By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
"We don't need more taxes in Barton County, we need more taxpayers in Barton County." Commissioner Shawn Hutchinson coined the phrase and has tried making that true for the county. Hutchinson spoke Tuesday morning before the board of commissioners approved a pair of letters in support of two downtown development projects in Great Bend.
"Our downtowns are a barometer to gauge our community's mental health and emotional well-being," he said. "The downtowns can also be a tool that can help improve our community's mental and emotional health. This requires continued investment and partnerships."
The commission first approved a letter of support regarding the Lofts at the Zarah Project. Original plans included converting the building at 1917 Lakin Ave. in Great Bend to 24 apartments. The decision to renovate the fourth floor and add four more apartments made the project eligible for $128,000 in additional assistance through the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation. The commission also approved a letter of support for the High Noon Loft Grant for the former JC Penney building at 1500 Kansas Ave., which the county leased to house operations during the courthouse HVAC renovation project.
"If someone would say to me, put your money where your mouth is, I would say Barton County has put their money where their mouth is," Hutchinson said. "We have lived with less-than-desirable conditions at the JC Penney building, and we've helped bring it to a point where it is usable again. At least the first floor is usable again. We've also brought $636,407 to the city of Great Bend's property owners to improve the appearance of the downtown properties."
Tuesday's votes by the commission were merely approval for letters of support for the projects. Commissioners Tricia Schlessiger and Duane Reif seconded Hutchinson's sentiments.
"One of the top things we all get behind is housing and daycare in this community," Schlessiger said. "To add more apartments to the Zarah, or I don't know what they're going to do with the upstairs here but, either way, it's a great use of square footage. I'd definitely support both of these."
"It's really the cheapest form of housing we can do," Reif said. "Even though it looks like a lot of money, I think with that many apartments, it's a cheap way of increasing the population in Barton County."