At Tuesday night’s meeting, the City Commission approved a real estate option contract with K&O Railroad’s parent company, WATCO, for the sale of about 23 acres of property in the Kansas Logistics Park.
The contract grants WATCO the option to purchase the property for $15,000 per acre. The cost of the option is $15,000, which will be applied toward the purchase price if WATCO decides to exercise the option.
K&O General Manager Loren Bradford said the company had been working with the City and Harvey County Economic Development for many years on the Kansas Logistics Park, but the railroad is constrained in serving the park because of a lack of track and switching space in Newton.
“In order to service the park with the anticipated potential growth that we see for the area, we’re trying to be proactive, get out ahead of that and secure some land that we might be able to build a yard in that would then participate and support any economic development opportunities in the park,” Bradford said.
WATCO expects to be able to build a yard with capacity for 120-200 rail cars on the property, with the ability to serve current and future development in the park. The property is located between SE Ninth and SE 12th streets, west of Hillside and just north of the anticipated future site of GAF Materials’ new manufacturing facility.
WATCO has until Sept. 30 to exercise its option on the property.
Commissioners noted that GAF Materials is scheduled to close on its real estate purchase of 230 acres in the Logistics Park later this week. In February, the City Commission approved a development agreement with GAF with a commitment to issue $350 million in Industrial Revenue Bonds for its new facility.
- Approved the sale of 1.12 acres of property on Sharps Drive to Mackey & Sons for $16,800. The purchase will allow for expansion of Mackey’s current adjacent facilities and square off their property.
- Received a request from the Healthy Harvey Coalition to pursue tobacco-free parks and trails in the city and directed staff to work with the coalition to research possible ordinance options.
- Made the following volunteer appointments to City boards and commissions:
- Law Enforcement Advisory Panel: Bev Metcalf, Geraldine Tyrell, Julie Hendricks, and Ken Knepper
- Newton Area Planning Commission: Greg Hanson, Carl Harris, Tim Buller, Arlan Newell, Mike Kelsey, Jay Sommerfeld, and Denise Goodnite
- Newton Housing Authority: Scott Kiehl
- Newton Land Bank: Brian Donley and Alex Carbajal
- Public Wholesale Water Supply District #17: Bob Myers
- Substance Abuse Board: Benjamin Meier
- Reviewed 2024 budget information for some General Fund departments.
- Proclaimed April 28 as Arbor Day.
- Proclaimed May as Bike Month, May 15-21 as Bike to Work Week, May 3 as Bike to School Day, and May 19 as Bike to Work Day.
- Approved a request for snow fencing and other services June 30-July 2 for the Mexican American Fast Pitch Tournament.
- Approved a request for the use of Athletic Park and Okerberg Park and other City services on July 7-8 for Sand Creek Summer Daze. The Commission also approved a temporary alcohol permit for the festival.
- Approved a resolution allowing Carriage Factory Art Gallery to serve alcohol at a series of events promoting the arts in 2023.
- Approved participation in the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Federal Fund Exchange program for street maintenance funding.
- Approved an updated Certified Local Government agreement with the State Historic Preservation Office.
For more information, please contact Communications Director Erin McDaniel at 316-284-6055 or emcdaniel@newtonkansas.com.
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