Olathe council approves rezoning for Lineage Logistics cold-storage center over neighborhood objections

The Olathe City Council on Sept. 16 approved an ordinance to rezone roughly 145.78 acres northeast of West 170th Street and Lone Elm Road to community center (C2) and general industrial (M2) zoning to allow an employment park anchored by Lineage Logistics, an automated cold-storage operator. The council approved Ordinance 25-31 (RZ25-007) by a 5-2 vote after a public hearing and extended staff presentations.

Staff and the applicant said the rezoning aligns with Olathe’s comprehensive plan and the city’s Lone Elm vicinity plan, and described site design, traffic mitigation and emergency-response measures intended to limit impacts on nearby Nottingham Creek. Senior Planner Jessica Schuler told the council the proposed building would be up to 140 feet tall to accommodate automated racking, that the structure is permitted under the Unified Development Ordinance without waivers, and that it would be set more than 1,000 feet from Lone Elm Road and roughly a half-mile from the nearest Nottingham Creek home. “Staff is recommending approval of the rezoning and preliminary site development plan as the proposal aligns with our comprehensive plan and unified development ordinance,” Schuler said.

Developer and applicant representatives presented technical studies and visual simulations and said they had worked with staff on stipulations that limit certain high-intensity uses on future lots…