NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday approved a residential development policy, so that they could allocate a grant for residential development that allows for a range of uses that will allow a city to be prepared to work with private developers on building new residential facilities.
"The city's proposal is not to conflict with private enterprise," said Hutchinson City Manager Enrico Villegas. "It's the opposite. We are trying to attract private enterprise here. Because something's wrong, I think we can all look at that, or at a minimum, we're stuck. If we can say, we'll just do this one time and perhaps the market fixes itself, that's a win. If we need to do this maybe two or three times and then eventually we've jump-started the economy enough that builders and developers just kind of run from there, that's great. The tax base grows, it's kind of a mutual win for all of us."
The money will come from already set aside economic development funds. The first grant will be for $35,000 to start the process at the land the city bought near 11th and Hendricks, with another $250,000 encumbered to be spent once the city has engaged a developer and more details on the specifics of the land use can be known.
The intent of the commission is that other cities in the county will follow Hutchinson's lead.
"This is for the entire county to benefit and participate from," Villegas said. "If they want to see how we're doing this, the RFP process that we structured and put together and any agreements used, I would be an open book. Here's exactly how we did it, if you want to copy it, or make it your own and kind of right size it, but it's kind of to everyone's benefit, whether they are going to build in Yoder or wherever."
The vote on both motions was 3-2 with commissioners Hirst, Friesen and Parks voting in favor and commissioners Whitesel and Bogner voting against the policy generally and Hutchinson's initial proposal specifically.