Council approves authority to acquire easements at Greeley Mall after city demands repairs to private water system

Greeley City Council authorized the acquisition of rights‑of‑way and easements to construct a public potable water system serving the Greeley Mall site, approving an ordinance at second reading after a staff presentation that described a private mall water system in disrepair and public‑health risks.

Adam Pryor, the city’s water and sewer chief engineer, told council the mall’s private water and sewer system lacks certified operators, shows ongoing leaks at hydrants without means of repair or isolation, and has not completed a survey of backflow devices required by city notice. Staff delivered a noncompliance and demand letter to Greeley Mall on January 9, Pryor said, and the mall has not completed the required corrective actions and survey. The city laid out a timeline in which the mall would produce 30% design submittals and other deliverables; if the private owner does not complete corrective actions, Pryor said city staff will design, acquire easements and construct a new public water line and consider a local improvement district for cost recovery.

Pryor presented a conceptual alignment for new public potable mains that would relocate on‑site transmission and provide system redundancy. Council members asked clarifying questions about the scope of the proposed easements, how costs would be recovered and the potential impacts on mall tenants. Pryor said the city would acquire permanent easements (typical 50‑foot permanent easement and a temporary 50‑foot construction easement in standard form) and that most affected parcels are owned by the Greeley Mall ownership entity; leased commercial tenants are typically not separate fee owners.

Council moved to adopt the ordinance authorizing acquisition of property interests and easements for the mall water project. The motion carried 6–0 on roll call (Butler, Debuti, Hall, Peyton, Olson, McDonald voting aye). Pryor and other staff will proceed with design and, if necessary, acquisition steps as described in the noncompliance timeline.

If the mall owner fails to complete the corrective actions within the specified timetable, staff said, the city will advance public design, acquire easements as needed, construct the new water facilities and pursue cost recovery consistent with local improvement district procedures.