http://www.saljournal.com/news/story/River-Owners
Down by the river
10/31/2010
By CHRIS HUNTER Salina Journal
When Salinan Brad Stuewe purchased five properties along the Smoky Hill River 20 years ago, he was looking for a place to locate a restaurant.
“The idea was originally to be adjacent to the river,” Stuewe said of his property on the east side of Fourth Street, between Iron Avenue and Walnut Street. “It turned out that wouldn’t be useful, then my notion was to clean up the river and the area, then have a restaurant and catering business that overlooked the river.”
He eventually opened a restaurant, Capers, in the 100 block of South Santa Fe. As the years went by, Stuewe continued to think about cleaning up the old Smoky Hill River channel, but he found the clean-up to be too complex, until 2007 when the Friends of the River group formed.
Now, as Election Day approaches Tuesday, that group, which Stuewe is a member of, is pushing for an 0.25 percent sales tax increase to help fund the first phase that is projected to cost $27 million. It’s designed to clean and beautify the river and to have water once again flowing through the seven miles of river channel in the city.
According to Saline County records, Stuewe now has two properties along South Fourth Street: 127 S. Fourth, valued for tax purposes by the county at $26,920, and 135 S. Fourth, valued at $22,290. The owner on both properties is listed as Paula A. Fried Trust No. 1. Fried and Stuewe are married.
Another who owns property along the river, Salina businessman Ben Frick, owner of the Phoenix motel, 100 N. Fifth, said he likes the project but feels it is the wrong time.
“It would help a lot of people that own businesses, including myself,” Frick said. “If I was in his (Stuewe’s) shoes, it would be tremendously helpful.” The Phoenix was valued for tax purposes in 2010 at $586,560.
Chris Rost, president of the Salina Board of Realtors and a Realtor at Coldwell Banker-Antrim Piper Wenger Realtors, said river improvements would benefit property owners.
“Property values would go up along the river,” Rost said. “Any improvements to the river would help with the property values.”
Who stands to benefit
Since the formation of the Friends of the River, Stuewe said, he’s worried that Salinans would believe some members of the group would benefit financially from the project.
“It was my concern that I not be seen as someone promoting this project to gain something personally,” said Stuewe, who is a intensivist and nephrologist physician. “I very strongly believe that Salina has been very kind to me. I have been rewarded very nicely by living here and I love this community.
“I plan on staying and hope my kids come back to visit. I want a strong viable community. I have loved it since I have been here.
“My arrangement with the organization (Friends of the River) is that if the river project passes, and my property is acquired, anything above what I paid for the buildings would be donated to the project,” Stuewe said.
“I stand to benefit the way everyone else stands to benefit,” he said. “I want to come down on the river and have breakfast, ride my bike and meet with people and friends. I want this area to become the center of the community again.”
Abner Perney is a Salina businessman, former city commissioner, owner of Book Nook, 147 S. Fourth Street, and Abenr’s Auto, 212 E. Iron. He said the project would definitely increase property values, but it also benefit downtown Salina.
“This project will help repopulate the center of town and make it better than it ever was,” Perney said. “The river will get people more interested in living closer to work and be an amenity for people to be able to get out and stretch their legs.”
His property at 147. S. Fourth was valued at $158,760, while the 212 E. Iron location was $47,490.
Rost said business owners will see few, if any, negative effects from the river project.
“If you have the project built, you will get the river walk traffic,” Rost said. “From a retail standpoint, you will get additional business.”
Stuewe said the project will “change the character of the community.”
“It will give us a place for recreation and to get together,” Stuewe said. “I want the town to pull in, not spread apart. I think it would be good for us to pull tight geographically and as a community.”
To help the Friends of the River find a home, Stuewe renovated a small building at the corner of Fourth and Walnut for the group to work out of.
“I had this building, which looked really bad, and it had been my dream to renovate it and donate it to the Friends of the River,” Stuewe said. “Even if the project is approved, this group will need a building to work out of to help the city find grants and help with the project.”
Some businesses, such as Burger King, are also helping out by handing out fliers to customers explaining the project.
“It affects us and I am concerned about how bad it looks,” Steve Rodine, district manager of Burger King, said of the current state of the old river channel. “Professionally and personally, I think it is a good project.” The Burger King restaurant at Iron and Second is surrounded by the river on two sides.
