CHAPTER TWO LAND USE & ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES

A basic goal of this comprehensive plan for Ellis County is to develop policies that balance environmental values and reasonable development demands. Relating develop- ment policies to environmental characteristics helps strike this balance by permitting appropriate development in a way that conserves the county’s most important natural resources and assets. Th is section examines existing land use characteristics in Ellis County outside of the munici- pal city limits of Ellis, Hays, Victoria, and Schoenchen and identifi es and maps vital environmental assets. Th e analysis of these resources helps determine policies that will ulti- mately guide land use review, decisions, and project design. PAGE 18 CHAPTER TWO LAND USE & ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES LAND USE

Map 2.1: Existing Land Use displays the distribution of exist- ing land uses in the Ellis County planning jurisdiction. Infor- mation was collected by a fi eld survey of the county in April of 2011, through aerial photography, and the Depart- ment of Roads survey. AGRICULTURAL AND OPEN LAND Agriculture remains the dominant land use in Ellis County and varies considerably from north to south. Th e northern most section of the county is characterized by the rugged that rise up above the fertile Saline River valley. Wheat is the primary crop in the river and stream valleys, • Arapahoe Estates but corn and soybeans are also cultivated. Th e surrounding Outside the incorporated communities of Ellis County are a uplands are predominately ranch land. In the south this rug- number of smaller, unincorporated settlements. Almost all of ged terrain gives way to vast plateaus and gently rolling hills. these communities were settled by the Volga-Germans in the Here, wheat is the primary crop cultivated by farmers. Sea- late 1800s and include Antonino, Catherine, Munjor, Pfeifer, sonal rains in spring and early summer nourish wheat crops and Walker. Th e housing stock in these communities is much that are harvested as the hot, dry summers of the high plains older and in varying conditions. Th e aff ordability of housing take hold in June and July. Th e soil types and environmen- and small community atmosphere has sustained populations tal issues related to these areas are discussed in detail later in in these communities over the last thirty years. this chapter. COMMERCIAL USES RESIDENTIAL USES Commercial uses in Ellis County comprise a relatively small Residential development is the second largest land use in part of the county’s jurisdiction. Most of these uses are orient- terms of area in the county planning jurisdiction. Before ed around home-based service businesses that operate shops 1970, most residential development occurred within the on property that also include a residence. Retail-oriented county’s incorporated and unincorporated communities. At commercial uses are located within the communities of Hays, that time, rural residential development was most prevalent Victoria and Ellis. Th e smaller unincorporated communities along the Old US Highway 40 corridor, just outside of the also have some commercial operations, with minimal conve- Hays municipal limits. By the 1990s rural large-lot housing nience commercial or other service businesses such as repair had become an attractive alternative to the subdivision de- shops. velopments within Hays. Th ese developments tend to be in or near Hays’ planning jurisdiction and are typically adjacent INDUSTRIAL USES to active agricultural operations. Residents in these areas rely Most industrial uses in Ellis County are located within the on county roads, rural water districts, and private septic sys- communities or adjacent to Interstate 70 interchanges. In- tems, rather than municipal water and sewer. Developments dustrial development outside developed areas is related to the outside Hays’ jurisdiction include: oil or agriculturally industries. Support services related to the • Limestone Acres oil industry are scattered throughout the county and outside of agriculture is the primary industry for the county. Th e ma- • Little Creek Country Estates jority of the larger well fi elds are located in the northern por- • Northglenn Addition PAGE 19 MAP 2.1: EXISTING LAND USE

