Olathe will consider master plan for growth at Garmin headquarters campus

A master plan for future development of the Garmin headquarters campus is on the Olathe Planning Commission’s agenda for Monday. If approved, the plan paves the way for road improvements and new building construction.

“We’ve worked with the city and the neighbors and think we have a compelling plan,” said Ted Gartner, Garmin’s corporate communications director. “It will help Garmin expand in a planned, controlled way.”

Gartner said no groundbreaking date is set yet for what would be the next new construction, a 712,842-square-foot warehouse and manufacturing center.

“If the master plan is approved, we will work toward building a new loop road to help ingress and egress and help take some of the pressure off 151st and Ridgeview,” he said.

Garmin currently employs more than 3,400 workers, about 2,700 at the headquarters, which the company says is at capacity now. But Gartner said it would be two years after breaking ground for the new warehouse before the company could begin an 18-month retrofit of the old warehouse and manufacturing space to convert it into offices.

According to the report filed with Olathe, the campus plan could eventually accommodate about 2,700 more employees.

One phase of the headquarters expansion began earlier this year with construction of a new four-level parking garage atop a former surface parking lot. The new garage, previously approved by the planning commission, adds about 1,000 more parking spaces to the original 2,540-space garage. Eventually, the master plan would provide for about 4,590 parking spaces.

“We’re making no claim of an instant windfall to the city if the master plan is approved,” Gartner said. “Any major employment growth would be way down the road after the new warehouse is built and the old warehouse is retrofitted.”

The plan also calls for more landscaping to screen part of the property from the nearby residential neighborhood. The city staff has been working to address neighbors’ concerns about stormwater drainage and possible noise related to campus expansion.

Some residents have expressed concern that Garmin employees are smoking in the nearby neighborhoods. Garmin has a no smoking policy on its campus. The company said it has notified employees to avoid smoking on private residential property.

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Olathe will consider master plan for growth at Garmin headquarters campus."