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Colby considers plans for First St. shelter

Plans for a new park shelter on First Street in Colby have touched off discussions about possibly bringing all the food vendors at Cheese Days under one roof.

Kevin Hanson of the Colby Lions Club came to the city’s planning committee meeting on May 11 to talk about the group’s plans to build some type of structure downtown.

Hanson said the club’s bingo tent “has taken a beating” in recent years, and they would like to replace it with something more permanent. He said they already have a $25,000 donation committed toward the project, but they want some guidance from the city before soliciting further donations.

One possibility is to link the new shelter with an existing shelter on North First Street, which is used as a beer stand during Cheese Days.

City clerk Connie Gurtner, who sits on the Cheese Days committee, said the event is mostly a “break-even” enterprise, so it doesn’t have a lot of money to contribute, but she thinks there is an opportunity to coordinate with the Lions.

For years, Gurtner said she’s suggested that all of the local groups selling food at Cheese Days combine their efforts at one location, similar to how it’s done at Dorchester Days, with every group taking a shift and splitting the proceeds. However, she said moving forward with this plan will require a big group conversation.

“That’s a big undertaking, just to get everybody together,” she said.

Ald. Todd Schmidt, who is also in the Lions Club, said he thinks the shelter could be used for other events as well, such as a farmers’ market.

“We’re always looking for ways to bring more people downtown,” he said.

One possible hitch is the city’s lease with the railroad company, which allows the shelter, park facilities and underground utilities to be located within the railroad’s 100-foot right-of-way in exchange for a modest annual fee.

Mayor Jim Schmidt noted that Canadian National recently sold its lines, and a short line railroad operator is looking at taking over the tracks that runs through Colby. Gurtner said she would try to track down the city’s lease agreement to see what restrictions there are.

For this summer’s Cheese Days, Hanson said the Lions will continue to use their bingo tent.

“We’ll see how many more years we can get out of it,” he said.

The committee voted to recommend approval of a special use permit allowing Dave Smith and his family to keep 20 chickens at their home at 812 S. Division St. (STH 13).

The city’s ordinances only allow residents to keep two chickens, so a conditional use permit is needed to exceed the limit.

Smith said his family’s home is located on a threeacre lot bordering the highway and a farm field without any close residential neighbors. The chickens are kept in a little barn at night, and when they are outside, they don’t go onto other people’s properties, he said.

Smith said his 10 children care for the chickens, which are used to educate his kids and teach them responsibility.

Several of the Smiths’ neighbors from across the highway spoke in favor of the family being allowed to keep their chickens.

One set of neighbors, Jay and Brenda Apfelbeck, said they enjoy watching the Smith kids care for their chickens, and they’ve also received eggs as gifts.

“They really don’t bother anybody out there,” Jay said about the chickens.

Ald. Nancy O’Brien said she was fine with granting the permit as long as the two-chicken limit continues to be enforced in traditional residential neighborhoods.

“I just don’t want to see anybody on Third Street end up with 20 chickens that are roaming my yard,” she said.

The council will vote on the committee’s recommendation at its next meeting on June 1.

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