Daniel Prince
Tiger Industries sells easement to the city for MycoWorks sewer line
The City of Union is still trying to make the regional sewer project with Jonesville a reality. After the Economic Development Administration didn’t give them the grant they sought in the last round of funding, City Council voted unanimously on a resolution to provide up to $719,355 in matching funding for the grants. City Administrator Joe Nichols said the city is applying for grants from the Rural Infrastructure Authority, which would get the wastewater from Jonesville to Union. They are also pursuing a grant from the EDA, which would help get industrial-grade sewer out to the Trakas site, allowing for development of that site. Nichols said the cost for the project continues to rise, with the current estimate at $10,483,000. The city is also working to get a $500,000 grant from the state and a couple of smaller $250,000 grants from other sources, as well. He said the city and the county are being asked for a commitment of $719,355 in local matching funds. If the state grant comes through, that amount would be reduced to $469,355.
Council also approved a 15% match for another sewer project grant it is pursuing from the Rural Infrastructure Authority. The project is in conjunction with the Carlisle wastewater project. The city is wanting to work on the sewer trunk line that runs from Horseshoe Circle down Brookside Drive, along Glendale Road, through a pasture out to Beltline Road, terminating at the pump station there. The line is over 70 years old and needs replacing. He said they will be doing some pipe bursting and line in place work, along with adding new manholes and rehabilitating existing manholes. The project is estimated to cost $3,145,125. Council was asked to approve a resolution for local matching funds of up to $472,000. They unanimously approved it.
A third resolution dealt with easements the city needs to acquire in order to run sewer to the new MycoWorks facility in the Midway Green Industrial Park. They obtained one easement from Milliken, one from Midway Green, LLC, and they needed a third from Tiger Industries, who bought the former ESAB plant at Midway Green. The company would not donate the easement but agreed to sell it to the city. Nichols said the property was appraised at $5025. Council unanimously approved the resolution authorizing Nichols to present the offer to Tiger Industries for the easement. The permanent easement would be 30 feet by around 398 feet, along with a temporary easement of around 398 feet by 5 or 10 feet in width.
Council also approved first reading of an ordinance to rezone the Merchant’s Walk Shopping Center property, at 410 North Duncan Bypass, from A-5 shopping center to A-2 highway commercial. The Planning Commission met and recommended the change to the council. The rezoning will allow greater flexibility in the uses of the property, potentially clearing the way for a proposed tattoo parlor to locate in the center.
Council unanimously voted to approve second and final reading on an ordinance selling city-owned property to high bidders. Property at 204 Lawson Avenue will be sold to John Thomas for $500, and two parcels off Lakeview Heights will be sold to Bradley Adams for $3000 each.
We’ll have more from the meeting in tomorrow’s newscast.
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