Shawnee County commissioners deny conditional use permit for proposed rodeo venue near Shawnee Heights

The Shawnee County Board of County Commissioners on May 12 voted 3-0 to deny Resolution No. 2025-32, a conditional use permit (CUP) to establish a rodeo event venue on a property east of Shawnee Heights Road in Tecumseh Township. The board accepted the Planning Department's recommendation that the CUP not be approved.

Joanie Fedani, director of the Planning Department, told commissioners the proposal sought to hold up to four single-day rodeo events annually between April and September, with event hours between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. The applicant estimated up to 400 attendees per event. Fedani said the applicant had been given multiple opportunities to provide supporting information but had not satisfactorily addressed key staff concerns.

Fedani summarized the project's history: it was first heard by the Planning Commission in June 2024, then again in September 2024 and April 2025. She said staff originally identified roughly 50 items or questions that were missing from the applicant’s submittal, and that public opposition had been substantial during the Planning Commission hearings. "At the first public hearing in June, we had 32 people speak in opposition to the event venue," Fedani said, adding that subsequent hearings again produced more opposed than supporting commenters. She said the Planning Commission ultimately voted 5-0 to recommend denial.

The Planning Department cited several unresolved issues. Fedani said staff remained unconvinced the applicant could reliably control attendance and alcohol sales or provide adequate security to monitor ingress and egress. She also noted the applicant did not provide sufficient noise mitigation measures or a clear plan to monitor noise levels, and that dust and nighttime lighting were outstanding concerns. The most significant unresolved issue, she said, was a traffic-safety problem: "The site distance at the entrance of Southeast 40 Fifth with the crest in the road is something that was never addressed. And so it would have caused issues and there was the potential for accidents." (statement as presented by Joanie Fedani).

Fedani also noted proximity to Shawnee Heights Middle and High Schools, adjacent residential neighborhoods, and a cemetery located just east of the parcel, factors she said increased staff concern about additional traffic, noise and safety impacts.

During the county meeting, no members of the public appeared to speak in favor or opposition to the CUP; commissioners disclosed they had received a number of emails, almost all in opposition. Commissioner Aaron Mays made a motion to accept the Planning Department’s recommendation and deny the permit; Commissioner Kevin Cook seconded. The motion passed 3-0.

The denial leaves the applicant without county authorization for the proposed rodeo venue. Planning staff and the commissioners framed the decision as based on public-safety and neighborhood-impact factors that were not sufficiently resolved in the application record.