The Hutchinson City Council is meeting on Tuesday evening at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. Here are just a few of the items on the agenda.
Hutchinson Park Project
The Hutchinson Park project, a proposed 48-unit housing complex located just south of the Atrium Site, is requesting an Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) of $7.582 million. As part of the IRB agreement, the project would be exempt from paying property taxes for 10 years.
In addition to the IRB request, the developers are also seeking a reduction in city fees totaling $40,000. This includes a request to reduce building permit fees and water tapping fees, which city staff estimate would otherwise total $43,857 and $8,130, respectively. If approved, the developer would pay approximately $11,782 for both fees combined.
The developer of this project is Hutchinson Park, LP of Springfield, Missouri.
Plaza Trails Project
The Plaza Trails project would be located near Dillons on 30th Street in Hutchinson is seeking financial backing and incentives from the city to move forward. The Plaza Trails project would include 36 residential units, consisting of 24 two-bedroom, two-bath units and 12 three-bedroom, two-bath units—offering a mix of housing options for area residents.
Developers are requesting an issuance of $10.9 million in Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs), which would include a 10-year property tax abatement as part of the package. The abatement would significantly reduce the cost burden for the project during its initial decade of operation.
In addition, the developers are asking the city to approve a $40,000 reduction in fees tied to the project. According to city staff, the standard building permit fees would total $38,523 and the water tapping fees would be $9,530. With the requested reduction, the developer would pay approximately $8,503 in combined fees.
The developer of this project is Plaza Trails L.P. of Columbia, Missouri.
UpTown Hutch CID
The public hearing for the much-discussed Community Improvement District for the UpTown Hutch Mall is set for the meeting. The CID would create a sales tax district of 2 percent for improvements at the mall. Turning the mall into a drive-up shopping center with businesses having exterior access, while turning the existing food court and interior spaces into a multi-use area.
36 Avenue and Monroe zoning change request
A proposed zoning change on North Monroe Avenue, just north of 36th Avenue, has received a recommendation for approval from city planning staff, paving the way for a new residential development by T&C Rentals LLC.
The developer is seeking to rezone the property from R-3 Moderate Density Residential to R-5 High Density Residential, a move that would reduce the minimum lot size requirement from 9,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet. The change would allow for a denser layout, enabling the construction of more homes on the same amount of land.
Despite the broader uses permitted under R-5 zoning — including multi-unit and two-unit housing — the developer assured the planning commission that the intent is to build only single-family homes on the site. According to the proposal, the average lot size for the new homes would be approximately 6,500 square feet, larger than the minimum required under R-5 but smaller than the current R-3 minimum.
The developer also indicated plans to plat the property accordingly if the zoning request is approved.
While the R-5 classification does open the door for more intensive residential uses in the future, planning staff expressed support for the rezoning, citing consistency with the city’s development goals and the project’s potential to provide more housing options in Hutchinson.
The applicant for the zoning change is T&C Rentals of Wichita.
Unsafe and hazardous structures
City staff is requesting to move forward with formal action against ten properties deemed potentially hazardous, following complaints from nearby residents and a preliminary inspection that identified unsafe conditions.
The properties are located at:
- 806 North Plum
- 22 West 5th Street
- 2100 North Jackson Street
- 211 East 4th Avenue
- 3001 East Fourth Avenue
- 1321 East Fourth Avenue
- 1221 East Fourth Avenue
- 411 South Main Street
- 401 South Main Street
- 405 South Main Street
According to officials, the properties were flagged after community members raised concerns about safety and structural integrity. City staff conducted initial assessments and found multiple code violations and potential hazards that may pose risks to public health and safety.
In response, the city is recommending that these properties proceed through the formal “unsafe and dangerous building” process. This legal framework allows the city to mandate repairs, secure buildings, or, in some cases, pursue demolition if the properties are not brought up to code.
The next steps will involve public hearings and formal notifications to property owners, giving them the opportunity to address the violations before further enforcement actions are taken.
The full agenda of the meeting can be found at this link.