At the Oct. 12 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission, the commission members voted 5-1 against a second rezoning request from Kevin Stumpf for approximately 44.8 acres of vacant land located at the northeast side of the intersection of Poplar Avenue and U.S. Highway 20. Currently the land is zoned as A-1 Agricultural Preservation and the request is to rezone it to I-1 Industrial.

The applicants, Kevin and Sheila Stumpf and Kurt and Julie Stumpf, are proposing to construct a 110,500-square-foot warehouse distribution facility there.

The Board of Supervisors will vote Dec. 7 on the rezoning request.

If the supervisors approve the rezoning, the Stumpfs will still need to obtain a building permit before construction can begin.

Previously, at the Aug. 10 meeting, the Webster County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-2 to recommend denying the switch from the agricultural preservation designation to general commercial for approximately 24 acres of vacant land owned by Stumpf located at the northwest side of the intersection of Poplar Avenue and U.S. Highway 20.

On Sept. 14, the Webster County Board of Supervisors approved the request to rezone that land.

While the full 24 acres were rezoned, the travel center is only expected to use a small portion of it, with the rest being set aside for future development. The site plan for the travel center includes a 9,750-square-foot restaurant and convenience store with diesel and gasoline pumps.

According to Supervisor Bob Thode at the Sept. 14 meeting, if Stumpf does not begin work on the rest of the land by January 2023, that parcel will revert back to an agricultural zone. If Stumpf does choose to build on that parcel, he will be required to obtain a new building permit and have it approved.

Many changes are slated for the section of U.S. Highway 20 in that area. Improvements to the highway and Poplar Avenue are proposed to begin toward the beginning of 2022 to accommodate the travel center. The improvements will require the construction of dedicated eastbound and westbound turn lanes, including acceleration and deceleration lanes for U.S. Highway 20, and an improved paved Poplar Avenue.