Planning commission approves Evergy's Dawson substation conditional use permit with conditions

The Shawnee County Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit request from Evergy to acquire and develop a small substation site (approximately 6 acres, with a roughly 2-acre fenced substation) intended to enhance electrical capacity and reliability for parts of Topeka and Shawnee County.

Staff presented the proposal and recommended approval with conditions. Staff said the applicant plans to acquire the parcel in 2026 and estimated construction would begin in 2032. Staff and the applicant noted a berm and landscaping could reduce visibility from nearby trails and historic viewpoints; the applicant said it had consulted with the historic society and suggested a 7-foot mesh fence with a foot of barbed wire and plant buffers on the west side to screen views.

Staff listed conditions including: (1) if connection to city water or sewer is needed, the applicant must obtain a subdivision plat and consent to annexation and coordinate with the City of Topeka; (2) any significant site-configuration changes should be reviewed with city planning staff for subdivision compliance; (3) AT&T has reported fiber-optic lines crossing the property and the applicant must contact AT&T to confirm locations prior to any construction; and (4) the conditional use permit will not automatically expire after the standard 24 months and will remain valid unless revoked — staff recommended the CUP remain valid beyond the standard timeframe.

Jessica Keck, representing Evergy, described the site-selection process, said Evergy sought a willing landowner (Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks was the landowner involved) and that multiple locations had been evaluated over several years; she said the 6-acre parcel would include a substation footprint and ancillary grading and stormwater areas and that land outside the fenced substation would likely be farmed and returned to the prior owner. Commissioners asked about buffer landscaping, distance from the road, and likely transmission-line tie-in locations; the applicant said transmission routing and landowner negotiations for lines would follow substation-site approval and noted a transmission line corridor to the west that Evergy would likely use when designing line routing.

After public comment (none opposed was recorded) and commissioner questions, a commissioner moved and seconded approval subject to the conditions. The roll call recorded mixed responses from commissioners; staff recorded the result as an approval given the listed conditions.