The extension of Halstead’s Main Street and new housing developments on the south side of town has run into a hiccup. The city recently learned that before it could proceed with its plans for the Cedar Meadows Second Addition and Powers First Addition, it must allow an archaeological survey of the area. City Manager Ethan Reimer explained that when the city pulled a state permit for Main Street to cross the slough, that permit was reviewed by several state agencies to weigh in on whether they had any potential concerns. The Kansas State Historic Preservation Office responded with a letter to the city requesting the area be surveyed by a professional archeologist before construction began. The area caught their attention because it’s been relatively undisturbed over the years, Reimer said. “The letter referenced they feel that gives them a greater propensity to maybe find something because it hasn’t been a farmed field,” he said. They believe prehistoric people may have settled near the area because of the proximity to water running through the slough.
Source: Harvey County Now
