Site plan for Calcio Village soccer complex near N 1300 and E 1750 roads, created by Adams Architects.

The Douglas County Commission unanimously approved Wednesday a conditional-use permit for a soccer complex just southeast of Lawrence after adding two stipulations addressing neighbors’ concerns.

The complex is to be built southeast of the intersection of North 1300 Road and East 1750 Road. Known as Calcio Village, the complex would have five regulation grass fields, five smaller practice fields, a parking lot and facilities for concessions, storage and staff use on the site. A pond to collect water for irrigation is also planned. The phase I plans are confined to the eastern 40 acres of the 80-acre site.

Although no one opposed the complex at a public hearing on the permit, four residents who live on North 1300 Road voiced concerns about the traffic it would add to the narrow, hilly 1300 Road, which Wakarusa Township maintains.

“I measured the road,” said Diana McNish of 1643 North 1300. “It’s 23-foot wide. With this much traffic, there will be safety issues.”

North 1300 Road was one of four possible routes to the site, developer Joe Comparato said. He agreed North 1250 Road provided safer access and said those using the complex would be encouraged to avoid North 1300 Road.

Larry McElwain, of Lawrence, asked that commissioners consider protecting from noise a wildlife sanctuary on property immediately to the east of the 80-acre complex.

Commission Chairman Jim Flory addressed that concern with a stipulation that the developer plant the appropriate vegetative screening at least two years before submitting site plans for any use of the east 40 acres.

Flory also added a stipulation that no on-site well water be used for irrigation, in response to neighbors’ concerns such use would adversely affect their wells.

Other stipulations that the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission added to the permit were that lights for the one illuminated field be shielded, and that no activities at the complex start before North 1300 Road and East 1750 Road are restored to the condition they were in before work started on the South Lawrence Trafficway. Commissioners were told the Kansas Department of Transportation has indicated the section of the SLT would be completed in the fall, which coincided with the developer’s estimate of when the complex would be finished.

In other business, commissioners:

• Agreed to schedule a work session with stakeholders on the proposed jail expansion and crisis intervention center as soon as possible. Commissioner Nancy Thellman said such a session was needed so commissioners could talk among themselves about what they’ve learned at six town hall meetings and through their conversations with staff and stakeholders.

The town hall meetings were successful in giving commissioners a great deal of information, but didn’t provide a venue for them to discuss what they learned or what direction it led them, Thellman said.

“There’s an awful lot of talk out there, and an awful lot of people anxious to hear what we have to say,” she said. “The three of us need to decide what we think is best for the community. We haven’t done that.”

The decision to schedule the work session came after Flory said earlier in the day at a charrette on the design of the crisis center that he wanted the County Commission to have a town session on financing options for the two facilities in about a month. He would still like to have that work session in that time frame but said its timing would depend on what was learned at the coming work session and when staff had the needed financial information.

Approved a number of revisions to the county’s personnel policies, but deferred action on a proposed longevity pay schedule. Commissioners asked that the proposal be amended so county employees would receive longevity pay for the first five years they worked for the county, starting with their sixth year.

• Awarded a contract to Bryan-Ohmeier Construction for $795,000 to replace a 79-year-old bridge over Coal Creek on Route 458 about one-third of a mile east of the Route 1055 intersection. The engineer’s estimate for the project was $816,600.

• Awarded a contract to Bryan-Ohmeier Construction for $354,000 to replace the deck of a bridge over Washington Creek on Route 1039 just south of Lone Star Lake. The bid, which was the only one received, was less than the engineer’s estimate of $418,000.