As part of its ongoing mission to make its downtown area unique, Frankfort village officials plan to add an electric car charging station to the town’s quiet business district in early summer.

Village Administrator Jerry Ducay said the village is moving forward with plans to spend about $1,300 to install one charging station in the Breidert Green parking lot where drivers can plug in their electric cars for free.

“It’s something that’s different,” Ducay said. “We’re hoping that it’ll be yet another example of how our downtown stands apart from other towns.”

Frankfort’s Departmental Operations Committee OK’d the project last week when members agreed to make the station available to drivers without a fee, Ducay said. He expects rules still will be developed to determine what sort of time limits might be necessary at the charging station.

“We probably would develop some regulations so people don’t park overnight or park long term,” he said.

There has been little feedback from residents on the topic so far, and Ducay said he isn’t sure yet just how it will play out for the village.

“It’s something new for us as well, so we’re going to kind of figure it out as we go,” he said. “It’s something unique and sets our downtown apart. We’re willing to take chances and try different things.”

Phillips Chevrolet in Frankfort  sells the Chevy Volt, which can run both on battery power or gasoline, and Ducay said he expects more area car dealerships will add electric cars to their inventory in the future.

“It’s also an encouragement for people to look to alternative fuel sources in our community,” he said.

Total cost to install the charging station should be under $1,500, he said, plus the ongoing expense of electricity that’s used there. Ducay said the station will be paid for with village capital funds.

“It’s a fairly minor expense for this opportunity,” he said.