In the latest twist to infrastructure projects at the Allen County Regional Airport, commissioners learned they’ll need to conduct an archeological survey before they can start work.
The county plans to install water and sewer lines to the airport as part of an infrastructure project that could eventually encourage development of an industrial park.
The sewer line project will mostly follow Minnesota Road from the airport to the City of Iola’s sewage plant. Starting near the Gates manufacturing plant, lines could go one of three ways.
The state identified an area around the sewer lagoons, west of Lake Bassola and the Lehigh Portland Cement Plant, and north of Cofachique as “potential for previously unidentified archeological sites.”
Cofachique, located on the banks of the Neosho River near the mouth of Elm Creek, was the first town established in Allen County in 1855 and once served as its county seat. It was also the first town in the county to die a few years later.
Kurtis Russell, director of the Allen County Historical Society, said he’s not sure what, if any, discoveries could be made at the site identified by the state, as it’s some distance away from known points of historical interest. 
STATE and federal funding is expected to pay most of the estimated $4 million cost of the infrastructure projects at the airport.
Over the past few weeks, though, commissioners got a bit of sticker shock when bids to install water lines came in 41% higher than expected. Engineers expected that project to cost around $464,148, but when bids were opened Oct. 24, the lowest came in at $756,228.
The higher costs were attributed to post-pandemic supply chain issues and inflation.
Costs to build sewer lines and other infrastructure were estimated at around $3 million. Commissioners are concerned those costs will exceed expectations, as well.
Then came notification from the state about the need for the archeological study.
Now, they’ll have to pay another $5,456 for the study. While that expense is relatively low compared to the overall scope of the projects, it’s an unplanned cost at a time when they are looking to trim the projects to save money.
It also will add at least a couple months to the timeline. A consultant who was approved on Tuesday estimated it will take about two days of field work, followed by up to six weeks to submit a report. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, along with the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office, then has 30 days to approve the report.
If the archeological study were to find something of historical interest, that could complicate the matter.
On the bright side, if the study comes up clean, it might save the county money as construction crews could modify the methods needed to excavate the ground, Terry Call, zoning director, said.
