Olathe planning commission declines to recommend rezoning for Lineage Logistics cold‑storage after safety and traffic concerns

The Olathe Planning Commission on Tuesday declined to recommend approval of a rezoning and preliminary site development plan that would allow Lineage Logistics to build an automated cold‑storage facility and additional industrial lots at the northwest corner of 170th Street and Lone Elm Road.

The proposal would split about 145 acres annexed into the city earlier this year: roughly 7 acres at the southwest corner would be rezoned to C‑2 (Community Center) and the remaining 138 acres to M‑2 (General Industrial). On the north half of the site, Lineage proposed an approximately 440,000‑square‑foot automated cold storage building with a 140‑foot tall freezer portion; the company described the structure as oriented with the office to the east, freezer to the north and docks to the south. Staff recommended approval of the rezoning and the preliminary site development plan with stipulations. After lengthy public comment and commissioner questions, a motion to approve failed on a roll call vote of 3 in favor and 4 opposed.

Staff presentation and what was proposed

“This is a rezoning and preliminary site development plan for the 170 Fifth Lone Elm Centre,” Senior Planner Jessica Schueller told commissioners, describing the mix of proposed uses, lot layout and required site design work. Schueller said the proposed M‑2 and C‑2 zoning generally matched the city’s future land‑use map designation for an “employment area,” and staff worked with the applicant to limit higher‑intensity M‑2 uses and to add enhanced setbacks, berming and screening adjacent to Lone Elm Road and Lone Elm Park. Schueller said the applicant agreed to limits on heights for future lots (55 feet for southern industrial lots; 35 feet in the commercial corner), while Lot 1 for Lineage would be allowed the taller 140‑foot freezer subject to the stricter site‑design standards.

Traffic, size and operations

Chief Development Engineer Charlie Love summarized the traffic study and the city’s review: he said the study found existing intersection signals would operate at acceptable levels after…