Ark Valley News - Bel Aire OKs prominent new entry sign

Bel Aire OKs prominent new entry sign
By David Dinell
Last Updated: January 22, 2015

There will soon be a new welcome mat in place at Bel Aire's front door.

The Bel Aire City Council approved a quote of $7,200 from Tobin Rupe for what is called an "entry monument" to be installed at the northwest corner of 37th North and Woodlawn. That's in front of the Chisholm Trail State Bank.

There may be more such monuments, too. The current entry signs show the city's seal and are made of wood, but the material is rotting. "We knew we had to do something," said city administrator Ty Lasher said.

The city involved residents in the decision-making process on a new concept, and a design that states people are entering the "City of Bel Aire, Est. 1980," along with the city's seal, was selected.

This sign won't be in any danger of rotting as it's being built for the ages. It will be five feet high by eight feet long, made of Kansas limestone and then set in concrete. "A lot of planning has gone into this," Lasher said.

Work on the project should begin soon and be done in the next couple of months.

Rupe, a Kansas stone sculptor who also owns a quarry on his property, had the lowest of four bids received by the city. He also has experience with these types of signs along the Kansas Turnpike.

Lasher said Rupe is excited about the project and is hoping this first one leads to more work with the city. It could, as city officials want to place up to eight of the large works at the city's entrance points.

One of the challenges the city has is that there is no delineation point as people enter Bel Aire, and since there is development to the city limits of both Bel Aire and Wichita, there's no way for motorists, especially visitors, to realize they're in Bel Aire.

"These signs will help us create a sense of community," Lasher said.

Lasher is looking to get the chamber of commerce and businesses to help sponsor the signs.

In other action, the council:

•Adopted revised new home incentives. The incentives are based on providing property tax relief on a five-year sliding scale. The purchaser of a new home within the city limits would get 75 percent off a city property tax bill for the first two years, 50 percent off for the third and fourth years, and 30 percent off for the fifth year. That works out to $2,940 for someone purchasing a $200,000 house. There were 60 new home sales in the city last year and most buyers, or a bit more than 50, took advantage of the incentives, Lasher said. The offer doesn't apply to rental properties. The incentives help Bel Aire bring in new buyers and assist it with offsetting their property taxes, Lasher said. Mayor David Austin concurred.

"We want the city to remain competitive," he said.

•Approved an amendment of the city's comprehensive plan. Discussion of the long-range planning framework had taken part at an earlier gathering, so the vote was a formality and did not spur any discussion.

•Passed a second addendum to a real estate purchase agreement with Shaheen Real Estate LLC and authorized the mayor to sign it. The purchase involves 80 acres of city property at a price of $9,000 an acre. The land, at the southeast corner of 53rd North and Greenwich, is zoned agricultural, but could be used for possible future development.

All five council members were present at the Jan. 20 meeting.