Annexation near Lecompton advances

Plans to annex an area near the Lecompton interchange of the Kansas Turnpike are moving forward.

City commissioners on a 4-1 vote agreed to send an annexation request of about 155 acres northeast of the interchange to the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission for review.

City Commissioner Boog Highberger voted against sending the request to the Planning Commission, saying it was inappropriate to consider because the property is outside the city’s expected growth area. But the other commissioners said they wanted the Planning Commission to determine whether the site had good potential as an industrial park.

Neighbors in the area have opposed previous efforts to develop the property into a business park. Those previous plans, however, always have been heard by the Douglas County Commission. By annexing the land, it would allow city commissioners to decide the fate of the property.