The Junction City – Geary County Metropolitan Planning Commission has given the green light for three steps related to the new Junction City High School project.

They have approved the preliminary plat, recommend the rezoning of the school site north of K-18 and west of the city from Agriculture District to Multi-family Residential District, and a special use permit to allow for a school on property zoned multi-family residential.

One topic of discussion involved the need to pave Munson Road on the west side of the new school. MPC Chair Maureen Gustafson said she would like to say that officials would like to be able to pave all the way around the school so there are not a lot of issues there. “You start driving buses and you start driving a number of cars down the gravels roads, and I’m sorry, I’m not going to disagree with the people that live out there. They’re going to deteriorate very quickly. If we can address the drainage issues and somehow or another put a comfort level on how the roads are going to be sustained I think we will have a lot of frustration on our hands within the city and the county.”

School bus access is planned to the school via Munson Road on the west side of the property, with much of the general traffic entering the site from the Karns Road – K-18 intersection.

There are plans to extend Karns on the east side of the property north to Rucker Road. But there will have to be discussions with the county about helping pave Munson Road since the right of way on that road will remain in the county.

There will be a 14-day waiting period for any protests and then  the MPC recommendations will go to the Junction City Commission for action on annexation, the rezoning and special use permit for the school site.