Utilities & More
LAND
The City of Bel Aire owns nearly 800 acres of the park making purchasing much easier from one landowner. The City would be open to a take down on the land based on several purchases over time. A Phase 1 Environmental Study has been completed on the property with no concerns noted. A copy of the report is available upon request. Bel Aire has a property tax rate of 45.695 which funds City services. Water and sewer rates are based on usage and available on the City website.
The commerce park is zoned M 1 for manufacturing. Specific inclusions can be found under the zoning codes. The park does have its own covenants, a copy is accessible here. Building permit fees are based on $2.50 per each $1,000 value above the $4,409 base rate. Plan review is 65% of the building permit fee. However, the City can waiver certain permit fees based on the size of the project. The City currently uses the 2012 IBC codes. Landscaping is required under zoning and covenants. A master drainage plan is required with the project to maintain onsite any drainage in excess of what is currently taking place.
Sedgwick County Fire District provides fire protection for the City of Bel Aire. SCFD reviews plans for fire codes and has separate review fees. The City has recently updated to 2012 IFC.
ELECTRIC RATES
Electricity in the Sunflower Commerce Park is provided by Westar Energy. Electric rates in Kansas are roughly 10% below the national average. Since the Sunflower Commerce Park has been in existence, only 5 operations / blinks have occurred on the circuits resulting in zero minutes of outages.
Electricity is measured in kilowatts and Westar would need specific requirements to determine if there are limitations. Westar also needs to know the kilowatts per day, per year and peak in order to adequately determine if additional infrastructure is needed. However, Westar does offer discount rates to companies who have different peak times and usages.
WATER SOURCES
Bel Aire has two sources of water. Half of the City’s water is purchased from the City of Wichita and the other half produced by the Chisolm Creek Utility Authority, of which Bel Aire is half owner. This allows for an uninterrupted water source to all customers. The City currently uses approximately 350,000,000 gallons per year and has the ability to double this if the need arises. A 16” water main would need to be extended approximately ¼ of a mile to the site at a cost of $100,000. The water pressure at the site should range from 40 – 50 psi and should be able to provide 100,000 gallons per day without a problem. Water meter costs and tap fees are based on the size of connection with prices listed on the City website.
SEWER
Chisolm Creek Utility Authority treats all the sewer for Bel Aire. The City would need to extend an 8” or 12” sewer main to the site at a cost of approximately $250,000. That sewer main should handle 50,000 gallons per day. Connection fees are based on the size of the pipe and are listed on the City’s website.
GAS
Kansas Gas provides natural gas to the Sunflower Commerce Park. A gas main is located just ½ mile from the proposed location and can be extended at no charge within 60 days. Typical pressure is 2 psi and the company would need approval to increase to 5 psi based on the customer and use.
RAIL
The Union Pacific operates an industrial track that runs through the middle of the Sunflower Commerce Park. The rail has a weight of 90 lbs. and track weight limit of 143 tons with a speed of 20 mph. Current service is three days per week but can be increased with the demand, and number of cars depends on type of product. A siding is located on the north side of the track just north of the proposed site, at 3,564’ long. A siding on the south side of the track with direct access from the proposed site can easily be added. The closest intermodal is located in Kansas City, approximately 160 miles from Bel Aire.
