On Thursday night at 7 pm the Oxford Township Zoning Board will consider for the first time the re-zoning of the South East corner of 159th and Metcalf, diagonally across from the recently approved Wal-Mart lot. You should attend this meeting if at all possible.

The land is master planned for residential, but the developer wants to switch these 31 acres to the most intense retail commercial zoning possible in the County, PRB-3.

Since even this intense PRB-3 zoning is not sufficient to handle the height of the buildings the developer wants, the proposal includes an additional Conditional Use Permit beyond the intensity of the PRB-3 that allows 50 foot high buildings (equivalent to 5 stories).

The proposed development is just under 300,000 square feet of retail space. Even the newly approved Wal-Mart does not come close to this size. In fact one of the buildings, the single largest structure shown, is 236,500 square feet. The Wal-Mart is under 200,000 sq ft. Every box store you see in Overland Park, - Sam's Club, Costco, Wal-Mart, etc - is much smaller than this building.

In addition to this one monstrous building, there are 8 other stores.

The Johnson County Planning department is recommending this proposal be denied.

If you oppose a major change to a Master Plan; if you oppose converting residential to the most intensive retail commercial zoning possible; if you oppose over 13,610 additional car trips a day - the residential would be 930 additional car trips, for comparison - then you should attend this meeting with as many of your friends as possible to voice your opposition.

The Zoning Board recommendations will be given to the County Commissioners, who will make the final decision.