By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

Hays USD 489 board members agreed to sign a letter of support at Monday’s meeting for a tax increment financing plan for developers proposing a travel plaza just off of Interstate 70 and Hays exit 157.

Vice President of Chance Management Jim Millensifer operates the Oasis Travel Plaza in Colby. He said Big Creek Travel Plaza will be similar to the Colby’s facility and include a hotel, full-service truck stop, coffee house, retail complex, and two to three “fast casual” restaurants.

If approved by the city of Hays, developers said the plaza would generate between $500,000 and $700,000 in property taxes for the district within the first 10 years.

“We would like to see the school board sees the value in the project, not just from the tax dollars and the ability to supplement your budget, but for the opportunities for the students and the community itself,” Millensifer said, adding his company is active in supporting academics and athletic programs at Colby High School.

Phase two of the project includes 32 acres more acres to include a picnic area, dog park, another hotel and more mixed-retail opportunities.

Millinsifer said his group has been in talks with the city of Hays for more than a year and plans to present the TIF proposal to city commissioners in May.

The project has been in the works publicly since last summer, with the extension of city services to the area offering the primary obstacle. If the TIF is approved, property taxes collected would remain flat, while taxes assessed on the increased value would be used to pay capital expenses associated with the infrastructure improvements.