By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

With no discussion, Hays city commissioners unanimously approved revisions to the city’s Development Policy last Thursday.

The policy consists of infrastructure guidelines for new development and was last revised nearly eight years ago, in 2009.

“The development policy supplements the regulations set forth in the city Municipal Code and particularly the Unified Development Code (UDC),” explained John Braun, interim Public Works Director.

City staff developed revisions to the policy and reviewed them with various stakeholders. The Hays Area Planning Commission unanimously approved the changes in April.

Significant changes to the Development Policy include:

1. Eliminated references to the City paying for over-sizing of infrastructure to include water, sanitary sewer, stormwater, and street, which includes intersections. This was at the request of the City Commission.
2. Deleted sections requiring developers to pay the equivalent cost of an 8” line to tap into existing water or sewer mains. This was at the request of the city commission to reduce the “high cost of development.”
3. The current policy calls for 8” minimum waterline size. It makes sense to allow smaller lines once past the last possible fire hydrant; therefore, waterlines less than 8” may be allowed by Director of Water Resources
4. Alleys shall be concrete if they convey stormwater. No cost share by the City. Supported by staff to reduce alley maintenance costs and improve stormwater runoff quality.
5. Improvements to Arterial Streets will take place when the following conditions are met:

• The property along the arterial is fully or substantially developed and annexed into the City of Hays
• Traffic counts and/or road condition warrant improvements
• Sufficient funds exist to complete the improvement
•  A developer may choose to fund arterial street improvements, or the City Commission may require the developer to fund arterial street
  improvements if the future expected growth warrants the improvements. A petition for the creation of a benefit district may be submitted by affected property owners to fund arterial improvements.
• Proposed street widths are narrower to reduce construction and future maintenance costs, and for traffic calming. Street pavement width requirements would be:
  o Residential (no curb & no parking) – two 12’ lanes = 24’
  o Residential (with curb & parking) – 30’ BOC to BOC (back of curb)
  o Collector (no curb & no parking) – two 12’ lanes = 24’ (plus 3’ minimum width gravel shoulders)
  o Collector (with curb and parking) – 40’ BOC to BOC
  o Arterial Streets – Based on Engineering Study

6. UDC does not specifically require curb. Stormwater design criteria and performance standards promote the use of ditches over closed
conveyance systems.
7.  Allow for Special Assessment up to 20 years. This was requested by developers.
8. Removed Annexation Section – Consider a separate Annexation Policy.

All the detailed revisions are available here.