Douglas County commissioners will be asked Wednesday to approve a change in the comprehensive plan that would pave the way for development of a Menard’s store on West 31st Street.

The plan, known as Horizon 2020, is the blueprint that both the city and county use to guide development in the area.

The proposed change would expand the existing commercial corridor on South Iowa Street eastward along West 31st Street, designating the new area as a “regional commercial center.”

That would open the door to allow development of a 190,000-square foot Menards home improvement store just east of the existing Home Depot store at 31st and Iowa.

The proposed change must be approved by both the Douglas County Commission and the Lawrence City Commission.

The Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission last month recommended approving the change, although the vote was less than unanimous. Some planning commissioners have expressed concern that Lawrence is currently overdeveloped for retail space.

County commissioners will discuss the proposal when they meet at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday at the county courthouse.

Commissioners will also meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday to consider items that are not expected to require public comment. Those include:

• Refinancing an estimated $8 million to $9 million in existing general obligation bonds in order to finance various capital improvement projects. The refinancing would produce savings that would be used to finance construction of the proposed new Public Works Department facility.

• Starting a process to update the comprehensive plan to reflect changes in the metropolitan transportation plan known as T2040, and forwarding those recommendations to the planning commission.

• Considering waiving the bidding process to enter a contract with Spillman Technologies for software used in the Emergency Communications Department.

• Authorizing a master plan with Treanor Architects for the Douglas County Fairgrounds.