By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Ellis County Commission approved $800,000 Monday night for improvements along the Northwest Business Corridor.
230th Avenue would be paved from just north of 55th Street to south of Feedlot Road. This would include improvements to the intersection of 230th Avenue and 55th Street.
The county hopes to leverage the county funds for the application of grants and state funding.
111th District Rep. Barbara Wasinger, R-Hays, together with 110th District Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, will host Kansas Commerce Secretary David Toland and Deputy Secretary of Transportation Lindsay Douglas in a tour of the area Friday. They will be joined by officials from Ellis County, the City of Hays, GrowHays and the Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center in meeting with business leaders from Midwest Energy and Hess Services.
The corridor has already seen significant development since 2011 with property values increasing by $25.4 million as of 2018. Expansions have occurred at Midwest Energy’s Goodman Energy Center, Celebration Community Church and Hess Services, with additional developments in various stages of planning at the corner of 55th and 230th as well as the Pertl Ranch Feeders feedlot.
The county broke down the project into three sections:
• Feedlot Road from 230th to Highway 183 — $5,018,081
• 230th Avenue from Feedlot Road to 55th Street — $4,375,807
• Intersection of 230th Avenue and 55th Street — $1,685,442
These three sections total $11,079,33. Additional improvements on 55th Street would bring the total amount up to $15,734,862.
The funds the county pledged Monday would come from cash on hand in the special road and bridge fund.
“We do have a number of other priority projects, but this one sees quite a bit of traffic, and I think this should rise to top of the list,” Phillip Smith-Hanes, county administrator, said.
County Commissioner Dustin Roths said he supported the project.
“I think this is probably the most important project we are looking at by far right now,” he said, “so I am happy to commit to it. As far as staff recommendation, as long as they feel comfortable with it, they can start shopping [for grants] with that commitment from us. I think this is critically important to northwest Kansas.”
Commissioner Butch Schlyer agreed with Roths.
“I do believe, as Dustin said, a very important project,” he said. “We do have to take some action to get something started on this road.”
In 2013, the county received an economic development grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation for $1.5 million toward the cost of the improvements at the intersection of 230th Avenue and 55th Street. This funding commitment, however, was contingent upon a development at that intersection that would serve travelers on Interstate 70.
During the past year, a private developer has approached the City of Hays about constructing such a development, but because municipal services are desired for the development, it is likely the city would annex the area around the intersection and the KDOT funding would go to the city for that project.