FEC, Out of Room, Considering Move

Fayette Electric Cooperative General Manager Gary Don Nietsche said the Co-op is running out of room in its office on Washington Street in downtown La Grange, left. The City of La Grange granted a request from FEC to rezone two lots the Co-op recently purchased on Von Minden Road from residential to commercial. Nietsche said FEC is looking into building a new office at the Von Minden Road property. Two lots are located next to FEC’s pole yard, the entrance of which is pictured, right. With the recent purchases, FEC now owns property that stretches all the way between Von Minden Road and US 77 south of St. Mark’s Hospital. Photo by Andy Behlen

The La Grange City Council granted a request from Fayette Electric Cooperative to rezone two lots on North Von Minden Road from residential to commercial. The two properties lie next to FEC’s pole yard. FEC General Manager Gary Don Nietsche told the Record Monday that the Coop may eventually move its offices from downtown La Grange to the Von Minden Road property.

“That’s a possibility,” Nietsche said. “We’re doing some studies to see what our options are. It would be a nice place to put an office.

“We have about 20 people in the office and we are out of room,” Nietsche added. “I need to grow by about four or five people in the office, but we’d have them sitting in each other’s laps. We have to do something.”

Nietsche said the property on Von Minden poses some construction challenges, including a drainage path that runs through it. He said FEC will conduct a site study to determine how best to use the property.

“Nowadays engineers can do some wonderful things,” Nietsche said. “Maybe they can make it work. We’ll have to see.”

The City sent letters to surrounding property owners asking whether or not they supported the rezone request. None of the neighbors said they opposed it. Council unanimously granted FEC’s request.