Planning commission recommends rezoning of Youth Front camp parcel to heavy industrial

The Linn County Planning Commission on Jan. 13 recommended approval of a rezoning request for a parcel owned by Youth Front so the nonprofit can increase the land’s marketability for industrial uses.

Topher Fillgreen, executive vice president of Youth Front, described the organization’s long history and explained the nonprofit’s request to rezone roughly 257.9 acres of county land from agricultural to I‑2 (heavy industrial). He said Youth Front intends to retain the camp facilities and seek to sell or lease an off‑camp parcel so proceeds will finance needed renovations to aging cabins and program buildings. Fillgreen described nearby uses — an adjacent quarry and Evergy land — and said the parcel is largely not suitable for row crops because of subsurface rock.

Planning staff presented a written report (Case CUP25‑04) that said the request is consistent with long‑range planning goals for industrial growth, that notice requirements were met and that future development will require site plan review and applicable standards. Staff recommended approval.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the parcels being rezoned (staff identified the application parcel as 257.9 acres in the staff report), about whether the nonprofit had already split the nonprofit portion from the sale parcel, and about the timeline for County Commissioner consideration. After discussion the commission moved to recommend approval and forwarded the item to the county commissioners; staff said the county commission would likely hear the item in about two weeks.

Why it matters: The rezoning would allow Youth Front to market a sizable parcel for industrial reuse near existing industrial activity; staff framed the request as consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan and appropriate for later site‑level review.