By Jeff Schenk
The Good Neighbor
South Hutchinson has taken action to annex the property identified as the future build site for Evergy’s new facility. This decision was not made hastily, but rather out of necessity, because the site is contiguous to South Hutchinson, sits firmly within our long-planned growth area, and has been central to our vision for future industrial development. When it became clear that Hutchinson intended to annex the same property, despite its location within South Hutchinson’s Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ), our city had no choice but to protect our borders and the interests of our residents.
Many residents may not be familiar with how an ETJ functions. In Kansas, a city’s ETJ extends three miles beyond its borders and represents its most likely area of future growth. Any property located in a city’s ETJ is subject to that city’s subdivision regulations, platting, and development standards. The Evergy site lies fully within South Hutchinson’s ETJ, which is why Evergy has been working exclusively with our staff on rezonings, plats, and conditional use permitting. Hutchinson’s sudden claim of entitlement over land legally recognized by the state as South Hutchinson’s future growth area was both unexpected and concerning.
It is important for the community to understand how the site selection process unfolded. South Hutchinson played an active role from the beginning. We served on the Site Selection Team, and based on Evergy’s stated construction and infrastructure needs, it was clear that the land we had already identified for industrial growth best matched their requirements. At our request, the Chamber of Commerce included the parcel among the official tour sites. A South Hutchinson representative attended each site tour, providing context and answering Evergy’s questions. When Evergy ultimately chose the site within our ETJ, our community was proud to have been a part of the process that brought this major project to Reno County.
There were early discussions suggesting that Hutchinson might need to annex the property because they believed they would be providing water service. South Hutchinson was cautious in navigating these conversations, especially given past experiences where assurances from Hutchinson regarding interlocal agreements, such as during their previous island annexation south of our city, were never fulfilled. In this case, Evergy soon determined they would not require Hutchinson’s water service. Because the property lies in our ETJ, Evergy properly sought to proceed with South Hutchinson’s permitting process so construction could begin without delay.
As Hutchinson continues to market properties outside their jurisdiction as potential development sites, we believe it is our responsibility to ensure South Hutchinson’s residents are represented and not subject to decisions that would require them to subsidize another city’s expansion. ETJs exist for a reason: to protect a community’s future, provide certainty in planning, and maintain fairness among neighboring jurisdictions.
Hutchinson’s attempt to pursue an island annexation of land that is neither contiguous with its city limits nor within its ETJ, while excluding South Hutchinson from the conversation, would set a troubling precedent. It would be comparable to annexing the Panasonic plant from the doorstep of De Soto or to Wichita attempting to annex land touching Valley Center or Maize without consultation. Such actions would rightly be viewed as inappropriate, unprecedented, and contrary to the spirit of regional cooperation.
South Hutchinson remains committed to working collaboratively with Hutchinson, Reno County, and all area partners. Evergy’s investment is a win for the entire region, and we encourage Hutchinson to adopt the same big-picture perspective. A development of this magnitude strengthens Reno County regardless of city lines, but it should not come at the expense of established boundaries, mutual respect, or good-faith cooperation.
Our goal is simple: to protect South Hutchinson’s future, uphold our responsibilities to our taxpayers, and ensure that every community in our region is treated as an equal partner. We value our relationships with Reno County, our fellow cities, and the Chamber of Commerce, all of whom continue to champion regional thinking and shared progress. With collaboration, not competition, we can continue building a stronger future for all of Reno County.
Jeff Schenk is the South Hutchinson City Administrator. He can be reached at jeffs@southhutchinson.gov