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La Porte to hire surveyor to map utilities at Maple Lane Mall as partition advances
Summary
City staff recommended, and the board approved, hiring Kyle and Associates to prepare legal descriptions and surveys to dedicate private utilities to the city so a proposed partition and future redevelopment at the Maple Lane Mall can proceed without cross-parcel utility conflicts.
The board on Dec. 2 authorized staff to hire Kyle and Associates to prepare legal descriptions and surveys of utilities at the Maple Lane Mall parcel so private utilities can be dedicated to the city prior to a planned partition.
Staff explained the mall’s utilities currently run across multiple private parcels; if the property is partitioned and ownership changes, shared private lines would create maintenance conflicts and limit redevelopment. Kyle and Associates was recommended because the firm already has survey work for the property and can deliver legal descriptions efficiently. Staff estimated three to four days of work at the stated hourly rate ($185/hour) and urged prompt action because the property owner has potential buyers for the eastern portion.
Board members discussed whether the property owner should share costs. The mayor and several members suggested a 50/50 split would be fair; staff said they would approach the property owner about sharing expenses but recommended moving forward regardless to avoid delaying redevelopment.
The board approved the motion to proceed with Kyle and Associates and accepted the shared-cost route as the preferred negotiating position.
Next steps: staff will request Kyle and Associates to prepare the legal descriptions and then return to the board with final costs and any agreement on cost-sharing with the property owner.
