News

Actions

Garmin warehouse construction progressing over neighbor objections

720,000 square foot building next to neighborhood
Posted at 3:21 PM, Jun 16, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-16 19:53:17-04

Imagine having a 720,000 square foot warehouse less than a football field away from your backyard.

It's become reality for some Olathe families who live next to tech giant Garmin.

Garmin's $220 million expansion is expected to create roughly 2,700 jobs.

According to Garmin representatives, the warehouse is about a year from completion and use.

The 41 Action News Investigators first spoke to Travis Snyder in 2015 as plans for the massive new warehouse were going through the approval process of Olathe city government.

Snyder and other neighbors tried, but failed to either stop the project, get it scaled back or moved so it wasn't so close to their properties.

"It's disappointing", Synder said.

Garmin even took Snyder to Johnson County Court last August arguing his fence was on company property.

Snyder acknowledged it was and ultimately moved his fence about three feet closer to his home.
 
"Three feet did not affect the start of the structure like they were claiming", he said.
 
Construction on the warehouse began in earnest this past winter.
 
Snyder says the work typically started around 7:00 a.m.
 
He says it was so loud, it could be heard throughout the house, even with all the windows shut.
 
Snyder says the construction work at its peak some months ago even made the front bedroom in his house shake.
 
"Boy they really crank it up early in the morning, it's loud," Snyder said.
 
In an effort to be good neighbors, Garmin removed dirt to build the warehouse below grade so the building wouldn't appear as tall as it is.
 
The company also had a beam built and planted trees to help block the view of the warehouse.
 
But Snyder says his understanding of the agreement and the artist's rendering paint a different picture from the reality of the tree plantings.
 
"Those pictures they showed, in my mind, are dishonest because they showed everything more mature", he said.
 
Snyder tells the 41 Action News Investigators he's spent thousands of dollars himself on more mature trees than the ones Garmin planted to improve his view.
 
But there's nothing to block the two signs posted just on the other side of his fence reading "warning, construction personnel only".
 
"I don't like it", Snyder said. "I don't know why I have to stare at their signs, I don't even have a gate", he said.
 
"I'm not jumping the fence going back there", said Snyder. "I feel like I should post signs back for them, I just haven't decided what I should say to them", he added.
 
Snyder is also concerned about truck traffic noise once the warehouse is completed.
 
He's considering moving out of the neighborhood.
 
Garmin representatives declined comment.