Pratt Tribune Article 2/7/2012
By Conrad Easterday
editor@pratttribune.com
The Pratt City Commission is expected to approve an annexation agreement in two weeks that will pave the way for local businessman Dale Withers to develop an industrial park opposite Walmart on U.S. 54.
The recent boom in oil and natural gas exploration in the region is driving the development, City Manager Dave Howard told the Commission Monday night.
Withers’ 50-acre industrial park will be anchored initially by Weatherford International, one of the largest oil and natural gas service companies. A building only slightly smaller than the new BTI location north of Pratt is expected to be home base for 40 and 60 Weatherford employees, Howard said.
The industrial park will be located to the east and south of the recently announced Hibbetts Sporting Goods location. The highway frontage portion of the property will continue to be zoned for highway service, but the majority of the land will be zoned heavy industrial.
City workers will begin work soon on a $16,556 sewer extension to the industrial park. An estimated $18,000 water line will follow. Withers has not asked other incentives.
“It’s good that we have a local person who’s investing in the future of the community,” Howard said.
An outside developer considering a similar project had sought several concessions from the community in preliminary negotiations, he added.
In other business, the Commission: Tabled until its next meeting a decision on a used pumper engine for the Fire Department so that Commissioner Gary Skaggs could take part in the discussion. Skaggs was unable to attend Monday’s meeting. Approved new backup data servers for the Police Department for use onsite and at a remote site. A lightning strike in August took out two of the department’s three servers and demonstrated the need for a secure off-site backup. Drug forfeiture funds will be used for the $25,000 project. Discussed the requirements for installing electric lines in Sixth Street Park to expand Lemon Park Lights holiday displays into a new area.
