Commission recommends approval of rezoning from AG‑1 to AG‑2 at 292 N. 2100 Road to allow a 10‑acre residential split

The Lawrence-Douglas County Joint Metropolitan Planning Commission on April 21 voted to forward a recommendation of approval to the Board of County Commissioners for a rezoning of approximately 27.686 acres at 292 North 2100 Road from AG‑1 to AG‑2.

Mary Miller, city‑county planner, explained the owners operate an agritourism business on the site — including a commercial kitchen, farm‑to‑table dinners and intensive gardening — and want to divide off the western 10 acres to place a residence on a separate parcel. Under AG‑1 zoning the minimum parcel for a building permit is 20 acres and land divisions are limited; rezoning to AG‑2 would permit a certificate of survey that allows a two‑parcel split (subject to a 20‑acre starting point for that process) and would let the applicants create a buildable 10‑acre lot plus a 20‑acre remainder.

Miller told commissioners the parcel is about 30 acres when measured to the centerline of the adjacent road right‑of‑way (the taxable parcel shown as approximately 27.686 acres in assessor records), and staff’s analysis finds the proposed rezoning is compatible with surrounding AG‑2 parcels and with the county comprehensive plan goals to cluster smaller parcels where residential development exists and to protect high‑quality soils. Miller noted the property contains prime farmland; a certificate of survey would require a building envelope to protect environmentally sensitive areas, and staff works with applicants on that envelope to minimize impacts.

The record contains public communication asking about agritourism tiers, nuisance enforcement (noise and animals) and building‑code protections; Miller said zoning and codes enforces building and agritourism rules and processes nuisance complaints, and she forwarded the communication to zoning and codes. The applicant answered commissioners’ questions in the hearing, confirming they had not formally listed native prairie for protection and that they had consulted a local nonprofit to survey the land.

A commissioner motion to rezone (recorded as: “Move to approve the request to rezone Z‑25‑0002 approximately 27.686 acres at 292 North 2100 Road from AG‑1 to AG‑2 District and forward to the Board of County Commissioners with a recommendation for approval based on the findings presented in the staff report.”) received a second and passed by unanimous voice vote. The transcript records the action as a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners; final approval and any conditions would be set by that body.

Speakers and quotes are taken from the meeting transcript; the staff report and the motion as read into the record provide the formal basis for the commission’s recommendation.