Lafayette council approves purchase-and-sale agreement to sell Lot 1A Westridge to Town of Erie for water storage

Lafayette city officials on Tuesday approved a purchase-and-sale agreement that would transfer Lot 1A, Westridge Filing No. 1 Replat A, to the Town of Erie so Erie can build a treated-water storage tank.

Public Works Director Jeff Arthur told the council the parcel was purchased by Lafayette’s Water Utility Enterprise in 2017 for a future water treatment facility but that consultants found the site is about half the size needed for a treatment plant. Arthur said the site’s elevation and proximity to Erie’s distribution system make it “an ideal location for a treated water storage tank.”

Under the agreement approved in the special meeting, Lafayette will rezone the parcel to a public designation before closing to accommodate the use. Arthur said Lafayette staff expect to return to council with an ordinance authorizing the actual sale prior to closing. The agreement calls for Erie to construct the facility; Lafayette would grant Erie access across a series of city-owned parcels running toward U.S. 287 so Erie can connect the tank to its distribution network.

Council moved and seconded a motion to approve the purchase-and-sale agreement in substantially the form in the meeting packet, subject to nonmaterial changes and final review by the city attorney, and to authorize the city manager to execute the agreement and extend closing dates for due diligence. The motion passed unanimously.

Arthur said proceeds from the sale would be returned to Lafayette’s Water Utility Enterprise Fund and could be used to acquire a site better suited for a future water treatment plant.

The sale is conditional on Lafayette completing the rezoning and then adopting an ordinance authorizing the transaction; those steps were described by staff as prerequisites to closing. No purchase price was read into the record during the special meeting packet presentation.