Problem: Lineage Logistics Development at New Century
In September of 2017 Lineage Logistics, a global corporation that specializes in the transportation and storage of foods and other goods, was proceeding with plans to build a 411,000 square foot, 85 foot tall warehouse at the New Century Air Center in Gardner, KS. This warehouse would have required over 90,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia, which is a very dangerous hazardous material. Its presence would have posed a potential threat to the safety of residences, schools and business up to a three-mile radius from the warehouse.
Challenge:
The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners approved the development of the Lineage warehouse by a 7-0 vote at the behest of the County Manager and the Chair of the County Commission. With the County’s approval of the warehouse, the citizens in the surrounding area were left with little recourse to but hold the County accountable for multiple zoning ordinance violations and exemptions they were approving, as well as creating a dangerous environmental hazard to the surrounding area. The citizens of Gardner and Olathe wanted to stop the warehouse from being built. Thus they needed to come up with an action plan to either get the Board of County Commissioners to rescind their votes, or otherwise to stop Lineage Logistics from building the new warehouse.
Actions:
A group of concerned citizens banded together to sue the County and build a public pressure campaign to hold the county government accountable and stop the project. They began organizing residents door to door – signing 1,009 of the residents in the area affected onto the lawsuit as co-plaintiffs. They also informed the residents within the danger zone radius of the proposed warehouse of the government overreach exercised on approval of the warehouse, but also how it put these residents in danger due to the use of anhydrous ammonia. Equipped with this knowledge, 1,009 residents in the area signed as co-plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the County Commission. Over the following months, the coalition implemented a sustained effort to pressure the County Commissioners to rescind their votes for Lineage Logistics. More than 20 different residents spoke regularly at every Board of County Commissioners meeting while the lawsuit raged on in the courtroom. There were weekly canvassing events in the neighborhoods surrounding the proposed build site, to inform neighbors of what was happening and get them to sign 671 pledge cards, or petitions to oppose the proposed building.
Benefit:
The overwhelming outcry from residents let the County Officials, large corporations and local elected officials know that the residents in the danger zone radius were not going to abandon their campaign. The people of southern Johnson County, Kansas clearly communicated that the County and Lineage Logistics needed to follow zoning regulations and put public safety first.
Result:
Eventually this citizen action group was successful in their effort to stop the development. Lineage Logistics abandoned their plan to develop the warehouse.
Out of the success of this campaign, the core group of residents formed CC4RG to stand up for the residents of Johnson County.