NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Jim Strawn with Strawn Contracting who is building the subdivision near Plum Creek Elementary in Hutchinson came to the Hutchinson City Council meeting Tuesday to express his thoughts about the city's purchase of land near 11th and Hendricks for further housing development.
"This appears to me it's gonna be direct competition for my subdivision," Strawn said. "I had to quit watching the TV when the price range of the houses, if I'm right, it was about $220,000 to $300,000 and I thought I better shut my TV off before I threw it and had to go buy a new one."
Hutchinson City Manager Enrico Villegas attended the Board of County Commissioners meeting last week and successfully asked for grant funding to assist them with housing development.
"I called each of the County Commissioners," Strawn said. "The County Commissioners, four of them didn't know about my subdivision on 43rd Street which is a huge investment on my end and so they mentioned a lot of concerns about that so I guess I'm kind of here just to figure out what's kind of going on."
Strawn was frustrated that the city is using public money to begin something he had to use private money on.
"I just spent $200,000 in engineering fees on my subdivision and nobody told me that there was a rock out there that I could uncover to get that $200,000 for my subdivision," Strawn said. "It just appears to me as though we're just going to be head-on competition. Why would I go to your subdivision and build when I'm worried about getting my own built out?"
Strawn's argument is that the city should use the infill housing incentives for individual infill projects rather than building new subdivisions. He said he would go to the county commission and speak as well and then likely return to the city with further comments.