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Sewer hurdles rising higher

Costs, location concern panel

The alternative site where the sewage-treatment plant could be rebuilt across from Mercury has some major flaws.

The Durango Utilities Commission and members of the public pointed out some of the problems Monday after the release of a new report on the site by Mulhern MRE, a city consultant.

Although the utilities commission did not make a recommendation on the site near Sawmill Road, some of the members voiced negative opinions about the millions of dollars extra it would require to move the plant from Santa Rita Park.

The Durango City Council will take up the sewer-plant question again Tuesday and could make a decision about whether to move the plant based on the new information. The final decision could determine the future of the plant for the foreseeable future, City Councilor Dick White told the crowd.

“We have to look at this decision as essentially permanent,” he said.

The release of the report comes a week before November ballots will be mailed to voters asking them to approve a $68 million bond issue to fund both plant upgrades and additional construction.

The City Council approved the bond question but decided to wait for more information about alternatives to a plant remodel before making a final decision about how to spend the bond money.

The Mulhern report analyzed two variations on the same site. The first, a 13-acre parcel would require $19.5 million, in addition to the $58 million that the city estimates a remodel of the Santa Rita plant would require, said Mary Beth Miles, assistant to the city manager.

To acquire the site, the city would have to buy property from three owners, including the Jackson family, who have publicly announced the property is not for sale.

The second variation, a 13.36-acre parcel, eliminates the need to buy the Jackson family’s land and instead requires the city purchase property from four owners. The site would likely require the city to spend $18.9 million, in addition to the $58 million set aside for the remodel, Miles said.

The cost estimates sparked some heated discussion because the estimates are based on a larger plant than what the city intends to build.

The city has been basing its cost estimates on a plant that could process 4 million gallons a day, but the city plans to build a plant that will process about 3.2 million gallons a day, Miles explained.

“I think those numbers need to be recalculated and accurately given to the public,” said Dave McHenry, a resident.

The city has not recalculated the estimates for all the sites because it would likely artificially deflate the numbers, Miles said.

“The construction cost is likely to be more than the engineers estimate,” said City Manager Ron LeBlanc.

In September, the city estimated rebuilding the plant near Sawmill Road could increase the average monthly sewer bill to more than $70 by 2018. If the city remodels Santa Rita, the average bill could be $56.28.

“I don’t think the increase is worth the 6 acres of additional park space,” said Kara Hillige, utilities commission member.

Members of the public said problems with the site, aside from the high price tag, include its proximity to Rivergate Lofts and the Animas Surgical Hospital.

“I think it has to be looked at as inappropriate and destructive,” said Bruce Ristow, a resident.

George Richardson, a Rivergate resident and geologist, cautioned the city to analyze the site for geohazards.

“The real estate you’re dealing with is very fragile,” he said.

Several others hinted that legal action might be possible if the sewer plant was built on this site.

The company that owns the Rivergate Medical Center, Caddis Healthcare Real Estate, would reserve the right to sue the city, depending on how the plant affected its property, said Stacey Hascoe, the regional director for the company.

LeeAnn Jackson and the family’s lawyer, Nick Anesi, also outlined the family’s opposition to selling.

“There is no amount of money that can replace our property,” she said.

mshinn@durangoherald.com

Oct 14, 2015
A $68 million sewer question


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