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Kum & Go buy Silverthorne parcel

BOB BERWYN

SILVERTHORNE – Plans for a Safeway-anchored commercial center on Silverthorne’s Smith Ranch property remain stalled, but a new gas station and convenience store could be in the works for a neighboring 1.4-acre parcel between the Elks Lodge and Ruby Ranch Road.The commercially zoned land was sold Aug. 24 by Tom Garvin of Seminole Land Holding Inc. to Iowa-based Kum & Go L.C. for $535,000.Company officials said they did not know of any immediate development plans. Town planners have not received any applications for a development, but said Kum & Go officials contacted the town to express their interest in opening a location.Community development director Mark Leidal said in most cases, such sales are made contingent on approval of a development plan.”I think it’s unique that they bought it without land use approval (in place),” Leidal said.Kum & Go was founded in 1959 in Iowa under the original name of the Hampton Oil Co. According to the Kum & Go Web site, the company is the 22nd largest convenience store chain and ranked among the top 10 privately held convenience store chains in the United States. The corporation includes more than 420 convenience stores in 13 states (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Colorado, Arkansas, Wyoming and Wisconsin). Kum & Go employs 3,500 people.Town manager Kevin Batchelder and council member Karla Trippe said the transaction did not appear to affect any potential plans for the nearby 11.2-acre Safeway project. Tom Garvin and Seminole also own that land. The Safeway plans are still uncertain, according to developer Brad Kornfeld, who said last week he is still waiting for the go-ahead from Safeway. The town’s site plan approval for the development is valid through Dec. 19, 2005. The town could extend the approval if necessary.With the zoning in place, the developers could obtain building permits any time until the site-plan approval expires, town planners said.


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