No "pumpkin cannons," late-night entertainment or loud music ought to be allowed at a commercial pumpkin patch being proposed in southeast Douglas County, according to a memo released today by the Douglas County zoning and planning staff.
Instead, officials are recommending that only daytime pumpkin picking, bird watching and fishing be allowed at the proposed 40-acre site west of Baldwin City. And they recommend that the size of the parking lot be scaled back dramatically to limit the size of the crowds attending events there.
Those are just some of the conditions that county officials are recommending be attached to a permit for the proposed agritourism business. County commissioners will consider those conditions when they meet at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday at the county courthouse.
Kirk and Julie Berggren of Overland Park have asked the county for an agritourism permit to operate their KC Pumpkin Patch on a 40-acre farm on Kansas Highway 33.
They currently operate a pumpkin patch in southwest Johnson County, but have said they need to move due to the impending development of the intermodal transportation facility near Gardner.
In their application, the Berggrens indicated that the Douglas County site would only be used for picking pumpkins, bird watching and fishing in a small pond.
But neighbors of the proposed Douglas County site objected to the plan after learning about the size and scope of the Berggrens' Johnson County operation, which includes self-pick pumpkins along with carnival games, music and entertainment, including pumpkin and gourd “cannons," which fire the vegetables out of gun-like barrels made of PVC pipe.
They also noted that the site plan the Berggrens submitted indicated a parking lot that could accommodate more than 800 automobiles, plus up to 16 buses.
After a lengthy and sometimes acrimonious public hearing Sept. 11, commissioners directed zoning staff to draft a permit that would include conditions to address the neighbors' concerns.
The zoning staff released a draft of their recommendations today and posted it on the county's website.
The staff recommends, among other things, that the size of the parking lot be scaled back to no more than a 100-vehicle facility, that the entire site be screened off from neighboring property with an opaque fence, and that the business be limited just to pumpkin picking, bird watching and fishing between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The recommendations also include a requirement that no permit be issued until the Kansas Department of Transportation conducts a traffic impact analysis of the impact the business would have on that section of K-33, south of U.S. Highway 56. That analysis also would have to be approved by the county engineer.
Comments
juststrugglin 6 months, 3 weeks ago
"West of Baldwin City" and "40-acre farm on Kansas Highway 33" ???? Highway 33 runs North and South thru Wellsville and that is not West of Baldwin City. Somebody has their directions, highways or towns messed up.
ThePilgrim 6 months, 3 weeks ago
Pumpkin patch might as well forget about it. Part of the biz usually is corn mazes, haunted hay rides, night time stuff. Douglas County and Lawrence are the most business unfriendly place I have ever heard of!
workinghard 6 months, 3 weeks ago
Odd, they didn't impose a "no blasting loud music" rule against the Color Run, at 8 a.m. no less. Would have been nice.
Pastor_Bedtime 6 months, 3 weeks ago
Most reasonable folks would agree on a restriction against their neighbor blasting loud music and using "pumpkin cannons". I'm sure Armstrong wouldn't object, though, if you wanted to open up shop next to his house. He'd probably welcome a new Woodstock even as anything that generates revenue must be a boon to any neighborhood.
Stacy Napier 6 months, 3 weeks ago
you are spot on. Schaake's is allowed to get bigger and bigger each year and have canons etc, but this place is not. I just have it and appeal any fines or charges to the state under the reason that they are farmers and in Kansas you don't want to regulate anything related to farming.
This is one of the few places that you can own a huge piece of land and then have to ask permission to use if for something.
oletimer 6 months, 3 weeks ago
Now this couple knows what everyone else does. Douglas county screams for new business, but put in so many rules that no one is stupid enough to start up in the county. Sure this is just a pumpkin patch, but other bigger business has run into the same issues (Schumm). As long as the powers that be keep screwing with everybody, there will be no new business.
Armstrong 6 months, 3 weeks ago
Douglas County zoning and planning staff does it's level best to keep business out of Dougy county. Can these people be voted out ?
irvan moore 6 months, 3 weeks ago
it seems strange that we have to have a johnson county business come in to promote douglas county agritourism
6 months, 3 weeks ago
"limited just to pumpkin picking, bird watching and fishing between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m"
That doesn't give families much time to get out there during the week.
Commenting has been disabled for this item.