Brian Payne
Columbus City Utilities will build an elevated water tank in southern Bartholomew County, with officials hoping to break ground in late May.
The Columbus Utility Service Board has approved a lease for a one-acre parcel at the former Walesboro airport. According to Columbus Municipal Airport Director Brian Payne, the initial term is 20 years, with two 10-year renewal options. The rate is $2,000 per year.
Board attorney Stan Gamso said that the lease-purchase agreement also gives the city the opportunity to buy the land, which he described as right behind Bartholomew County REMC and abutting South County Road 175W.
However, he added that there may be some difficulty in purchasing the ground.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would have to approve the transaction, as the agency wants to ensure that the airport and city are compensated appropriately, Payne said.
“We would need some more appraisals, and it’s more time, money and effort than we want to do for a 1 acre parcel,” he said.
“Roger (Kelso) and I talked about this,” Gamso told the utilities board. “And we thought, well, it might make some sense, because of the complexities of buying it and the need for FAA approval, we thought, ‘Well maybe we just ought to write the check, hire whoever’s necessary to help with the process so the airport doesn’t have to spend time doing that.’”
“What we’ll most likely do is start into actual purchase negotiations and how we go about them probably within the next six months, but it’s kind of uncertain exactly how long it will take,” said CCU Executive Director Roger Kelso.
There is a provision in the agreement that lease payments will contribute to the purchase price, he added.
According to CCU engineer Ashley Getz, farmland in the area costs about $50,000 an acre.
Kelso said in a previous interview that the Walesboro tank will likely serve the southern half of the city. The project is expected to cost just over $14 million and will be funded through State Revolving Fund bonds.
Construction will take about 18 months, depending on the weather, he said.
“It’s got a concrete pedestal and then a steel tank,” said Getz. “So they actually build the tank on the ground and then they raise it up.”
A booster station will be inside of the hollow pedestal. The finished product will be 172 feet tall, and the tank will be able to hold 2 million gallons of water, Getz said.
According to Manager of Business and Finance Jamie Brinegar, CCU hopes to have a groundbreaking ceremony at Walesboro in about a month.
“That’s going to be a significant project, not only for industrial areas but for the utility as a whole,” said Kelso.