PAGE 20 ELLIS County KANSAS Comprehensive Plan

tion of the county. Th is is also where the majority of the sup- port services are located. As the largest oil producing county in the state, the oil wells are a dominate feature on the rural landscape. Th e wells are regulated by state and federal laws, leaving limited jurisdiction for the county. PUBLIC AND SEMI-PUBLIC USES Public and semi-public uses are those uses that are owned by the local, state, or federal government, or by non-profi t orga- nizations like churches or private schools. While Ellis County does not have large recreation developments like state or lo- cal parks, a signifi cant amount of land in the county is held in public or non-taxable ownership. Th e Kansas State Agri- cultural Research Center, covering 7,345 acres, is the largest public land owner in the county. Almost 85% of KSU’s land is located in the City of Hays’ zoning jurisdiction with the re- maining portion located in the more isolated northeast por- tion of the county. DEVELOPMENT TRENDS Th e new demands from housing to energy raise land use poli- Th e rural churches and cemeteries account for the remainder cy questions for Ellis County. Major development trends that of the civic uses in the county’s jurisdiction and include: Ellis County planning must address include: • St. John’s Church • Non-contiguous subdivision development. Like many stable- • St. Andrew Church to-growing counties, Ellis County has experienced increas- ing demand for rural acreage subdivisions. When these de- • Hyacinth Cemetery velopments are a substantial distance from existing com- • Seventh Church munities, service issues arise. In rural areas, water is typi- • cally provided by the Rural Water District and sewage dis- Buckeye School (closed) posal is furnished by private septic systems. Access to and • Emmeram Cemetery (church walls also remain) availability of water is a signifi cant issue in the rural areas. Competition for water between residential and agricul- • Blue Hill School (closed) tural uses could create signifi cant challenges in the future • Turkville School (closed) if development is not closely monitored. Providing public services to these developments, including increased road • Norman Cemetery maintenance and public safety, creates additional costs for the county. • St. Boniface Church (Vincent) • Growth in smaller communities. Growth within the county Each of the unincorporated communities in the county occurred mostly in the unincorporated developments that also have large beautiful limestone churches. Most of these dot the county. Population in the historic developments churches were constructed by the county’s Volga-German has remained static over the last several decades, while new settlers and refl ect the early history of the county and have developments in the outlying areas have established roads, great historic value. infrastructure and housing stock that will require future investment. Overall, the housing stock within the county refl ects an ethic of reinvestment and pride of ownership. However, deteriorated structures in these areas are with- in the jurisdiction of the county and continued investment will be an important future issue. • Green energy development. Over the last fi ve years develop-

PAGE 21 ENVIRONMENTAL ATTRIBUTES

Ellis County presents a diversity of landscapes. Th e northern and western portions of the county are characterized by the Smoky Hill landscape. Th e arid climate and rugged terrain make these areas ideal range land. To the south and east the land is relatively level and more appropriate to crop produc- tion. Th e valleys of the Saline and Smoky Hill rivers edge the county to the north and south while Big Creek slices through the central portion of the county. Th ese valleys provide fertile soil for crop production and the best access to both surface and ground water resources.

Th e following discussion reviews Ellis County‘s major environmental attributes, and identifi es policies. Th ese policies help defi ne the development policy districts proposed by the Future Land Use Plan. Th ey also provide criteria to guide review of development applications with these districts. TOPOGRAPHY Map 2-2: Topography illustrates the change in terrain within the county. Th e ridgelines of the Smoky Hills run west to east across the county before easing into a fl atter terrain in the eastern portion of the county. Th e rugged Smoky Hills push up from the valleys of the , Saline River and Big Creek valleys. Th ese slopes are more susceptible to ero- sion. Land-altering activities should generally be avoided or developed with careful consideration to drainage and topo- graphic concerns.

Policy: Erosion control measures should be implement- ment of alternative energy sources has been a divisive issue ed to prevent the loss of soil and increases in storm wa- for the county. While energy is one of the biggest contribu- ter volume and velocity normally created by development. tors to the county’s economy, new approaches create both Th ese measures can mitigate potentially adverse eff ects on land use confl icts and economic opportunities. As energy neighboring property. On-site retention or detention de- technology continues to evolve, new opportunities will vices may be employed to prevent excessive fl ows. Proj- challenge historic development patterns. ect grading in general should minimize disturbance of • Water and infrastructure demands. Th e residents of Ellis the natural landforms. Development should generally be County are acutely aware that water is a fi nite resource. avoided on steep slopes in excess of 14%. On sites with Over the years, droughts and lack of groundwater access varying slopes, conservation development techniques have driven many out of business. Th ese challenges faced should be employed to avoid disturbance of steeply sloped in Ellis County refl ect the broader struggle in the American areas by preserving them as common open space. Such West to cope with issues of water rights, access, and conser- development may use smaller lots in exchange for preser- vation. Open communication with surrounding counties, vation of sloped areas. and smart water usage, will be essential to ensuring access to quality resources in the future.

