To the editor:

March 17, Venture Properties Inc. will ask the Douglas County Commission to rezone almost 160 acres located at 900E and 1800 Road along the Farmers Turnpike in northwest Douglas County from agricultural to industrial (I-2). This rezoning is only a Trojan horse that will lead to unchecked development and industrial sprawl from Kasold Drive to Lecompton.

This ill-conceived plan has already been rejected by the city’s planning staff and the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission. The reasons for rejection were many. This area of Douglas County lacks sufficient water for not only the proposed 10-acre sewage waste-water lagoon but for fire protection and potential industrial uses.

Also, the proposed industrial area is outside of the urban growth zone and is a prime example of leapfrog development that will only cause problems in the future as the city expands. The most frightening aspect of this zoning change is the fact that once the zoning is granted, there is no going back. Any one of over a hundred uses for I-2 include truck stops, poultry packing and slaughtering, processing of meat products, structural iron and steel fabrication, to name just a few.

Planning for future growth is needed. As the city of Lawrence continues to expand, an industrial park in this location will ruin any chance of this area being used to attract anything but more industry.

Help stop industrial sprawl. For more information on the Scenic Riverway Community Assn., see www.scenicriverway.org.

Louis and Phyllis Copt,

Lecompton