The Shawnee Planning Commission will allow a property to go back to being used for agriculture after a plan to turn it into a shopping plaza failed.
On Wednesday, the commission voted 9-0 to approve the rezoning of about 29 acres of undeveloped land in the 16000 block of West 59th Terrace from Commercial Highway to Agriculture.
Commissioners David Aber and Amit Bhakta were absent.
Owned by Buzzard Ranch Properties, the unplatted three parcels are currently used for hay production. With the rezoning, the landowners are looking to add livestock, electricity and water to their operation.
Development dates back to 1986
The land is owned by Buzzard Ranch Properties LLC, a subsidiary of the Lenexa-based Van’s Holding Company.
In March 1986, the city rezoned the land from Agriculture to Commercial Highway to allow for a regional shopping center to be built.
While the project didn’t move forward, the rezoning remained, leaving many of the existing uses on the lots to be considered “legal nonconforming,” meaning the structures and uses can remain, but they cannot be expanded or altered significantly, according to city documents.
A Commercial Highway district is intended for retail, wholesale and services with limited warehousing activities along divided four-lane limited access arterial streets. It also allows for a variety of hospitality-related uses. Agricultural operations are prohibited in the Commercial Highway zoning district.
The land was meant to be rezoned back to AG
After the shopping plaza project failed, city documents stated that it was meant to be rezoned back to Agriculture.
“Neither the City or property owners initiated that retroactive rezoning and the existing CH zoning designation remains in place today,” staff wrote in city documents.
Rezoning the land back to its original use seems like the rational move, said Commissioner Bruce Bienhoff.
“I believe it makes sense to move forward with the rezoning request,” he said. “Certainly, it was part of the plan if the shopping center did not come to fruition that it could be zoned back or would be zoned back.”
He added: “I don’t see it having any detrimental effect. The current use will not really change and it would allow the property owner to make some improvements to this site.”
What’s next?
The Shawnee City Council will tentatively take up the rezoning at its Oct. 14 meeting.
If approved, Buzzard Ranch would have to bring the land into compliance with Shawnee’s Code of Ordinances for animals, which would require them to install water and electricity, and update the fencing and structures that they have on-site.
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