By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The city of Hays’ governing body will be reorganized during the Jan. 24 city commission meeting.
A new mayor and vice-mayor will be elected, followed by recognition of outgoing mayor James Meier.
The newly organized governing body will also adopt the Rules of Procedure for the Hays city commission.
Other agenda items include a decision on the request for rezoning of a lot on the southeast corner of 22nd and Wheatland Ave. and the north 20 feet of the adjoining lot from Neighborhood Conservation District (NC.3) to Commercial General District (C-2). The rezoning has already been approved, 6-1, by the Hays Planning Commission.
Property to the north, south and east is zoned residential, including general, single family and duplex, and multi-family.
The property across Wheatland Street to the west is zoned C-2 and is the site of the Kansas Dept. of Children and Families building.
Vice-Mayor Henry Schwaller said last week city commissioners have been contacted by concerned people who live in nearby houses.
He said the C-2 commercial zone to the west “makes sense because it’s near the hospital and there could be ancillary doctors’ offices and other things that fit within that classification.”
“And that does make sense,” agreed Meier, “but that’s a bigger list than office buildings.”
C-2 zoning in the city’s Unified Development Code (UDC) allows the following uses:
o Alcoholic Beverage Sales
o Animal Grooming Facilities
o Animal Boarding or Vet Services
o Assisted Living Facility
o Drinking establishment
o Drive-In/Drive Through Facility
o Farmers’ Market
o Grocery Store
o Heavy Retail
o Hotel/Motel
o Mixed Use
o Nursery/Greenhouse, Retail
o Office, General
o Parking Lot, Parking Structures
o Group Day Care Center
o Medical Office/Clinic
o Non-Profit Institution
o Nursing or Convalescent Home
o Place of Assembly
o Pawn Shop
o Personal Services
o Recreational and Fitness, Indoor and Outdoor
o Restaurant
o Retail Sales and Service
o Showrooms
o Schools, Private
o Schools, Public
o Vehicle gas and fuel station
The UDC requires a bufferyard between C-2 and NC.3 zoning, noted Jesse Rohr, director of Public Works. Mandatory fences, walls, open spaces, landscaped areas, berms or any combination thereof, assist with development of properties adjacent to different zoning classifications and make them more compatible.
“In this case, the property owner would have to provide at least at 10 foot buffer on the south property line,” Rohr told the commission.
All city infrastructure and utilities are available at the location for connection.
The complete Jan. 24 agenda is available here.
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.