PAGE 22 ELLIS County KANSAS Comprehensive Plan

MAP 2.2: TOPOGRAPHY

PAGE 23 FLOODPLAINS MAP 2.3: FLOODPLAINS Map 2-3: Floodplain displays the location of fl oodplains within Ellis County. Th ese are areas that will be inundated with water during a storm event that has a 1% probability of occurring within a given year (the so-called 100-year fl ood- plain). Contemporary fl oodplain regulations require eleva- tion of fi nished fl oor levels one foot above the 100-year fl ood level. Th e broader valley of Big Creek attracted early settlers to Ellis, Hays, and Munjor but these wider valleys made these PAGE 24 ELLIS County KANSAS Comprehensive Plan

developments more susceptible to fl ooding. Th e Saline and WIND POTENTIAL Smoky Hill rivers have narrower fl oodplains. Th e valley of For centuries wind has been harnessed for the benefi t of the Saline quickly changes to steep hills that were less attrac- commerce. By providing access to water, wind was essential tive to early settlers. Th e Smoky Hill valley is generally nar- in opening much of the to European settlement rower than the Saline but the gradual change in elevation and agricultural production in the 1880s. Wind was also coming out of the valley attracted settlers to Schoenchen and important in bringing power to rural areas in the United Pfi efer. Th ese valleys continue to be very important to resi- States before the development of interstate transmission dents of the county as they off er some of the few locations in systems and the Rural Electrifi cation Administration. Wind the county where ground water can be reached. resources cover much of the but the Great Plains has some of the greatest potential for harnessing the wind. Policy: Flood plains should be left as open land, in agri- Map 2-4: Wind Potential displays the potential for harnessing cultural or recreational uses. In extremely unusual cases, wind for energy production based on data developed by the development may take place within the 100-year fl ood- National Renewable Energy Laboratory. plain. Any such development should comply with the El- lis County Floodplain regulations and should minimize Wind speeds across Western Kansas are substantially higher impact or modifi cation of fl oodplains. than in other states and even Eastern Kansas. However, Kan- sas is not one of the leading states in terms of installed wind powered generation capacity. A signifi cant hurdle has been the lack of necessary transmission infrastructure, but recent construction of higher voltage lines (see Map 2-4) are begin- ning to address this issue for Ellis County.

Policy: Under current state regulations local governments are exclusively responsible for siting all types of wind en- ergy-generating facilities. Th at means the local govern- ment can regulate them in the same way any other land use can be regulated. Policies with regard to renewable energy production should be based on community input. Common concerns with energy production include so- cioeconomic impacts, aesthetics, sound, property values, hazard to wildlife, and electromagnetic interference.

PAGE 25 MAP 2.4: WIND ENERGY POTENTIAL

PAGE 26 ELLIS County KANSAS Comprehensive Plan

OIL AND GAS WELLS MAP 2.5: OIL & GAS WELLS Map 2-5: Oil and Gas Wells identifi es locations of existing oil and gas wells within Ellis County. Th ese sites may be in active production, shuttered production facilities, or unsuc- cessful exploratory wells. Oil and gas production is regulated by the state and federal governments, giving county regula- tions little, if any, say in the placement of wells. Production in Ellis County has been strong the last several years as a result of higher oil prices. Th e market could remain strong as new

PAGE 27 MAP 2.6: ENVIRONMENTAL COMPOSITE

PAGE 28 ELLIS County KANSAS Comprehensive Plan

technologies for oil extraction are being evaluated and may CONCLUSIONS be implemented in Ellis County in the future. Th is analysis of land use and development patterns suggests Policy: Although the County has no jurisdiction over oil the following major conclusions and issues: and gas drilling, evaluating the location and geographic • Th e vast majority of rural residential development has oc- density of these currently and formerly productive sites is curred in areas adjacent to the City of Hays and outside of important. Visualizing the market’s impact and potential the historic settlements in the eastern and southern por- for future energy extraction helps policy makers in under- tions of the county. standing the ancillary land uses and infrastructure. Th ese • include siting of support services and road maintenance Rural residential development and expanding agricultur- al uses create potential confl icts. Operational issues, such and upgrades that are necessary to reach more remote lo- as the application of pesticides, odors, and late operating cations in the county. hours frequently draw complaints from residential neigh- ENVIRONMENTAL COMPOSITE borhoods, some of whom are used to urban land use regu- lations. Th e Land Use Plan should seek methods to mini- Map 2-6 presents a composite map, overlaying all of the en- mize land use confl icts. vironmental attributes described above. Th e composite along with existing land use patterns can help guide development. • Historic settlements around the county are important cen- Th ese attributes will be combined with residents’ desires and ters of civic and social activity that attract individuals and economic opportunities to defi ne land use policy zones. families from the surrounding rural areas. Th ese include the large stately churches in each of these communities that speak to the history and heritage of the county. Preserva- tion of housing stock and historic resources will continue to be important to each of these communities. • Th e changing terrain of Ellis County creates beautiful vis- tas that are attractive to many residents. At the same time, access to water, economic development opportunities re- lated to renewable and fossil fuel energy, and impacts on the fl oodplains must all be balanced with residents’ vision for Ellis County.

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