We recently bought land in Leavenworth County, and we plan to begin building our home in a few months. We have lived in Johnson County for over 10 years, and we looked at a lot of land in a lot of counties before choosing Leavenworth. We have found the folks in Leavenworth to be incredibly nice and already feel a sense of community.

I would like to suggest Leavenworth County leaders explore the development and zoning guidelines of Clinton County, Missouri which, like Leavenworth County, also has a rural identity, beautiful land, and proximity to Kansas City.

Clinton County requires at least 20 acres per individual home to acquire a building permit. If a plat is desired, each home in the plat must have at least five acres. For smaller plat lots to be considered for approval, the developer must put in a sewer system for the entire plat. We seriously considered Clinton County because we knew they cared about maintaining a rural atmosphere, and it would not become overdeveloped with plats and high-density populations. There are no road fees attached to a building permit, and whatever the road surface is when building occurs, it remains as such.

At the county commission meeting on Feb. 17 concerning the considered changes in road impact/road improvement fees, Commissioner Daniels, I believe, spoke at the end and noted how Leavenworth County is not Johnson or Douglas. From the short time I have been involved in the county and from the local news I read in the papers to which I subscribe (Tonganoxie Mirror and Basehor Sentinel), it seems Leavenworth County is in the process of trying to decide its identity for the future. I support Leavenworth County continuing to be a rural community, with a formal plan that actively supports this.

I appreciate your willingness to consider the issues I have raised. Leavenworth County is a beautiful place, with a great richness of land and community. I would hate for the character of Leavenworth County to be lost in a sea of development.

Brenda Hafner,
Leawood.