City takes next step for bike path extension
At Tuesday’s meeting, the City Commission approved an agreement with BNSF Railway for preliminary engineering for extension of the Sand Creek Bike Path.
Last year, the Commission accepted about $3 million in grant funding from the Kansas Department of Transportation for the bike path project. It will extend the bike path from the Sand Creek dam south along the creek to Southwest 14th Street.
The new path will eliminate the remaining gap in the bike path, creating a continuous off-road trail from Sand Creek Station Golf Course on the south to Bethel College on the north. It will cross under the railroad trestles south of First Street.
The agreement with BNSF is a required step anytime construction happens within the railroad right-of-way. The $40,000 cost was included in the original project budget.
APAC
The Commission also took the next steps for APAC-Kansas’ development at the Kansas Logistics Park. The City received petitions and authorized water, sewer, and street improvements; and approved an engineering agreement with PEC to prepare the plans. The improvements will be funded through special assessments paid 100% by the company.
The Commission then held a public hearing and approved a Resolution of Intent to issue up to $8.5 million in Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs) for the facility’s construction, which will grant certain sales tax exemptions and a 10-year property tax abatement.
A property tax abatement exempts the property taxes only on the increase in valuation created by the project improvements. An abatement in this case was found to be a positive return on investment based on the private-public investment ratio, job creation, and capital investment.
Last month, the City approved the sale of about 20 acres of land in the Logistics Park to APAC for an asphalt materials plant, which will supply GAF’s new shingle manufacturing facility.
Because the Logistics Park is a partnership of the City and Harvey County, the Commission also approved an agreement to share proceeds of the sale, with the City receiving 66% and the County receiving 34%.
- Approved a request from Harvey County Parents as Teachers to use Centennial Park on May 15 for Touch-a-Truck.
- Received plans and specifications for Sand Creek Station 5th Addition water, sewer, streets, and drainage and set a bid date of 2 p.m. April 7.
- Approved an agreement with Harvey County and the Kansas Department of Transportation for a grant to replace the SW 14th Street bridge over Sand Creek. The replacement is a County project; the agreement just promotes cooperation and grants permission to use City right-of-way during construction.
- Received the annual report from Sand Creek Station Golf Course.
For more information, please contact Communications Director Erin McDaniel at 316-284-6055 or emcdaniel@newtonkansas.com.
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