HAYSVILLE — The Haysville Planning Commission recommended approval of a planned unit development (PUD) to allow construction of the Appaloosa Substation and an associated wireless communications tower up to 150 feet tall on a 6.49-acre parcel south of West 70 Ninth Street South.

Metropolitan Area Planning Department senior planner Brad Everly told the commission the applicant is requesting a zone change from rural residential (RR) to PUD to allow a “utility major” use and an optional wireless communications facility. He said the parcel is currently used for agriculture and lies within Haysville’s area of influence.

The recommendation matters because the site’s requested PUD language would waive landscaping requirements and allow a tower that exceeds the administrative 120-foot guideline in the Wichita–Sedgwick County wireless communication master plan by 30 feet. “This proposed tower would exceed the height guideline by 30 feet,” Everly said, noting that a PUD can permit taller facilities but that any placement should meet the UCC compatibility setbacks or seek an administrative adjustment.

Commission discussion focused on security and landscaping. Everly said the PUD would require a high-security solid fence — examples listed include precast concrete panels or cast-in-place concrete — limited to 10 feet in height and permitted within setbacks. He also said the applicant removed chain-link fence language after staff requested it. A planning commissioner noted the whole site will be “surrounded by a 10 foot concrete wall,” and other commissioners discussed Evergy’s operational concerns — specifically, that some utilities avoid landscaping because trees can create hazards for animals and equipment near substations.

Staff recommended approval subject to conditions listed in the staff report. Everly said Haysville staff reviewed the proposal and that the city is “fine either way” on whether landscaping is included along the west side of the site. He advised that because the site is unplatted and within Haysville’s jurisdiction, any necessary platting or local planning requirements must be coordinated with the Haysville planning department.

The commission moved and seconded a recommendation to approve the PUD with staff-recommended conditions; the motion carried. The recommendation will be forwarded according to the usual review process for final action.

Background: Everly said the RR district allows a utility major by conditional use, but the PUD approach is being used to create custom development provisions for the substation and optional tower. The staff report notes the site is partially consistent with the community investments plan and the 2035 growth map that places the parcel in Haysville’s small-city urban growth area.