City seeks authority to proceed with 8th Street easements as bridge and utility work advances

Public Works staff presented a request to secure permanent easements and temporary construction easements for the Eighth Street improvements (Motor City Drive to Fountain Creek) and for repair and maintenance of the Eighth Street bridge over Fountain Creek.

Gail Sturdivant explained the corridor effort includes 13 properties (12 owners) and that the negotiation status is dynamic: since the council packet was prepared six owners settled, four more showed positive movement, and two parcels remained unresolved. Sturdivant said most appraisals are less than $15,000 and many below $5,000, and staff emphasized the work includes a Colorado Springs Utilities water‑line replacement that needs coordinated outages.

Staff requested council authorization for possession‑and‑use agreements or, if necessary, eminent domain to complete the easement acquisitions so the bridge work and utility replacements can proceed. The bridge work is already under construction and staff said some work is scheduled to begin in October and must align with CSU outages.

Council members asked for maps and additional outreach; staff said they had been conducting public outreach and that at least one owner had agreed to sign pending logistics. Sturdivant asked the council to place the resolution on the Sept. 9 consent agenda if members supported it.

Ending: No formal vote occurred at the work session. Staff requested authorization to pursue condemnation if negotiations do not finish before the scheduled construction windows; council requested continued updates and exhibits clarifying individual parcel status.