By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The city of Hays is considering purchasing a four-acre tract of land in northwest Hays to protect a water production well and access to it from encroachment by future development.
The land, south of 41st Street and west of Covenant Drive, may become home to another fire station.
According to Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty, the city has two water production wells and three monitoring wells on an 80 acre tract of property owned by Philanco West LLC, and pays a monthly lease for the wells.
“We know at some point this is going to develop, most likely in a residential manner,” Dougherty said to city commissioners during their Thursday night work session. “We’re always cognizant of protecting the wellhead and the ability of the well to keep producing.”
For several years, the city has also wanted to purchase property in the northwest part of town for the future location of a fire station. The Hays Fire Department has done significant reviews and determined this property is “an excellent location” for a second fire station. It has quick access to the current and future residential development in the north and western parts of Hays.
The property owner is asking for $200,000 for the four acres.
“Right now we pay the land owner $1,043.99 for leases for access and to have the (water) facilities on this property. In addition to the $200,000, the landowner has requested the lease payments go from a thousand dollars down to $700 a month. So we would capitalize $343 a month on the property. Over 20 years, it comes out to roughly $120,000 just in lease savings–a direct monetary benefit–plus protection of the well,” Dougherty said.
City staff suggests buying the property with $120,000 coming from water sales taxes and $80,000 coming from City Commission Capital Reserve which are General Fund monies.
Dougherty said the city “could use a fire station in that area right now if we had the money.” The main fire station is located downtown at 15th and Main Streets. The airport fire station in southeast Hays can be expanded with two bays and living quarters to house firefighters around the clock.
“Fire Chief Gary Brown, I think, tries to get no more than a 9-minute response time (to emergency calls.) Some areas are getting outside of that time. This location also provides quick access to the Vine Street commercial corridor north and south of I-70. Assuming development at Exit 157, you come out right here at the Highway 183 Bypass.
“The fire department always has to pay attention to the train schedules if there is a fire on the south side of the railroad tracks. Their alternate route is to cut over to 13th Street and then go over the Bypass if there is a train coming through. This new location would allow access to the southern part of town and Fort Hays State University if a train is coming through.
“The way the city’s laid out, you could serve it with that 9-minute response time with the three fire stations. This does position us in the future to cover Hays very efficiently,” Dougherty said.
The land purchase recommendation, which was an add-on to Thursday’s city commission work session agenda, will be moved to a future city commission meeting for possible action.