Plans to build a small specialty meat story in Douglas County, Kan., have run into problems, thanks to the objections of a potential neighbor — who happens to be Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. The building had gained the approval of the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission, but Kobach has become the spokesman of area residents who oppose the business.
The Burning Barrel is the brainchild of Brian Stecker, a longtime Lawrence chef. According to the Lawrence Journal-World, the business will produce specialty hams, sausages, pork and beef. The business would be situated in a 640-square-foot building in a 30-acre space. Kobach owns a one-bedroom house on 160 acres, less than a mile from The Burning Barrel’s proposed location. He has raised concerns that the facility would ruin the beauty of the area.