Eminent domain approved for sewer upgrades
“The City Council on Monday approved an ordinance that would allow the city to acquire property in order to proceed with the Eastside Wastewater Improvement Project, which includes $26 million in improvements to address sewer capacity needs for that area of town.
However, the legal action would only occur if property is not acquired in time to begin construction, based on a timeline set by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources State Revolving Fund, which provided lower-interest bond rates for the project.
The project entails building a new pump station near Candy Creek to replace an undersized pump station currently on Easton Road, as well as rehabilitating the Faraon Street pump station in order to increase its efficiency. It also will replace 1,500 feet of undersized sewers along Easton Road.
City staff have called the improvements a necessity in order to avoid sewage overflows, as well as provide proper capacity needs for the expanding east side of the city.
Before construction can begin on the project, however, the city must acquire 15 parcels of property located roughly between Highway 36 to the north, Riverside Road to the west, S.E. Saxton-Easton Road to the south and the Platte River to the east.”
Norvell, Kim. St. Joseph News Press 4 March 2013.