns out it’s way too much money, we may not do it.”