Conway Corporation wins council backing to pursue condemnation for eastern water-treatment site
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Summary
The council approved a resolution allowing Conway Corporation to proceed with condemnation if needed to acquire land for a planned water-treatment plant and substation; the utility said it has offered above-appraised value but negotiations stalled because of probate delays among heirs.
The Conway City Council on June 10 unanimously approved a resolution authorizing Conway Corporation to pursue condemnation of property needed for a planned eastern water-treatment plant and dual-voltage electrical substation.
Brett Carroll, chief executive officer of Conway Corporation, told the council the utility has been planning a long-term supplemental water supply that would bring water from Greers Ferry Lake to Conway and that it has identified a preferred site south of Highway 64 on Office Conkalo Road. Carroll said the site is well-suited because of an existing high-voltage transmission line that crosses the parcel and the parcel’s size: Conway Corporation needs roughly 80 acres of an available 111-acre tract.
Carroll said Conway Corporation has negotiated in good faith and submitted an offer “well above the appraised value,” but that the seller’s side has not completed probate after a death in the family and has therefore not signed. He described condemnation as a last resort that the utility requests only to preserve project timelines and enable the Army Corps of Engineers and other permitting authorities to proceed once endpoints are secured.
Carroll summarized the condemnation process for the council: if the utility proceeds, it will deposit the agreed amount into the registry of the court while taking possession of the property; the heirs would then divide proceeds through the probate process. Carroll emphasized Conway Corporation will fund the purchase, not the city: “We’re not asking the city of Conway for any money. It is coming from, from Conway Corp funds,” he said.
Councilors had few questions and the resolution (Resolution 2518) passed 8-0. Carroll and utility staff said they will continue negotiations for voluntary sale while keeping the condemnation option available to maintain project schedule. Conway Corporation said it needs to finalize both endpoints for the Greers Ferry connection so that the Army Corps can engage in permitting and that the city’s eastern growth will rely on additional water capacity by about 2037.
The council vote does not transfer city funds or obligate the city to purchase the land; it authorizes Conway Corporation to take the next legal steps necessary to secure property if negotiations fail.