County staff seek protective overlay for Arc 95 area to preserve right‑of‑way options

Sedgwick County staff described plans to seek a protective overlay for the Arc 95 project area that would give the county notification and a voluntary opportunity to acquire property or rights‑of‑way as planning and environmental review proceed.

"One of the goals ... is to apply a protective overlay similar to what we have for the Northwest Expressway," a county planner said during the agenda‑review briefing. Staff said the overlay would be voluntary and would not create eminent‑domain authority; instead it is intended to reduce speculative platting and to notify the county when owners offer land or rights‑of‑way for sale.

Staff recounted that when planning for the Northwest Expressway became public, some parties submitted what staff called "ghost plats" — plats filed to raise the sales price of land even though no development was imminent. The protective‑overlay approach is designed to provide the county with a clearer picture of anticipated rights‑of‑way and to get early notification of voluntary sales.

The county said the overlay is an early planning step; staff will provide maps and additional parcel information to commissioners before any formal planning or environmental review. There was no action or vote at the agenda review; staff said the overlay would be voluntary and the county would notify property owners and the public when filings begin.

Ending: Staff offered to provide a visual map of the proposed overlay area to commissioners and said the protective overlay would mirror earlier overlays used on other expressway projects to protect future right‑of‑way acquisition options.