By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
In October 2021, the Great Bend City Council rezoned the 1121 Baker
Avenue property to C-3, which allows the city to build up to the lot line. The
city-owned property will become the site for a new police station.
GLMV Architecture requested to vacate 25 feet of the western right-of-way
of Baker Avenue, between 11th Street and 12th Street.
GLMV also requested to vacate 18 feet of the northern right-of-way on 11th
Street.
Great Bend Building Official Logan Burns said the proposed 20,100 square-foot
project did not fit within the legal boundaries of the existing site.
"We would vacate the west half of Baker that way we could build up to the property line," said Burns. "The same thing on 11th, vacating that north right-of-way. The plan now is not to build on the north half of 11th Street right-of-way, but we do have it if we need to."
Burns said there were no concerns from nearby neighbors, and the city council
approved the motion to vacate the street right-of-ways.
The last estimate had the new police station costing $9.1 million.
Citizens voted in favor of a .10% sales tax increase last November to go
towards bond debt for the police station. The city anticipates more than $5.6
million from the bond proceeds over the 20-year sunset. The city will find
savings to make up the difference.