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Council approves purchase of gas station parcel to allow Sullivan–Hooper roundabout
Summary
Council approved an ordinance to allocate funds to buy property for a planned two‑lane roundabout at Sullivan and Hooper roads, using dedicated transportation funds; council amended a location description before passage.
The City Council of Central voted Jan. 28 to amend and approve an ordinance allocating funds to acquire property needed for a planned two‑lane roundabout at the intersection of Sullivan and Hooper roads (state project H011923).
Council member Laverne introduced the ordinance to amend the 2024–25 fiscal-year budget to purchase the parcel and related rights-of-way. The council first voted to amend the ordinance’s geographic description (replacing “southeast” with “southwest” in line 25) and then approved the ordinance by roll call.
Mayor and council members described the purchase as part of a longer-standing effort to complete a roundabout that DOTD (state transportation) has expected to construct once right-of-way is secured. Mayor reported that the city has dedicated transportation revenue (the city’s “green light plan”/half-cent sales tax money) available for capacity projects and that roughly $11.6 million was budgeted for such projects in the current adopted budget; the mayor said the parcel appraisal returned $760,000 and the city included an additional $350,000 in contingency for demolition and remediation costs.
Council discussion addressed environmental testing and remediation, demolition costs (including asbestos removal and fuel tank removal), and the escrow of $30,000 of purchase proceeds for required testing. Council member Roy asked about remediation; staff said a Phase I and Phase II environmental assessment had been completed, the owner had been on a DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) plan since 2000 and mitigation had been performed, and the city expected major costs to come from removing tanks, demolition and concrete removal.
Why it matters: Council members framed the acquisition as necessary to secure the right-of-way so DOTD can build the roundabout when construction funds and schedules align. The mayor described available local funds dedicated to capacity improvements and said DOTD agreed to consider the city’s property acquisition as its contribution toward funding the roundabout.
What comes next: The council approved the purchase with a motion and roll-call vote. Staff will manage escrowed testing funds, finalize closing, and coordinate with DOTD on project timing; construction timing depends on DOTD scheduling and on the Sullivan Road project’s procurement and mobilization schedule.
