New Delta Olathe Industrial Park awaits zoning

OLATHE  — It’s been about six years since operations ceased at the former Louisiana Pacific site north of Olathe, but now the property is undergoing a facelift in anticipation of the county approving its use for a light industrial park.

The 42.598-acre property running along Colo. Highway 50 has been sold to Joe Jehn and Tom Molin for about $1.5 million. Since the purchase in late August, Jim Hollis, site construction manager, has hired local companies to clean up the property. It has included the removal of equipment and stacks from the building in preparation of the newly created Delta Olathe Industrial Park.

“We’ve spent literally a half million to date (on clean up). There wasn’t really environmental issues on the site — they were taken care of by LP. There was all kinds of equipment, including storage tanks, which we removed,” Jehn said. “It’s our goal to make this light industrial ... what we don’t want is anything there that would cause pollution. We want a nice, clean environment.”

The rezoning for light industrial went before the Montrose County Planning Commission Nov. 15, said county Land Use Director Steve White. County commissioners will view the rezoning proposal at their Dec. 17 meeting.

White said the planning commission approved its use for light industrial with the recommendation of road improvements for increased traffic.

Jehn said they will spend “a couple $100,000” for road improvements, but those improvements won’t be decided until the county approves the rezoning, and plot development begins.

Hollis said the plan is to have around nine plots, no smaller than three acres because of water and sewage. These plots will be available for lease or purchase.

“We haven’t been through the two-step county process,” Jehn said. “We are going through the legal process of light industrial ... then we have to go back through the planning process and go through utilities, plot sizes and access.”

According to the Montrose County Zoning Resolution, a light industrial district intent is to accommodate “light manufacturing, processing, fabrication, assembly, and storage of non-hazardous and/or non-obnoxious material and products, as well as allowing service facilities for industries and their employees.”

Jehn said he’s had preliminary conversations with possible businesses that could move onto the site. He said one Montrose County business is interested in using the railway, which runs along the west side of the property.

He said it is an assembly company and they would not be producing material, but would be shipping it in and out by rail.

“Shipping cost on rails are substantially cheeper,” Jehn said. “For someone that is receiving raw materials in large qualities, rail is a big advantage for them.”

He said the hope is to bring good industrial, high-paying jobs.

Melba Johnston, a neighboring resident for 27 years, is glad to see something happening next door.

“I feel that the facility needs to be used for something since it’s there. ... Hopefully it will be an opportunity for some businesses. Perhaps a welding shop — those things are needed. Anything that would help the farmers would be ideal. Hopefully it will supply jobs for this area — making the opportunity there.”

Hollis said creating new jobs has been his goal ever since LP stopped operations in 2001. The shutdown put about 100 employees out of work, according to a 2001 article in the Daily Press.

Jehn said that it’s tough to determine the amount of jobs which will be created through the opening of the park because there are many possibilities for businesses.

He said his hope is that the county processes will be complete by summer 2008 and the property will see plot and building construction by the third quarter of next year.

Jehn owns Jehn’s Engineering in Delta, along with other property in the area. He currently resides on the Front Range. Tom Molin is the owner of a construction company in Colorado Springs and could not be reached for comment.

Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com