An intersection near the Kansas Turnpike and South Lawrence Trafficway will not be opened for development of an industrial park.

At least not yet.

Douglas County commissioners rejected a rezoning application Wednesday for 155 acres of pasture land along the north side of the Farmer’s Turnpike, just northeast of the intersection of Interstate 70 and the trafficway.

Venture Properties, a development group led by Duane Schwada, fell one vote short of the unanimous decision needed to secure light-industrial zoning for a new business park that would be expected to develop during the next 20 to 30 years.

Charles Jones, commission chairman, said that the site simply was too far away from the city — and outside the community’s adopted urban growth area — to merit such a massive change in land use.

“I don’t think this plan is well-conceived,” Jones said.

Jones’ decisive vote came after about 80 people crammed into the commission meeting room to oppose the application. Because nearby property owners already had signed a protest petition, developers would have needed a unanimous vote to succeed.

After the meeting, Schwada said he would try to devise a workable proposal for what he considers to be “an ideal site,” given its access to highways.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to satisfy a group as well-organized as this one,” Schwada said, “but there are a lot of developments that are very worthwhile to the community that take some time to accomplish.”

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Price Banks, an attorney for opponents known as the Scenic Riverway Community Assn., warned commissioners that rezoning the property could lead to troublesome uses. Among them: chemical blending, meat packing and auto manufacturing.

And that’s only the beginning, Banks said.

“That (site) could include a truck stop,” Banks said. “That could include a Wal-Mart store — any big-box store. That could include a cornfield mall, or any of the other industrial uses. The zoning district is virtually wide open.”

Todd Thompson, an attorney for the development group, told commissioners that the group was willing to prohibit a number of uses opposed by neighbors, including a truck stop.

“We want our hands tied,” he said. “We want to be bound up and limited on the uses that could go into this park. … We want to be nailed down completely.”

Commissioners informally agreed to pursue creation of another industrial zoning category, one that would eliminate intensive uses. No timetable was set.

— Staff writer Mark Fagan can be reached at 832-7188.