Baldwin City ? What started as a joint work session between the Douglas County Commission and Baldwin City officials turned into a major discussion regarding the safety of an intersection on U.S. Highway 56 where a new school is going to be built.

The intersection is with County Road 11. Part of the road is also Lawrence Street in Baldwin City, but the intersection is in the county. It is at the top of a hill on U.S. 56, and the new Baldwin Elementary School Primary Center will be built to the south of it, with access to Lawrence Street.

“There are sight-distance concerns at Lawrence and U.S. 56,” said Keith Browning, director of public works for the county. “It is going to bring more traffic. There is some concern.”

Browning said the Kansas Department of Transportation is not going to require a left-hand turn lane at the intersection, and the school zone presently on U.S. 56 could be extended to the west with the 45 mph restriction during peak school times.

“Is it something we feel strongly enough about to tell the school district, ‘No, you can’t do that’?” Browning asked the commission.

Baldwin City Council Member Bonnie Plumberg said she was at the meeting where the school district’s consultants who did a traffic study said the intersection is adequate.

“I don’t want an intersection that is adequate for my grandkids. I want something that is safe,” Plumberg said.

Baldwin City Mayor Ken Wagner, who also lives on Lawrence Street, took that further. He questioned how the district’s study could find that bringing 550 more students to the area wouldn’t increase traffic.

“I think when you’re talking about something that’s adequate, it’s going to take someone getting killed to change it,” Wagner said. “I hate to be dramatic, but that’s what I think.”

County Administrator Craig Weinaug suggested that county and Baldwin City staffs get together and come up with alternatives for what can be done at the intersection.

The County Commission approved directing staff to do that on a 3-0 vote.

“They should come up with a plan that keeps the children safe and not who is going to be responsible for it,” Weinaug said.

Browning agreed.

“Once the school goes in, that’s when we get the calls about what are you going to do about that intersection,” Browning said.

“We’re glad you brought this up,” said Commissioner Nancy Thellman. “This is the most important thing we’ve done tonight.”

The group had earlier discussed zoning and planning regulations for the urban growth area that has been identified around Baldwin City.

The planning commission had just approved the regulations at a meeting Tuesday night, and they will be sent to the City Council for final approval.

There was also a brief discussion on the U.S. 56 corridor study that is being funded jointly by Douglas and Johnson counties, as well as several cities along the highway, such as Baldwin City. Thellman and Wagner were among those who attended the first meeting on the study, which is expected to take 18 months to complete.

“I know a lot of people are asking, are we going to have a four-lane highway.” Wagner said. “I don’t think we’re going to have that. I don’t think it’s anything like we’re seeing west of town (new U.S. Highway 59).”