Johnson County delays three Gardner development plans

The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday tabled three development proposals affecting the city of Gardner.

The items included a site plan for a New Trails Convenience Store and Gas Station, located on the southwest corner of West 175th Street and New Trails Parkway; a revised preliminary development plat, final development plan and final plat for the proposed Heartland Coca- Cola Bottling Facility, which would sit on 116.9 acres south and west of West 167th Street of Hedge Lane; and the final development plan for the third phase of the Tallgrass Apartments complex. The third phase includes five apartment buildings, containing 80 units on a little more than six acres.

Jay Leipzig, Johnson County planning director, said the reason a decision couldn’t be made at the Thursday commission meeting was because the county was still waiting on a required form from the Federal Aviation Administration. All projects are located within one mile of New Century Airport.

“There was a determination there was no hazard to navigation,” Leipzig said.

While county staff and the airport officials recommended approval of the three projects, they can not proceed until the county receives the FAA form.