Staff proposes 40-acre threshold, setbacks and guest limits for rural event centers in Sedgwick County

Scott, a county planning staff member, told the staff meeting the county is weighing three policy tracks for event centers: amendments to the Unified Zoning Code, guidance in the Comprehensive Plan and a separate permitting option. "So there are 3, possible changes that we've talked about so far," he said, and then summarized proposed zoning language that would require a property owner to have 40 contiguous acres for an event-center conditional use and would make event centers a conditional use in rural-residential zoning.

The draft also sets site-standards staff said aim to reduce nuisance impacts: activities tied to an event center would need to stay at least 200 feet from the property line and 300 feet from any existing dwelling, and a zoning-approved event center would be allowed up to 299 guests "because that's a number that correlates with building code and fire suppression systems," Scott said. Staff noted that the 300-foot buffer applies to dwellings existing when an event center is established and that a site plan would still be required for all event centers. Commissioners asked for clearer language that the setback applies to activities (seating, ceremony space) rather than parking or any building footprint, and staff agreed to refine that wording before sending the draft to Advanced Plans and MAPC.