The Great Bend City Council voted in favor to rezone a piece of real estate to enable Venture Corporation to open a new sandpit and establish an asphalt plant on the real estate within the three-mile radius of the city.
Currently Venture operates an asphalt plant near Dundee with a sandpit but the location will be depleted of sand in roughly three years. Venture purchased land southwest of Great Bend just west of the flood control levy and south of US 56 Highway.
Rocky Seybert with Venture wanted to make it clear that the plant will not be used to process asphalt or asphalt roofing material.
Rocky Seybert Audio
Seybert added that Venture has their state permits in line and they regularly get inspected throughout the year to make sure their facilities are in ordinance of health and environmental law. The Planning Commission recommended the rezoning from agricultural to light manufacturing – service commercial at their October 29th meeting.
Rita Stolz, a nearby neighbor of the future asphalt plant, expressed concerns over noise, possible pollutants, and odors. Stolz also felt Venture got ahead of themselves by purchasing the land prior to receiving permission from the City for the real estate to be rezoned.
Rita Stolz Audio
Venture operated at the requested location in the 1990s on leased land but moved to the Dundee spot after purchasing land instead of having a lease.
Seybert anticipated the lifespan of the new sandpit to be 20 years. Seybert also added that there are 3,500 asphalt plants in the United States and most of them are metropolitan areas. The Venture worker stated 95 percent of all pavement is asphalt and this community and county needs this plant.
The City Council voted 5-1 to rezone the land and allow Venture to establish an asphalt plant and open a sandpit.