By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
The proposed Blue Sky Acres residential development south of Hays hit another roadblock Monday when the Ellis County Commission failed to pass the final plat.
The property, owned by Mary Alice Unrein, is located south of Hays, is within the 3-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction area and is undeveloped farm ground located next to the VonFeldt Addition.
At Monday’s county commission meeting, Commissioner Dean Haselhorst made a motion to accept the final plat presented at the meeting by Hays Planning Inspection Enforcement Superintendent Jesse Rohr, but Commissioner Marcy McClelland refused to second the motion, defeating the measure.
Commissioner Barb Wasinger had recused herself from the discussion and vote because of a conflict of interest. County Counselor Bill Jeter also recused himself.
County Attorney Tom Drees served as the commission’s legal representation in Jeter’s absence and said the proposal will now go back to the city.
“Whatever concerns there are would have to be worked out and then it would have to be resubmitted again,”
Drees said.
In April, the final plat was reviewed and approved by a 6-1 vote by the Hays Area Planning Commission.
The property was originally zoned for agriculture and, in January, the Hays City Commission went against the recommendation of the HAPC and city staff and rezoned it to residential suburban. Staff cited the 2012 comprehensive plan as the reason for not recommending the change.
The city of Hays and the county are in talks on potential changes to the 3-mile zone. But Drees said if the plat would have been approved, it would have been grandfathered in under the current rules, which is why both the county and the city have to approve the final plat.
Rohr, as the zoning administrator for the city of Hays, would oversee the inspections for zoning and subdivision. The city, according to Rohr, does not enforce building inspections outside the city.
Under the residential proposal, Unrein was not asking for the county or city to provide any services. Unrein said she would hire someone to build and maintain the roads and that the residents of the subdivision would pay for maintenance through a housing authority.
The plat called for six lots ranging from 2.5 to 3 acres and included a dedicated road and alley right of way.
In October, a group of residents living in the VonFeldt Addition submitted a petition requesting the county vacate Randall Lane, the only road connecting Unrein’s property to a public road. The commission voted not to vacate the road, allowing for the development of the road.
In other business, the commission:
• Opened the two sealed bids for the sale of the Tholen Building, located at 209 W. 12th. They accepted the high bid of $41,911 from Mark Ottley. The building was appraised at $60,000. The county will draw up the contract and bring it back before the commission at a later date.
• Approved a lease with the Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center to build a building at the fairgrounds to store its Mobile Child Advocacy Unit. The Fair Board will vote on the agreement later this month.
• Authorized County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes to negotiate an agreement for snow removal at the county buildings with Flatlander Dirt Works. Flatlander provided snow removal services last winter. The county is looking for a multi-year agreement.