The partnership between Barton County and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism to enhance the Cheyenne Bottoms scenic overlook east of Hoisington has taken on a life of its own, County Administrator Richard Boeckman said.
“This could be a pre-eminent tourist site in the state of Kansas,” he told the County Commission Monday morning. The overlook sits just off of K-4 between Hoisington and Claflin.
The county and KDWPT submitted what started as a $60,600 Kansas Department of Transportation Transportation Enhancement Grant application for improvement to the parking area at the site.  After the application was approved in 2013, it was modified and more concrete and accessibility work was added, with the Federal Highway Administration kicking in another $30,000.
Now, the feds are willing to bring the grant total to about $150,000. After a secondary review, the FHA and the Kansas Department of Transportation have suggested additional revision for access and improvement of the entrance.
“The driving force here is to make the site more handicapped accessible,” Boeckman said.
The Commission Monday approved taking part in the expanded grant. The exact amount of the extra funds is not known.
There is a 20 percent local match required, and the county and KDWPT are splitting that for a total of about $15,000 each. The additional development will mean and extra $4,800 in engineering fees, but that will be shared as well.
The county will cover the KDWPT portion of the overall improvement project. The county will bill the KDWPT and funds will be transferred back to the county’s capital improvement fund.  
“This could increase the possibility of getting the 2014 grant,” Boeckman said, referring to another grant that would help build a viewing tower at the overlook.
In February, the Commission approved the submission of the second grant application to the Kansas Department of Transportation for Transportation Alternatives Funds. This money comes through the Federal Moving Ahead For Progress in the 21st Century Act.
This 2014 grant, for a maximum of $208,000, would cover the construction of the 10-foot wooden viewing tower. Again, it is a joint effort between Barton County and KDWPT.
It is also an 80-20-percent match, with the county and KDWPT picking up 20 percent. The two entities would each pay half the match, or about $23,000.
The tower, which would be built in 2015, would stand east of the overlook kiosk. A gradual series of ramps will lead up to the top, making it accessible to those in wheelchairs.
 As a condition, the county assures KDOT of adequate funding for the project and its lifetime maintenance.
There is still a chance that high-power telescopes for public use will be installed at the overlook.
Commission Chairman Kenny Schremmer said he expects a lot of tourists to visit the location.