PAOLA — The Miami County Planning Commission discussed a proposed overlay district along K-68 that would incorporate the K-68 corridor management plan into the county’s planning codes. The overlay district would be up to one mile on each side of K-68 in the rural areas of Miami County and would protect Kansas Department of Transportation rights of way if the state ever decided to make K-68 a four-lane highway in Miami County. The planners will have a public meeting about the affects of the proposed overlay district. The Miami County Republic reported that planners Phil Elliott and Nate Apple said they aren’t happy with the overlay and they said it could place some restrictions on property owners along K-68. The state, Miami and Franklin counties and cities in the two counties have already agreed to the K-68 corridor management plan. KDOT has been pushing cities and counties in high-growth areas to agree to corridor management plans. Those plans are designed to avoid the traffic nightmare that occurred along U.S. 54 in the city of Wichita. The state spent more than a billion dollars correcting the snarls along U.S. 54 in Wichita, which is Kellogg Avenue, which is one of the major business routes in the city.
Wednesday, Dec. 22, 7:30 a.m.
