Sedgwick County commissioners this morning approved rezoning 216 acres southeast of 119th Street West and 31st Street South and northwest of South Maize and 31st Street South from single-family residential to industrial park.
The land is owned by John Dugan. He also owns 130 acres just to the east and south of the site already zoned industrial park.
Planning department director John Schlegel told commissioners that “There are higher performance standards in the IP designation and higher site development standards” than for limited industrial. Such zoning, he said, also eliminates a number of uses that could be considered objectionable to nearby neighbors.
Commissioner Tim Norton said the zoning change helps open up opportunities for an industrial park, something the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition has identified as a need for the area.
The county considered at one time buying land for an industrial park in Bel Aire but decided not to. Norton said he was glad this effort was private.
Commissioners voted unanimously for the change with Gwen Welshimer absent.
So many questions, not enough answers. That about sums up the city council’s wide-ranging and animated discussion about a proposed trash hauling cooperative this morning.
City Manager Robert Layton said he will resume discussions with trash haulers to answer questions about how complaints about service would be handled, how the city would deal with delinquent accounts and what the criteria would be for future rate hikes. Once those issues are resolved, Layton plans to present the proposal to district advisory boards citywide, most likely in January. That pushes a city council vote on the matter at least into mid-January. Read More »
Jim Skelton
Council member Jim Skelton today announced his resignation from the council effective Dec. 29. He’s stepping down to become a Sedgwick County Commissioner.
The council then voted unanimously to start the process of selecting an interim member for Skelton’s District 3 seat in southeast Wichita. Whoever is selected will have the position until the elections in April when District 3 will elect someone to fill the remaining two years of Skelton’s term. Read More »
Wichita released a power point presentation on its proposed trash cooperative Monday.
As reported earlier, the plan would provide for curbside recycling, once-a-year bulky waste pick up and standard weekly trash service for $20 a month on monthly Wichita water bills. It would allow customers to throw all recyclable materials into one bin that would go to a new sorting facility in Wichita. The haulers’ cooperative would allot each company a section of the city near its current customer base. Read More »
UPDATE, Nov. 22: Bob Weeks says thanks for asking, but Four Loko’s not his style. Click here for his blog post.
Bob Weeks, your destiny awaits
Nov. 19:
Our good friend and fellow blogger Bob Weeks at Voice For Liberty in Wichita is taking up the cause of Four Loko, the punch-flavored alcohol drink that is getting drained of its caffeine kick after four states and the federal government declared it an unsafe product.
Bob writes: Read More »
Jim Skelton
Wichita City Council members will vote Tuesday on whether to suspend their rules for filling a vacancy on the council, the city announced this afternoon in a last minute addition to the council agenda.
The move will set the stage for District 3 Council member Jim Skelton to step down on Dec. 29 and allow the City Council to begin the process of selecting an interim council member who would serve until the April 5 election next year. The winner of the April 5 election will serve the remaining two years of Skelton’s term. Read More »
Curbside recycling, once-a-year bulky waste pick up and standard weekly trash service — all for $20 a month on monthly Wichita water bills.
That is all part of a deal Wichita City Council members will informally discuss Tuesday as they consider the formation of a trash haulers cooperative.
An initial city council vote on the agreement could happen by the end of the year, but many details will still have to be worked out, City Manager Robert Layton said Friday.
Layton has been working on the deal with independent trash haulers for about a year.
Coen
Clinton Coen, one of the first candidates to announce a bid to unseat Mayor Carl Brewer, said Wednesday evening that he is exiting the race to run for the District 3 council seat being vacated by Jim Skelton.
Coen has criticized special taxing districts and tax incentives for business. “The government should either cut all property taxes, or they should not exempt any business from paying taxes,” he wrote in a blog in September. “It is that simple.” Read More »
C.L. Hoover Opera House
Sen.-elect Jerry Moran announced today that he’s beginning his annual “listening tour” of every county he represents with four one-hour town hall meetings scheduled, in four different counties, over a 6½- hour period on Friday.
During his recent Senate campaign, Moran committed to setting foot in each of Kansas’ 105 counties at least once every two years if elected. Read More »
