On Monday the Geary County Commission signed a proposed development agreement for Acorns Resort.

The development agreement allows Mike Harris, Acorns Resort Owner, to use Industrial Revenue Bonds to fund more cabins, new lagoons, and a future Hotel-Conference Center facility.

Commissioner Florence Whitebread explained that the county will not be responsible,” We will have to go through our Bond Attorney but at no time is the county responsible for any of that, so that’s the good part of it.”

Harris told JCpost.com that he plans to begin the infrastructure work right away.

“Probably within the next 30 to 60 days we will start work on some infrastructure and utility requirements that will be out there,” Harris said. “Then later in the summer, probably three to four months out, we will actually start working on some of the bigger projects that people will be able to visually see going on, instead of just underground utilities and stuff like that.”

The multifaceted project will take around a year to complete Harris said. It will include additional meeting space, additional lodging, a restaurant, more camp sites and more special event type structures such as picnic structures.

Harris said that when he signed his lease with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers for the property back in 2005 all of the items he’s planning on adding was included in his proposal to them.

“All of these things were listed in there so really none of these should come as a surprise, it’s just taken awhile to get to this stage to be able to do it,” Harris said.

The Corp of Engineers will still need to approve a couple of things but Harris said that they have already approved most of everything and there is already a request in for what is left.

“Verbally they have told me everything is a go, it’s just a matter of physically getting the written permission back.”

Currently Harris has 15 cabins and nine lodge rooms available on site along with numerous RV and camping sites.