Growing Olpe
New developement could add almost 50 homes to community
By Brandy Nance
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
OLPE
Olpe Mayor Jerry Templemeyer stood in a parking lot on the north side of Jones Park in Olpe Tuesday afternoon and gazed at a plowed field across the road — the field that is the site of a future housing development, Eagle Ridge.
Templemeyer talked about the new addition. He was joined by Steve Ihde of LYCO Development, Greg Fief of Schwab-Eaton and Dean Hermesch, Olpe maintenance supervisor. The developers and the city of Olpe are reviewing final plans in preparation for the beginning of construction on the development.
Ihde said there will be 19 building lots in phase 1 of the project. Phase 2 will add another 29 lots and all homes will be designed to be single-family homes that will range from 1,400 to 1,800 square feet. The lots will range in size from 1/4 acre to nearly two acres, depending on what the homebuyer desires. The homes will cost $155,000 to $190,000. Ihde said the goal is to have at least two models in two different price ranges for sale at one time.
Olpe will award contracts for infrastructure work on the development at the next city meeting, which will be at 7 p.m. on Nov. 3, Templemeyer said. Some infrastructure work must be completed before construction of houses can begin. Eight-inch water lines will be installed and a new water tower, which will hold 150,000 gallons of water, will be erected. The new tower will replace the city’s old tower, which holds 75,000 gallons.
“The new water tower (will give) us room to grow,” Templemeyer said. “When we did the sewer, we looked at a growth of 2,000. That’s what we’re doing with the (tower) is looking toward long-term growth.”
The city has submitted applications for grants to help pay the its share of the infrastructure work. Grants will be awarded the middle of January, Templemeyer said.
“We will just have to wait and see what happens,” he said.
Ihde said he is appreciates the city’s willingness to improve the infrastructure.
“...That’s where growth needs to start,” he said.
Ihde said Olpe is not the only area that will benefit from the new development, but Emporia will as well. He said many people who live in the area grew up in and around Olpe.
“Offering housing choice to them is important to keeping people in Lyon County,” Ihde said.
Templemeyer said Olpe has a lot to offer its residents.
“Olpe is a clean, friendly community,” he said. “It’s a caring community. That’s why people are looking to move here.”
F For information on Eagle Ridge, call (620) 344-0707.
create (anonymous) says...
Great idea, Mayor Templemeyer, and yes, Olpe is a great community, but I'm afraid your elementary and high schools are currently much too small to accomodate this many new families. They're too small now. Have you approached the school board?
October 10, 2007 at 4:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )