In other business Monday night, the Great Bend City Council:
• Authorized Mayor Mike Allison to sign the change orders allowing early strength concrete and the change order increasing the size of the workplace warning sign, both on the US 281 and Railroad Avenue project.
The first change order made a change to early strength concrete for a drive on the Great Bend Co-op property. The net change to the contract would be $556.33 of which the City will be responsible for 10 percent. The second change order increased the size of a workplace warning sign that would cost $1.32 per day and would be for about 30 days for an estimated total of $39.60, City Administrator Howard Partington said.
Bids for this project were let by the state, so the state had to seek the city’s approval for the change orders.
• Accepted the low bid from Venture Corporation $497,256.50 for the 2015 City Connecting Link Resurfacing Program (KLINK) project, subject to Kansas Department of Transportation concurrence with the award. It also authorized Mayor Mike Allison to sign all appropriate paperwork relating to the 2015 KLINK project.
KDOT pays for 50 percent of the cost of the project up to a maximum of $200,000. This project does work on 10th Street from Baker Street to just west of Frey Street and on Main Street from 24th Street to the North City Limits. On KLINK projects, the city pays for the entire cost of construction and is later reimbursed by KDOT for its share of the costs.
• Set its budget-planning calendar for 2016-2017 budget year. It includes: Tour of Facilities at 8 p.m. Monday, June 13 (tentative); other agencies presentations on June 6 following the council meeting; goals session on June 20 following the council meeting; budget work session 6 p.m. July 12; and budget hearing at 7 p.m. Aug. 15 prior to the council meeting.
• Approved a one-day cereal malt beverage licence for the Sunflower Shrine Club for June Jaunt activities on Saturday, June 4.
• Approved abatements at: 210 Hubbard St., accumulation of refuse, owned by Rodney L. Gray; 421 Cedar St., accumulation of refuse, owned by Pablo Martinez-Lozano and Maria Georgina Martinez; and 218 Pine St., accumulation of refuse, owned by William D. and William J. Raab.
• Authorizeed Allison to sign a temporary construction easement for Barton County for its work to reconstruct a bridge that crosses the city’s drainage (known as Lischesky Ditch) ditch east of Kiowa Kitchen. This became city property in 1939 as part of a flood control project so the county needed the city’s OK.
• Approved the transfer of funds from the general fund to Sports Complex fund. Money was originally transferred to this fund when it was still an on-going project. Now, money can be transferred to help with future improvements.
Making the proposed Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers closer to a reality in Great Bend, the City Council Monday night approved a rezoning request by project developers for the property at 10th and Monroe.
Approved was a request from Knop Commercial Rentals of Ellinwood to rezone the property at 3008 10th Street from local commercial and two-family residential to general commercial for Freddy’s, thus allowing an eating establishment. Also involved is Wichita-based TGC Development Group, an investment company concentrating on the acquisition, syndication and development of restaurant, hospitality, commercial and multi-family properties.
“We appreciate you very much,” Mayor Mike Allison said to TGC and Knop officials present. “We welcome you.”
TGC hopes to begin building May 31.
City Attorney and city Planning Commission Secretary Bob Suelter said the commission unanimously recommended the change after hearing no objections at a recent public hearing. Building restaurant on the property with the current zoning is not permissible.
The rezoning of this property with current conditions in the area will not be detrimental to nearby property, the Planning Commission concluded. The main building will be built to the south of the lot with a parking lot and green space to the north adjacent to the residential uses at the north end.
The property appears to have been vacant for a number of years and is currently a dirt lot. As for the vicinity, it is primarily commercial and three food establishments in the immediate area – Perkins Restaurant, The Page and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
The site does provide favorable access to 10th Street and provides an opportunity for development of another restaurant, the commission noted. The hardship to individual landowners is minimized by the impact of current conditions in the area including the zoning of nearby commercial uses and existing traffic loads on local streets generated by Perkins and The Page.
Freddy’s was co-founded in 2002 by brothers Bill and Randy Simon, and their friend and business partner, Scott Redler. They named the restaurant after the Simons’ father, Freddy Simon, a World War II veteran.
Based in Wichita, the chain has restaurants across the country.
