A section of land next to the high school may eventually provide more housing for Eudora residents.
The Planning Commission voted to approve a request to annex about 97 acres adjacent to the city limits, right next to the high school, at its Wednesday meeting.
The land is owned by Judy Meiergerd. In an interview Thursday, Meiergerd said she and her husband Don, who live in Wichita, decided it was time to sell the land after real estate developers had been contacting them for several years.
“We decided that we couldn’t take care of it very well being in Wichita, Kansas, and our children, you know, they didn’t particularly want to. We hated to hand it over to them to have to take care of living in Wichita,” Meiergerd said.
The land has been in her family for about 150 years, passing down from her grandfather to her father and now to her.
She and her husband decided to go with Alcove Development after being approached by Roger Johnson, a partner with Alcove,and hearing of their good reputation in Eudora.
Meiergerd previously sold some of her family’s land to the school district when they built the new high school.
City utility services do not currently serve this land, and the responsibility to implement those would come from the developer or property owner.
“Staff believes that this is a valid request for voluntary annexation and is supportive of the request,” codes administrator Curt Baumann said.
Dustin Baker with Alcove Development told the commission this was strictly a request to annex the property, but they would be back with a rezoning request for the entire parcel. The area is currently zoned Douglas County agriculture and will have to be zoned residential to move forward with development.
In an interview after the meeting, Baker said the development will be a continuation of the style of Shadow Ridge. Alcove worked on the last phase of the Shadow Ridge development and had planned to expand after its completion,
Alcove has also worked on Homestead of Eudora, as well as developments in De Soto and Lawrence. Baker said they are familiar with the community and wanted to do something of quality for the area.
“We kind of felt like this is our home turf,” Baker said.
Chairman Grant Martin said the request to annex is valid.
“We definitely need more residential development in Eudora. I think we’re definitely not putting the cart before the horse here,” Martin said. “We know and we have what I believe to be a distinct path or what the future of this property is going to bring,”
Vice Chairman Josh Harger agreed the spot was a prime area for residential development.
Commissioner Ryan Rock noted that part of changes coming to Church Street and 20th Street may go through some of the land being annexed, Rock asked if that would be an issue for the developer.
Baker said the road work has been discussed with city staff numerous times, and they are aware and OK with it.
More information about the housing specifics will be available as the project moves forward, Baker said.
The City Commission is expected to vote on the annexation at its next meeting on Monday.
Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected]
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