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Commission defers vote on 'Sandy Bottoms' PUD rezoning after residents raise access, noise concerns
Summary
After hours of testimony from supporters, nearby residents and the applicant, the Board deferred a vote on a proposed PUD to allow further review; the PUD would rezone about 160 acres to permit a membership‑based outdoor events center, and >20% protests mean a supermajority will be required if approved.
The Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners on Nov. 13 opened a contested rezoning and PUD hearing for roughly 160 acres proposed to be converted from rural residential to a planned unit development to permit an outdoor recreation and events center known in testimony as Sandy Bottoms. MAPD staff and the applicant described voluntary conditions limiting hours, speaker placement and the number of annual events; multiple nearby residents urged delay, citing noise, single‑point railroad crossing access and school proximity.
Scott Whittle of the Wichita‑Sedgwick County Planning Department briefed the commissioners on the MAPC recommendation and summarized the case materials, telling the board the application had received 40 valid protests — about 20.41% — which under state statute means any approval would require a supermajority of commissioners. "The requested custom zoning would allow uses permitted by right in the LI Limited Industrial District except for those listed in the staff report and the PUD text," Whittle said, and he highlighted MAPC's recommended limits on live‑performance hours, alcohol sale hours and event counts.
Agent Kim Edgington and owner‑applicant Aaron Lonergan said they had accepted MAPC conditions and argued the PUD would be more restrictive than the by‑right event‑center standards. "We developed this PUD to provide protections for this property," Edgington said, and the applicant said he is working with the railroad on secondary emergency access and would plat a small commercial area that could later be annexed by Mulvane.
Residents of Mulvane including Patricia Ponder and Tim Huntley described a narrow, unguarded railroad crossing entering the property and warned that a large concert or event could block emergency access. Ponder said the neighborhood of roughly 178 homes adjacent to the tracks was not given adequate time to prepare and voiced concern that a full‑scale entertainment venue would be a public nuisance. "To put a concert venue with basically a nightclub, music in and out of their buildings ... is going to be a high probability of a public nuisance to the neighborhood," she said.
After extended questioning on access, safety and enforcement, Chairman Ryan Beatty moved to defer only the vote portion of the hearing to the Nov. 20 BOCC meeting to allow Commissioner Howell to be present for the vote. The motion passed with Commissioner Howell abstaining from this meeting’s vote and the remainder voting to defer.
What's next: The board will resume deliberation and vote on the rezoning on Nov. 20; because protests exceeded the statutory 20% threshold, a supermajority will be required to approve the PUD.