Rodine, a former San Antonio resident, said the river would improve the quality of life around the river and hopefully address the issue of water standing around the Iron Avenue bridge, which is actually a culvert.
“It (the culvert) is clogged up and closed down,” Rodine said. “When we get a lot of rain, the water doesn’t go through. It just stays and overflows. Fifty years of neglect means 10 years of making the river right. It is time for us to turn Salina back into what it was, a river town.”
Not too thrilled
Frick believes the project can wait.
“I think with the way the economy is, it is too early,” Frick said. “I don’t feel that there are that many people that are going to buy into it.”
Frick said he believes the project would help out downtown, but he said that could be done with more signs on the highway.
“The most we can look forward to is a trolly stop,” Frick said of the river renewal project. “Right now, just the bus stop recently placed outside here (of the Phoenix) has helped make a difference in our traffic.”
Frick said he believes property values could jump by 1,000 percent if the project is built. In 2010, the Phoenix’s property value jumped by 300 percent.
“I hate to guess what would happen,” Frick said. “The recent jump was very devastating and there is not enough income to justify that type of tax loot.”
Rod Broberg, Saline County appraiser, said he has not studied the project and has no idea what it would do to property values.
She’s already voted ‘no’
Salinan Frances Langshaw said she has already voted against the project.
“And I don’t care who knows,” Langshaw said.
Langshaw, who has lived at 130 S. Front Street for 19 years, is one of five homeowners who owns property that borders the river where the master plan calls for a concrete river walk between Walnut Street and Iron. Attempts to reach other homeowners in that area were unsuccessful.
Langshaw, whose property backs up to the river, believes her property value will drop if the project is built. Her biggest concern is the city’s plan to construct a concrete river walk.
“I probably have 150 feet of footage along the river,” Langshaw said. “I don’t want concrete there and people walking along my property. Who wants a walkway with people? If they want to concrete the river, concrete it in the (Oakdale) park. I don’t understand why they want this stretch done.”
Rost said “Some people bought along the river for privacy that the native trees provide. During the project, it is going to be difficult if someone wanted to sell the property while it is under construction.”
However, he also said that a river walk along a residential property can be a benefit if someone performs landscaping to make it look nice.
“There is nothing more negative about a sidewalk in the backyard than having one in the front yard,” Rost said.
Acquiring property
Langshaw , who said her property extends to the river bank, said she’s not sure what the city plans for her backyard, because no one has talked with her about the project. She said she has attended one meeting.
“Even though we made an effort the first time we were gathering information, we have not spoken to everyone,” Stuewe said. “We put door hangers on property and made an effort to ask people what they thought about the project.”
Langshaw said she has no intention of selling any of her property along the river to the city if they want the land. Rost said the city can’t take any property without paying “just compensation.”
“When they (the city) do street improvements, they have to buy right-of-way,” Rost said. “When they did the Ohio (Street) overpass, they had to buy property from the property owners to do it. It would have to be a similar process.”
City Manager Jason Gage said he is not sure the river project actually extends into any property owner’s backyard.
“If there is private property, the question is where does it end?” Gage said. “The presumption is the city would acquire property that is inside the channel because we can’t have water flow if we don’t have the property in the channel.”
At most, Gage hopes only small strips of land would be need to be purchased by the city.
“We won’t know until later in the design process what property may be needed,” Gage said. “We don’t expect property acquisition, but we can’t say if there won’t be a couple of them. There are a lot of unknowns.”
Gage said if any property has to be acquired, he hopes the person sees the benefit the river would be to the city.
nReporter Chris Hunter can be reached at 822-1422 or by e-mail at chunter@salina.com.
” Now, as Election Day approaches Tuesday, that group, which Stuewe is a member of, is pushing for an 0.25 percent sales tax increase to help fund the first phase that is projected to cost $27 million. It’s designed to clean and beautify the river and to have water once again flowing through the seven miles of river channel in the city.” (from the article)
I hope this sales tax increase to help fund this wonderful project will be passed. I would vote for it if I still lived there. It is just what the city of Salina needs.
I know with the econmy the way it is, that no one is thrilled with having a tax increase, but this project is very important for the future of Salina. I love Salina and always will. I am thinking of moving back there. This project is very badly needed. Please vote yes.