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A contentious city council meeting in Olathe, Kansas, Tuesday night ended with a vote of approval for a cold storage facility development.
The three-hour meeting included multiple outbursts from the public.
Olathe's Planning Commission voted against the recommendation of Lineage Logistics' proposal. The company's filings with the city state it's a $300 million investment that could create more than 200 jobs.
City council voted against the Planning Commission, approving rezoning for the construction of the facility near 175th Street and Lone Elm Road.
Lone Elm Road has 2 lanes of traffic, which works for some of the smaller communities nearby. However, neighbors worry about the added traffic from the 219,000 square foot freezer storage facility, with hundreds of semi-trucks going in and out daily.
Olathe neighbors showed up in droves to Tuesday night's city council meeting to urge leaders to vote against the cold storage facility.
"Our neighbors down the road have warehouses and industrial parks, so it's not that we didn't think anything was going [in the land]," Nottington Creek HOA president Janice Rummel said. "I think the shock was the size of the building, the volume of trucks that were coming in and out and then when we heard the contents, that was the most concerning thing."
The facility is designed as a massive freezer warehouse that uses chemicals. The ownership company, Lineage Logistics, has another warehouse across town.
"We see those semi's lined up down the road and we think, oh my gosh, is that going to happen here?" Rummel said.
Olathe's Planning Commission did not recommend the project after neighbors shared their voice with KSHB 41 News about those expected traffic impacts.
"We were all really excited because we did feel heard," Rummel said. "We felt like the neighborhood came together, really worked and we felt like our voices were heard. The results of [Tuesday] night were disappointing."
In a 5-2 vote, the Olathe City Council approved rezoning the land for the freezer facility.
"We're all disappointed," Nottington Creek neighbor Noreen Fenton said. "It's a very personal thing for us. This is our home."
Leaders who voted yes stated the development was at risk of being annexed into Spring Hill, a smaller community that may not have the resources to address neighbors' concerns.
"This is not a project I love, but Olathe has the infrastructure, public safety resources and experience to manage it more reasonably with stronger protections for [neighbors]," councilmember LeEtta Felter said.
But it was not a unanimous vote of approval.
"I wouldn't want this in my backyard, either," councilmember Matthew Schoonover said before he voted no. "We owe it to our residents, no matter where they are, to try and protect the value of their homes as well."
Olathe's city council discussed options to fix Lone Elm Road to address the traffic impact. The development is expected to generate $365,000 of tax revenue and 240 jobs, according to a city spokesperson.
"Our choice is not whether the project happens, but who manages it," councilmember Felter said.
But neighbors will keep a close eye to make sure the council's promises don't go cold.
"We will continue to expect that they will support us and advocate for us as their citizens," Fenton said.
The council still must approve the final design plans before construction begins.
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