Olathe council approves Lineage‑anchored rezoning over neighborhood objections

The Olathe City Council approved an ordinance to rezone roughly 145.78 acres near 175th Street and Lone Elm to allow a commercial and industrial employment center anchored by a proposed Lineage Logistics automated cold‑storage facility.

Senior Planner Jessica Schuler told the council the proposed rezoning (RZ25‑7) and preliminary site plan align with the city’s comprehensive plan and unified development ordinance, and that staff included stipulations limiting typical building heights on most lots to 55 feet (M2) and 35 feet (C2) while noting the automated cold storage building could reach up to 140 feet under current UDO rules. “This proposed zoning is consistent with our future land use map, which designates this property as an employment area,” Schuler said during the presentation.

City engineers and staff described roadway and stormwater work the city expects to require as development proceeds. Charlie Love, chief development engineer, summarized a traffic impact study that staff says meets city requirements for phase 1 and said the city plans a street preservation project for Lone Elm from 164th to 175th — adding approximately 2 inches of asphalt to bring the roadway closer to industrial standards and anticipated to be completed by 2027.

Developer representatives and Lineage’s consultant said the design includes extensive on‑site truck staging and turn lanes. Kirk Peterson, representing the master developer, said the design intentionally over‑sizes internal queuing and staging areas and noted “you can stack as many as 30 to 31” trucks in the private driveway before the gate. He added the applicant anticipates roughly $300 million in investment and about 200 jobs tied to the initial facility.

Neighborhood residents and multiple public commenters urged the council to reject rezoning. Speakers cited concerns about heavy truck traffic in and out of the site, the proximity of a 140‑foot structure to homes and a city park, use of anhydrous ammonia as a refrigerant and the adequacy and timing of road and emergency response upgrades. “When you decided to run for public office, I’m sure you wanted people — you wanted to help people. You wanted to make a difference,” Jeff Walters told the council, urging a no vote and warning of community division.

Council debate focused on two principal tensions: protecting residents and neighborhood character versus controlling development within Olathe rather than allowing the property to annex into a neighboring city with lower development standards. Supporters said Olathe regulations, inspections and mutual‑aid emergency arrangements give the city better leverage to manage impacts. Opponents emphasized risk to Nottingham Creek residents and asked for stronger guarantees on staging enforcement, operating hours and truck routing.

After extended discussion, the council moved and seconded the ordinance; the motion passed by roll call vote, 5–2, with Councilmembers Schoonover and Essex voting no.

The applicant said, if approved, construction would take roughly two years with an additional 12–18 months to ramp operations; future site phases would require updated traffic counts and additional approvals. Council members and staff noted additional opportunities to require or negotiate mitigating stipulations as later permits and plans are submitted.

What’s next: staff said future phases will need updated traffic and stormwater analyses and any building or operational permits would require demonstration of compliance with city code and state permits. The council also recessed briefly after the vote.