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Council asked to authorize permanent utility easement for South Whiteville bridge; project updates provided
Summary
City staff told the Whiteville City Council that the NCDOT project to build the new South Bridge on 701 South Bridge requires a permanent utility easement across city-owned property; staff reported a negotiated payment and described related change orders and construction updates.
City staff asked the Whiteville City Council to authorize execution of a permanent utility easement across city-owned property needed for construction connected to the new South Bridge on 701 South Bridge, a city presenter said during the meeting.
The presenter said the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) — identified in the meeting as the DOT contact for the bridge project — requested a permanent utility easement that crosses city-owned land in South Whiteville and runs near existing high-voltage transmission lines. The presenter said the DOT initially submitted a contingent offer based on 9% of an appraiser's valuation and quoted $1,750; city staff negotiated the amount and reported the DOT accepted a $2,500 offer. The presenter said the appraisal used in the DOT calculation assigned value to adjacent marsh and swampland and included property belonging to the San Juan Restaurant Group.
Staff provided council members a diagram of the proposed easement footprint. The presenter described the easement as running just south of the existing right-of-way, crossing a marsh area, then rejoining existing utilities on private property on the north side of the corridor. "That was submitted to him and it was accepted," the presenter said, referring to the negotiated payment and the easement document that staff placed before council for authorization.
The presenter also updated the council on related construction work on the project. Work crews have placed materials on-site and completed a portion of the needed excavation, he said. A change order was required to move a sewer lift station from one side of a street to the other; the presenter said the contractor agreed to move the lift station at the contractor's cost. Engineering adjustments and additional survey work have delayed some tasks but, according to the presenter, savings on other items largely offset the change orders.
Staff said they are coordinating other drainage and utility-collection work with RJ Corbin on separate drainage improvements tied to the larger project and that public outreach meetings with a consultant identified as Edmonds will begin as the project moves into a broader public-awareness phase.
No formal council vote on the easement was recorded in the transcript; staff asked the council for authority to execute the easement document so work related to the bridge project can continue.
