The Olatha Planning Commission convened on January 26, 2026, with eight of nine commissioners present to conduct a single public hearing regarding a historic nomination and to approve regular minutes. The meeting was conducted with a focus on civic dignity and procedural transparency, with the Chair clarifying that the Commission's statutory role is advisory to the City Council.
Well, as we begin our meeting this evening, we'll take a moment to acknowledge that we have a quorum of planning commissioners present with eight of nine commissioners in attendance. We're missing Commissioner Bergita tonight. I want to thank everyone for attending this evening's meeting. Planning Commission meetings are an important part of the process for interpreting and applying the city's comprehensive plan and unified development ordinance. It's important that our meetings are conducted with dignity and respect. That applies to every person in attendance. We strive to provide an atmosphere where the ideas of opinions of all participants are held in the highest regard. Finally, the actions on the issues we discuss are ultimately under the responsibility of the City Council. As a planning commission, we're here to help the councils, our elected representatives to be fully informed to make the best choices for our city. By statute, the planning commission strives not to engage with any party on the issues on our agenda prior to our meeting. Should that interaction take place as a result of a business relationship or any other interaction, which we refer to as ex parte communication, commissioners will report that interaction when we reach that item on the agenda. We'll now move to the consent agenda. And this evening we just have one item on the consent agenda, which is our minutes from the last meeting. Commissioners, do you have need any additional information on this item? If not, uh I will call for a motion for passage of the consent agenda. Mr. Chair, I'll move to approve the consent agenda. Thank you, Commissioner Breen. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you, Commissioner Chapman. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed nay. And that does pass. We'll move on to our regular agenda. And this evening we have one scheduled public hearing. Public hearing is a request for nomination to the Olatha Register of Historic Places for 126 South Cherry Street. Mr. Belcher is with us this evening to present the case. Hi Chet. Thank you, Chair, members of the Commission, Chet Belcher, Chief Community Development Officer. Um have a brief presentation on this. This is the site. It's located uh directly east of the Johnson County Admin Building on Cherry Street, 126 South Cherry. Um the site uh was originally constructed and dedicated uh in nineteen thirty-nine on Old Settlers Day. Uh it was since converted uh to the building you see now with a few uh changes to the roof line. Oops. Um so we do recommend recommend uh approval of the request with one stipulation, and that's that the uh any changes of the building are required for a certificate of appropriateness. And with that, uh we'll move on pending this vote to the February seventeenth, twenty twenty-six city council. With that, I will stand for any questions. All right, thank you. Commissioners, do you have any questions for staff? Commissioner Corcoran. I got a minute or two, so I'm just curious. I mean, what what exactly does this designation mean? What what benefits, what advantages? Yeah, that's a great question. They're really it's ceremonial, honestly. It's um doesn't put you on a national register, it doesn't put on a state register, so uh doesn't help with grants, it's uh primarily uh ceremonial and recognition and really the only thing actually get is a plaque to put in the oversight is just the city of Olatha, not anything or federal.