Council approves limited protective overlay to allow used-tire processing at Broadway and Mount Vernon

The Wichita City Council approved a modified zone change and conditional-use request to permit a used-tire storage and limited processing operation at the northwest corner of South Broadway and East Mount Vernon.

Planning staff explained the application sought to rezone the small commercial parcel from Limited Commercial to Limited Industrial with a conditional use to allow wrecking and salvage yard activities. The Planning Commission recommended approval with a protective overlay and conditions; the District Advisory Board had earlier recommended denial citing plan and neighborhood concerns.

Councilmember Hoheisel moved a compromise that would retain most limited commercial uses, allow a tire storage/sales/limited processing operation by conditional use, and require the applicant to submit a used-tire processing plan within 30 days of conditional-use approval. The motion also required screening and restricted the scale of processing to sale and off-site disposal.

Staff and the applicant said the intent was to resolve violations for tire storage and bring the site into compliance while limiting future industrial expansion on the parcel. Council approved the motion and associated protective overlay and conditional-use conditions; the motion passed with the recorded vote.

The adopted conditions require a specific used-tire processing plan to be submitted to and approved by planning staff; any appeals or modifications would go back to MAPC for review.