Kaw Valley Companies, Inc. proposed to dredge sand for 25+ years from a parcel of Leavenworth County farmland located at 166th Street and Lenape Road (just north of Burning Tree Golf Course and the city of DeSoto). Here is what their plan would have meant for the region:
 
▶ DANGEROUS ROADS - 25+ years of what Kaw Valley estimates to be 160 sand hauling trucks traveling the proposed route between 7 am and 3 pm each weekday will be dangerous. These trucks will be both 3-axle dump trucks and 18-wheelers, that can each weigh up to 80,000 lbs. loaded. The roads have narrow lanes, virtually no shoulders, and steep drop-offs. Our roads and bridges cannot safely handle this kind of heavy industrial traffic.
 
▶ ROADWAY HAZARDS - Congestion and hazardous conditions from the estimated 160 heavy trucks sharing the road will jeopardize pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, busloads of school-kids, commuters, wildlife, and residents.
 
▶ 160 DIESEL TRUCKS ESTIMATED DAILY - Diesel exhaust fumes, noise, and pollution from 160 Kaw Valley trucks each weekday will permeate the region. Assurances that there will be no private contractor trucks and that trucks will only use the designated haul route are unrealistic as circumstances may change. 
 
▶ BLOWING SAND - Blowing sand and dust will not only coat the area but will drop from the trucks on our roadways, making them unsafe for cars, school buses, motorcycles, bicycles and runners.
 
▶ CONSTANT NOISE - a minimum of 12 hours a day, Monday through Saturday -- whining pumps, rattling augers and conveyors, separators, roaring diesel engines, jake brakes, and back-up beepers on loaders will stress neighbors and diminish quality of life far beyond the adjacent properties.
 
▶ WATER WELL CONTAMINATION - Local residents on private wells and leaders of nearby cities who draw public water from wells in the river bottom are justifiably worried about water contamination. This could be industry induced, stormwater runoff, storage of fuel and chemicals, and the disruption of the underlying aquifer. A water well does not recover from contamination.
 
▶ OUT OF CHARACTER - An industrial sand pit doesn’t fit the character of the existing neighborhood. It will spoil the experience of golfers at Burning Tree, diminish the quality of life for neighboring farms and homes, and inhibit access to De Soto businesses from Leavenworth County.
 
▶ DISCOURAGES GROWTH - According to the 2020 Comprehensive Plan, the southern portion of Leavenworth County promises to continue delivering the bulk of the county’s residential growth (both in population and valuations). An industrial sand pit will kill off that growth, send property values plummeting, and likely will lead to more industrial development, creating a wasteland unsuitable for residential development.
 
▶ NO ECONOMIC BENEFIT - Neither Kaw Valley nor Leavenworth County has shown any economic benefit to the County and its citizens. On the contrary, this proposal could well increase taxes for all residents to help cover road maintenance costs, to bridge the gap between decreased home values and property tax revenue, and to defend against potential lawsuits.
 
▶ LEARN EVEN MORE - You can access Kaw Valley’s original application and related documents here.

 
▶ DIRECT ALL QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS:
 
1st District

Comm. Jeff Culbertson

jeffc@leavenworthcounty.gov

(913) 684-0499

2nd District
Comm. Vicky Kaaz
vkaaz@leavenworthcounty.gov
(913) 364-5798

3rd District
Comm. Doug Smith
dsmith@leavenworthcounty.gov
(913) 684-0497

4th District
Comm. Mike Smith
msmith@leavenworthcounty.gov
(913) 364-5788

5th District
Comm. Mike Stieben
mstieben@leavenworthcounty.gov
(913) 364-5789

To sign up for public comment time at a BOCC meeting contact Mark Loughry through the administrative assistant,

Becky Matzeder, at least one day before the meeting. 

RMatzeder@leavenworthcounty.gov

(913) 684-0417 

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LVCO BOCC Mailing address:
300 Walnut St.
Leavenworth, KS 66048