City seeks council approval for settlement of property acquisition for Tutt Boulevard extension

Public Works staff told the City Council on Sept. 22 that construction on the Tutt Boulevard extension (Dublin Boulevard to Templeton Gap Road) is complete and recommended council approve resolution authority to acquire the necessary right-of-way, permanent public-improvement easements and temporary construction/drainage easements using PPRTA funds.

Why it matters: The project used a possession-and-use agreement to begin construction in 2024 while condemnation and settlement negotiations continued. Staff said the citys appraisal placed the citys deposit at $580,000; the property owner later obtained an appraisal of about $1.2 million. After prolonged negotiations staff recommended a $910,000 settlement that accounts for remnant damages and other factors and asked council to approve the expenditure because the amount exceeds the citys threshold for administrative settlement.

Key facts presented
- Gail Sturdivant, city engineer and deputy public works director, described the rights acquired (about 3,700 square feet of permanent right-of-way plus public-improvement easements and temporary construction/drainage easements) and said the project was completed in September.
- The city initiated notice of intent on Nov. 22, 2022, made an initial offer in May 2023 based on the city appraisal ($580,000), entered a possession-and-use agreement in March 2024 to permit construction and later received the owners appraisal (approximately $1.2 million). Sturdivant said staff negotiated for over a year and recommended a settlement of $910,000 as a reasonable compromise.
- Sturdivant said PPRTA had previously approved the original $580,000 and staff will seek the remaining $330,000 at the Oct. 8 PPRTA board meeting to fund the settlement.

Next steps
Council was asked to place the resolution on the Oct. 14 consent agenda so staff could complete the settlement. Sturdivant said all necessary construction is finished and staff recommended approval to finalize the acquisition with PPRTA funding.

Context and council response
Council indicated support for placing the item on consent. Councilors asked for the settlement to be processed at the PPRTA board and for staff to return with documentation; Sturdivant said she would proceed to the Oct. 8 PPRTA board meeting to request the additional funds.