
By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Barton County Planning Commission has been extra busy with solar regulations since last May. Thursday morning, the panel wrapped up the first stage of those regulations, but not before conducting some routine business. The commission recommended approval on two new structures at 528 Southwest 30 Road just off US-56 Highway northeast of Dundee. Grant Moon with Mid America Seed, LLC, said the structures are for fertilizer resale.
"The new proposed project is more on the biological micros and fertilizers," he said. "They're not hazardous. They're not flammable. There's no restricted use on them. The new facility proposed is mainly for the fertilizer and biologicals. It's not made for chemical storage."
The conditional-use permit covers 27 acres of ground owned by Innovative Livestock Services (ILS). An 80 x 100-foot building will be used for loading and unloading materials, and a 60 x 100-foot structure will be built as a containment area.
"We have to follow really tight regulations with the state and the Kansas Department of Ag, so every square inch of the inside of that building where trucks unload have grade to them and have grade to be able to hold way more spill if there's ever a spill," Moon said.
Moon also answered questions from nearby landowners during the public comment hearing. The business will handle only liquid fertilizer. Moon does not anticipate much more traffic than already exists in the area. Zoning Administrator Judy Goreham said County Engineer Barry McManaman also saw no issues with traffic.
"He is not concerned with the traffic being any different than it is right now," she said. "One of the things we'll probably need to talk about is the amount of daily traffic you expect, but because there's already a wider area there, and because you're so far west - as far west as you can get, basically - he said the only other part about it is when you work with him on the entrance permits. He's going to want to make sure that the culverts are wide enough to accommodate the trucks turning, and that your road going up to the shell has enough space or accommodations for more than one vehicle in case you've got a line."
Liberty Township Clerk T.R. Esfeld said additional taxes levied on the new structures should offset any additional costs associated with fire risk in the township. Planning Commissioner Junior Welsch presented alongside Moon and recused himself from his duties as planning commissioner during the presentation. The matter now goes before the Barton Board of Commissioners for final approval.