Commission authorizes $125,000 land purchase to relocate Pump Station 16; neighbors urge further review

The Panama City Commission authorized the purchase of a 20-by-95-foot portion of 3900 West 16th Street for $125,000 to relocate Pump Station (Lift Station) Number 16, voting 4-1 on Feb. 11.

City staff and the contracted engineer (Barge Design Solutions) told the commission the parcel best meets topographic and sewer routing requirements for a single relocation site. The project is funded through a Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) grant (LPA 0204) that includes land acquisition and construction; FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provided earlier engineering funds and will support construction-related expenses, officials said.

Owners of the recommended parcel, Mary Bonham and Charles Bonham, addressed the commission during audience participation. Mary Bonham said she and her neighbors want the lift station removed from the bay shoreline but object to locating it on their property; she said the Bonhams would not donate the land and that compensation would be negotiated. Neighbors emphasized they had not been broadly notified about the agenda item’s timing and asked the commission to delay action so they could review alternatives.

City staff and commissioners said engineers had evaluated multiple sites and that alternatives typically required additional smaller lift stations or grinder-pump installations at private residences—which would place ongoing maintenance burdens on homeowners. Staff said the selected site limits the number of homes that would need grinder pumps and allows odor control equipment, landscaping and an eight-foot screened enclosure to reduce neighborhood impacts.

The motion to authorize acquisition and to empower the city manager to close on the purchase passed on a 4-1 roll call: Commissioners Lucas, Granger, Street and Halligas voted yes; Mayor Michael Rowan voted no. City staff said acquisition paperwork would follow typical real-estate procedures and that the commission would see the construction bid award before any building work begins. Commissioners asked for additional neighborhood meetings during design and before construction to review screening, landscaping, odor-control systems and construction scheduling.