Great Bend city officials have approved conditional use permits for three new projects near the city, including one that provides for the development of a new sandpit, just south of town.
The Great Bend City Council considered the permits, required for operations that are taking place outside the city limits, but within the three-mile city zoning district.
All of them were advanced to the council after first being considered by the Planning Commission.
The conditional use permit for a sandpit at 54 SE 10 Road was approved by a split vote.
Council members Bill Berryman, Dana Dawson, Mitch Haney, Joel Jackson, and Randy Myers voted to approve the permit, while members Allene Owen and Ken Roberts were opposed and Dale Westhoff abstained.
At issue was the permit to allow an operating sandpit south of Great Bend and east of U.S. 281 highway.
While the property is owned by Westhoff Sand and Gravel, the reclamation of the property, development of the pit and its operation will be overseen by Don Erickson.
Assistant City Administrator Dawn Jaeger explained Erickson will lease the property and will hold the water permits needed to operate the pit.
She added that there had been area residents voice opposition at the Planning Commission, until they learned that Erickson was going to renovate the property and control the operations, then the opposition was dropped.
Another conditional use permit was unanimously approved by the council. It allows property at 264 N. Washington to be split off from light manufacturing and converted to residential to allow a house at that location to be used as a family dwelling.
And the council also approved a conditional use permit to provide for a 120-foot cell phone tower at 158 NW 10 Avenue.
Also Monday night, the council:
• Approved a subordination agreement with Mike Smith to move forward his efforts to get a Small Business Administration loan for a project at the airport.
• Adopted the city flexible benefit plan.
• Tabled setting city employee health insurance rates for the next meeting, so information can be gathered relating to the possible adoption of a partially self-funded insurance plan.
This issue is expected to return to the next meeting.