Allen County commissioners heard a proposal Tuesday to change how burn bans are enacted. The proposal would give county fire chiefs the ability to enact bans as well. Allen County commissioners are taking a closer look at how countywide burn bans are declared. A proposed resolution presented Tuesday would allow fire chiefs in the county to enact burn bans more quickly when conditions warrant. Emergency Management Director Jason Trego said the proposal was developed to address situations when fire danger increases between the commission’s weekly meetings. “Typically in Allen County, it’s the Commission that enacts burn bans,” Trego said. “We have run into several times where we get the forecast on Wednesday that the grassland fire danger is going to be very high, extreme or catastrophic.” Because the Commission meets only once a week, Trego said dangerous fire conditions can arise over a weekend before commissioners have another opportunity to act. “It kind of puts the fire departments in a tough spot to be able to enact a burn ban and tell people they’re not allowed to burn,” he said. UNDER THE proposal, burn bans would apply only to unincorporated areas of Allen County. Cities would continue to make their own decisions regarding burn restrictions. Rather than waiting for commission approval, the county’s six fire chiefs would collectively decide when conditions justify a countywide burn ban. Trego said the proposal would give officials the flexibility to respond as weather conditions change, even if a burn ban is only needed for a single day. The restrictions would cover agricultural burning, tumbleweeds, invasive vegetation, trash barrels, trash containers, bonfires and campfires. Trego also proposed expanding public notification through the county’s Genasys mass emergency notification system. Residents who sign up could receive burn ban notices by phone call, text message or email. Notices would also be distributed through local media, radio, newspapers and social media. “That way, we make sure that people know that we are indeed in a burn ban,” he said.
Read more: The Iola Register

Integra Technologies shelved its $2 billion Bel Aire semiconductor facility after failing to secure federal CHIPS Act funding, leaving 350 acres available for development.
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An Olathe developer is going to build townhomes that will address the “missing middle” gap in housing. At below market value, they’ll be priced under $500,000. Olathe City Council approved a rezoning request and preliminary site plans Tuesday that will make way for the mixed-use development featuring 44 townhomes and commercial space. The project, which the city council unanimously approved, will be located at an approximately 5-acre site at the southeast corner of 133rd Street and Black Bob Road. The project comes just months after the city council approved Olathe’s new comprehensive plan, “Elevate Olathe,” which outlines priorities for housing, transportation, economic development and infrastructure across the city for the next 15 years. The 183-page document is intended to serve as a guide for city staff, elected officials, business owners and residents. City staff began working on Elevate Olathe in June 2024, gathering input from roughly 4,000 residents, business owners and stakeholders through workshops, open houses and surveys. Results from community outreach found that the “dominant concern” for Olathe residents is a lack of affordable and attainable housing. According to Elevate Olathe, the average home appraised value in Olathe is $437,657 while about 43% of Olathe renters are “cost burdened,” meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing, according to the plan. To address that, the plan calls for more varied housing options, including duplexes, townhomes and smaller homes, all of which are often called “missing middle housing.”
Read more: Johnson County Post

With the Cozy Inn’s lawsuit against the city still ongoing — and while the painting on the north side of its building is now complete — Salina is using an alternate definition for “sign” after a court ruled its own code’s definition is unenforceable. A severability clause in the city’s code allows it to invalidate one part of the law while keeping the rest intact.
Read more: Salina Journal

Chase Koch’s Movement Musick nonprofit partners with the Queen family to bring a 30,000 square-foot grocery store to downtown Wichita, addressing a long-standing gap in the market.
Read more: Wichita Business Journal

Local artist and community muralist Brady Scott is working on another mural on a downtown building in Hutchinson, and he was given only two requests by the building’s owner: paint it blue and put in natural elements. Scott started working on a mural at 322 N. Main St.—The Hutchinson Tribune’s office—Thursday and said he’s bringing out rural aspects of Kansas life in a mural on the front of the building. He designed the mural based on reference images and his own creativity and has completed several across Hutchinson.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune