Plans for a new business park near the Lawrence Municipal Airport have been grounded after the project caused concern from neighbors and created budget questions from City Hall.

Developers of the Airport Business Park confirmed Wednesday that they’ve asked city commissioners to indefinitely defer city hearings on the project.

Anthony Santaularia, a member of the development group, said the company is still interested in developing a 144-acre business park near the intersection of U.S. Highway 24-40 and North Seventh Street.

He said more needs to be done to determine better cost estimates for bringing water, sewer, roads and other infrastructure to the area. The city estimated those costs at $8 million. Developers have asked the city to pay for some of those costs.

Lawrence Mayor Sue Hack said the delay is needed for developers and concerned neighbors to reach a potential compromise plan.

“It is very tough to ask a commission to spend millions of dollars on a project that is being fought by the people who will be around it,” Hack said.

Neighbors and other area residents have expressed concerns that the project would increase flooding in the area, would deprive the area of prime farm ground and represents too risky of an investment for public funds.

Nancy Thellman, a leader of a group opposing the project, said she welcomed the chance to talk with the developers but added compromise might be hard to reach.

“I think both sides probably have very different visions for the land, but I think both sides should come back to the table,” she said.

Thellman’s group collected enough signatures to force city commissioners to approve any rezoning request for the area with a super majority of at least four votes.

The development group has argued that the project would be a good investment for the city. Developers say the site – which is adjacent to Interstate 70 – has good potential to attract warehouses, manufacturers and other businesses. In total, his studies project the site could attract 1,600 employees and pay more than $54 million in fees, taxes and other revenue to local governments over 20 years.

Santaularia said he expected to forward new business park plans to commissioners to consider before the end of the year.

Hack said city commissioners need to determine whether the city can afford to make a public investment in Santaularia’s project and still have enough money to redevelop the former Farmland Industries plant east of Lawrence. Commissioners are working with the bankruptcy court to purchase that property this year and redevelop it into a business park.

“I think finding a way to add to our industrial land base is one of the most critical decisions facing us right now,” Hack said. “Site selectors know exactly what we have and they know we’re very, very limited on available industrial land.”