The Emporia Metropolitan Area Planning Commission continued its look at the current city zoning regulations, specifically focusing on potential restrictions and conditions for medical facilities, during its monthly meeting Tuesday evening.
No actions were taken and no decisions were made, as the board is still early in the process. At this time, Chairman Kenton Thomas says the commission is looking to answer a major question: are any changes necessary at this time?
Should the board decide there is a need for changes, one concern, among many, was brought up Tuesday night by Commissioner Stan Fowler, who questioned the ramifications any changes could have on industries outside of the medical field.
Fowler’s point was one of the reasons for the commission choosing to seek out legal advice, with Fowler saying it is best to have an expert on these matters before you dive in.
As KVOE News has reported previously, the review of zoning regulations came about through direction from the Emporia City Commission, which wanted the subject revisited after Newman Regional Health proposed a series of text amendments to the zoning regulations after Stormont Vail announced its plans for its new medical facility in west Emporia a few years back. At that time, the planning commission ultimately chose to make no recommendation to the city, and the matter simply faded from conversation.
Emporia City Commissioners did not state what prompted them to have the planning commission revisit the matter late last year; however, Newman leadership has stated it was not at their request. Thomas had an opinion on the matter while speaking with KVOE News, saying he feels this was the city’s attempt to provide closure to a matter that was left largely unresolved.
There is no set timeline for when planning commissioners must have a recommendation back to the Emporia City Commission. Planning commissioners will reconvene for their regular meeting in November.
