Planning commission recommends denial of rodeo event venue near Shawnee Heights

The Shawnee County Planning Commission on April 14 voted 5-0 to recommend denial of conditional-use permit CU 2404, which sought authorization for a rodeo event venue on property zoned RA-1 (Rural Agriculture) at 6320 Southeast 40 Fifth Street in Tecumseh Township.

Planning staff recommended denial after concluding the application did not satisfy the legal standards the commission must consider. Harim, the planner who prepared the staff report, told commissioners: "Planning staff finds that not all concerns have been addressed, such as, 1, the traffic study... 2, the noise control... 3, landscaping... 4, security measures... 5, emergency services. And 6, emergency response plan." The commission’s motion to deny was made by Commissioner Chad Gearhart and seconded by Commissioner Dan Bridal; the roll call vote was 5-0 in favor of the recommendation to deny.

The commission record shows the proposal has been under review since June 10, 2023, with prior public hearings and multiple continuances. Staff said the applicant submitted updated materials late in the review cycle: an updated PowerPoint and business plan (filed Feb. 21), a stormwater report (filed Feb. 25), a revised site plan and a noise study. Planning staff and the county Public Works Department said the submissions did not resolve key outstanding issues.

Traffic safety was a central concern. Public Works flagged limited stopping sight distance on Southeast 40 Fifth Street and said lighting at the entrance would not address daytime sight-line problems. Staff recorded concern that the entrance sight distances as presented would not safely accommodate the applicant’s stated attendance estimate (staff cited up to 400 attendees in discussion of traffic queuing). Several nearby residents told the commission they experienced backups, missed turns and dangerous conditions during a recent event.

Neighbors and other commenters described noise and parking impacts. One neighbor said they measured 85 decibels at their house during a Saturday event and 75 decibels on Sunday; another said they could hear the band from more than a half-mile away. Commenters disputed whether the gatherings were private family events or public events; one resident said people were turning around in driveways and another said vehicles were paying at the gate. Commenters asked how the applicant would monitor and enforce sound levels at neighboring homes.

The applicant, identified in the hearing as Carolina, said some communications between the applicant’s consultants and county reviewers had not been shared with the applicant and that some requested follow-up information was not received in time to respond. Carolina said a family gathering held the prior weekend was private and that no money changed hands. She described plans for on-site equipment for routine site work and said animals for rodeo events would be brought in temporarily rather than kept on site.

Staff also told the commission it had not received a clear security plan or documented commitments from emergency-service providers and that the applicant had not supplied a usable emergency-response plan addressing incidents that could occur during an event (medical emergencies, fire, or severe weather). Staff said landscape measures alone would not materially mitigate noise and that proposed mitigations were inadequate for the levels reported by neighbors.

After discussion, Commissioners said they were sympathetic to the applicant’s aims but that the record did not provide the concrete, reviewed mitigation needed to support approval. The commission voted to recommend denial. The record and staff notice state the Planning Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for final action; the BCC hearing is scheduled for 2024-05-12 at 707 Southeast Quincy.

The Planning Commission hearing record will be part of the packet the Board of County Commissioners reviews; applicants retain the right to revise and refile, and staff noted additional information could be provided at the BCC stage or if the applicant chooses to return to the commission with further studies and documented agreements.