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Anna council authorizes acquisition of easements and grants power to pursue eminent domain if needed
Summary
Council authorized staff to acquire permanent and temporary easements needed for Mantua Parkway and a regional trunk sewer line, including language that allows negotiation and, if necessary, condemnation under eminent domain. Staff said the infrastructure will serve multiple developments and allow wastewater connections for nearby communities.
Anna — The City Council authorized staff to acquire permanent and temporary easements on a privately‑owned tract to build Mantua Parkway and a trunk sanitary sewer line, and authorized the use of eminent domain if negotiations fail.
Assistant City Manager Greg Peters said the request stems from the city’s development agreement obligations: developers are expected to obtain right‑of‑way and easements for public roads and sewer lines, but the agreement allows the city to step in and acquire them if the developer cannot. Peters said the sewer and roadway easements are regional infrastructure that will serve multiple developments and allow the neighboring town of Alstyne to convey wastewater to Anna for treatment.
The resolution the council approved described several tracts and easements (permanent right‑of‑way, permanent sanitary sewer easement, and temporary construction easements) and authorized the city manager, staff, contractors and legal counsel to acquire the property “by any lawful means, including but not limited to negotiations and, if necessary, proceedings in eminent domain.” Peters told the council the property is vacant and that staff recommends approval to avoid delaying critical public infrastructure.
Why it matters: the easements are required to complete roadway and wastewater infrastructure that serve the city and adjacent developments. Peters said the city would seek to be reimbursed by the developer for acquisition costs per the development agreement.
Council passed the motion to authorize acquisition and the potential use of eminent domain unanimously.
What’s next: following the council’s authorization, staff will commence negotiations with the property owner and prepare condemnation proceedings only if necessary; staff said the city intends to seek reimbursement from the developer per the development agreement.
For background: the action was tied to a recent development agreement for Mantua Parkway and trunk sewer work; staff described the parcels by survey identifiers and deed instrument numbers in the resolution.
