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Douglas County OKs conditional use permit for equipment storage at 1805 E. 200 Road
Summary
The Board approved CUP UP250009 to relocate an equipment-storage area and carry forward prior conditions; commissioners added a condition making the applicant responsible for ensuring cleanup and revegetation related to Evergy's prior temporary business use.
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a conditional use permit (UP250009) Feb. 11 to allow an equipment-storage use at 1805 East 200 Road while carrying forward the conditions from the previous 2023 permit.
Drew Bilby, a planner with the City of Lawrence, told the board staff had reviewed the project against eight conditional-use criteria and recommended approval with the original conditions, including tree protection, a prohibition on wholesale sales and hazardous-material storage, and dust control. He said staff proposed a 10-year permit with a five-year review by county zoning officials.
The applicant, identified in the record as Chris and Jared, described moving storage behind a tree line to reduce visibility from the road and said the request would not introduce new uses or intensify operations. "We're not adding anything," one applicant said, noting the change mainly reorganizes existing storage behind trees and reduces roadside visibility.
Commissioners pressed staff on a related temporary business use (TBU) granted in 2023 to Evergy for a lay-down yard and asked who would be responsible for removing gravel and ensuring revegetation. Carl Bauer, county planner, said the TBU required Evergy to remove most of the gravel and restore vegetation but that code violations ultimately rest with the property owner. The applicants said they have been coordinating with Evergy on gravel removal and revegetation.
To address lingering uncertainty, the board added a condition requiring the CUP applicant to ensure the TBU closeout obligations are met and that revegetation achieves an established vegetative state per the plan. The board then voted to approve the CUP and the added condition.
The permit will be administered by the county zoning office, which will monitor compliance and conduct the scheduled five-year review.
