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9.2.04 M.U.D. gets OK to condemn land for pipeline The Metropolitan Utilities District on Wednesday got the authority to condemn up to 15 parcels of land for construction of pipelines needed for a new $300 million water plant southwest of Omaha. The utility's board voted unanimously at its monthly meeting to give staff the right to condemn about 50 acres for the needed easements. Dan Crouchley, senior vice president and general counsel, told the board that the utility is negotiating with property owners and hopes to avoid condemnation. The staff, he said, wants to have the authority in place if negotiations break down. The goal, he said, is to keep the project on schedule so that the plant can begin providing water by the summer of 2008. The utility is building an approximately $300 million water treatment plant and well field using water from the Platte aquifer. The expansion will increase M.U.D.'s capacity by about 40 percent, providing enough water to meet demand in the metro area for at least 30 years. Easements to 19 parcels of land are needed for two pipelines. Four of the 19 have agreed to the amounts M.U.D. offered. Crouchley said that the easements would cost a total of $200,000 to $250,000 and range in value from $3,500 to $43,000, depending on the size and location of the parcel. Among those owning land that M.U.D. wants to use is lifelong farmer Dwayne Donahoo. M.U.D. is seeking permanent access to about 1.5 acres of Donahoo's farm and temporary access to another 1.5 acres. Donahoo said the issue for him isn't so much money as it is losing a piece of ground that has been in his family more than 100 years. "I guess this is one of those things in life that comes through and you have to put up with," he said. The general path of the pipelines would be along Q Street from the Platte River area to 216th Street and then north to West Center Road. |
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