BY ANDY TAYLOR
chronicle@taylornews.org
CHERRYVALE — Plans for the relocation of the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad switching yard to an area north of Cherryvale are moving ahead, a company representative said Monday.
Dan Smith, director of real estate acquisition for the SKO Railroad’s parent company, Watco, Inc., told city councilors that the company is progressing on its plans to relocate the switching yard from the downtown business district to an area along county road 5800 and east of U.S. 169 highway north of Cherryvale.
Ground will be broken on the new switch yard in May with an estimated completion date of Aug. 1.
Smith said the first phase of the switch yard’s construction will involve about 30,000 feet of five switching tracks, which will allow for full switching of rail cars. Long-term plans call for construction of a locomotive repair building in that area plus possible areas for industrial development.
Smith said relocating the switch yard had been a top priority for the rail company after it had heard of numerous problems with switching and delays in rail crossings.
“Years ago, the railroad was the blessing for Cherryvale,” said Smith. “Today, the way the network is set up, it’s not good for the citizens of Cherryvale, and it’s not good for Watco.”
Smith reminded the council that when the switch yard is relocated, trains will still travel through the downtown business district. However, the trains will not be stopping and dropping off cars in the downtown business district. Those functions will take place at the new switch yard north of Cherryvale.
In other business transacted at Monday’s city council meeting, councilors:
• agreed to annex two rural properties that lie on the outskirts of the Cherryvale city limits. Properties at 803 E. 11th and 729 E. 11th will be annexed into the city limits based on the request of the property owners, who wish to have city sewer extended to those properties. The two properties combine for 27 acres and could present the community as a possible area for future home development, said city administrator Greg McDanel.
• gave licensing approval to the Cherryvale Clinic for the erection of three directional signs to the clinic property in the 200 block of East Fourth. The 36” x 12” signs are placed at the intersections of Liberty and Sixth streets; Sixth and Galveston streets, and Main and Galveston streets.
• agreed to hire Wayne Campbell, the technology technician at USD 447, to complete a project involving the installation of a computer server in City Hall. The server project has been riddled with problems after a previous contractor, failed to complete the project and went over the project’s budget by about $2,300. The project was budgeted for $20,000.
City administrator Greg McDanel said an additional $5,875 in labor and equipment will be needed to fix the server that was installed at City Hall.
Councilors said they will formally vote on the matter at the council’s April 19 meeting.
• held a preliminary discussion on rental rates at the Cherryvale community and recreation center, formerly known as the Kansas Army National Guard Armory. McDanel recommended the following rental fees: half day rental (4 hours), $25.00; full day rental (24 hours), $100; damage deposit, $80.00; damage deposit when alcohol is served, $200; for-profit users, $300.00; and non-profit users, half price.
Councilors asked that some of the proposed rates be reconsidered before the council gives formal approval at a later meeting.
On a related note, councilors agreed to appoint councilors Randy Wagoner and Lew Forman to a committee to examine the transformation of the former armory into a community and recreation facility. Other local citizens recommended for the committee include Joe Long, Tony Hawkins and Marvin Hestand.
• heard Mayor John Wright thank local residents who contributed to his “jail campaign” through the Muscular Dystrophy Association recently. Wright had to raise money through local contributions in order to be released from the MDA Jail.
