Joe Drennan
Staff Writer

During the March 23 Columbus Township town board meeting Supervisor Tom Hefty indicated to town engineer Larry Bohrer that there might be some land owners in the freeway corridor that might be willing to sell a piece of land for two wells and a treatment building.

Prior to the April 13 meeting, Bohrer had picked out a triangular piece of property owned by the Priner family just north of Coates Trailers. The piece of land has a billboard on it along with the billboardís easement. Because of the billboard easement, an additional 30 feet of land to the south would be needed if the township was to construct two wells and a treatment building.

Bohrer looked at possible parcels of land that could house the wells and treatment building, finding willing sellers south of the current parcel as well as on the east side of the freeway.

ìWeíve been considering sites on the west side of the freeway because thatís where the water mains are going to be constructed first,î Bohrer said. ìIf there are properties on the east side of the freeway though that are willing to sell, that will work too because eventually there will be a well on the east side.î

Bohrer explained that the original plan had two wells on the west side of the freeway and one well on the east, but said it could go either way.

After presenting the board with the different options, Bohrer gave possible prices for the different pieces of land. Bohrer stressed that the prices he came up with were based on $5 per foot, but cautioned that the prices could be more than that after negotiating with the land owner.

ìWeíve got the property weíve been working so hard on,î Supervisor John Wallner said. ìNow weíre looking at other properties and I am a little confused. Why look at other properties when weíve got one ready to go?î

The township could construct one well on the land, or purchase the additional 30 foot strip of land on the neighboring property and put both wells and the treatment building on it. Bohrer said he has talked to the neighboring property owner and theyíve indicated that theyíre willing to negotiate to help the township continue moving forward on the water project.

ìI donít think itís bad to look around,î Supervisor Mark Walsh said. ìI think itís good to see what our options are, but weíve put a lot of time and effort into this one property and as Larry (Bohrer) said with the additional strip of land this property would suffice.î

Supervisors Hefty and Glen Miles asked many questions about other possible sites and wanted to know why another site might be better. When asked what the best possible piece of land would be, Bohrer said a half acre of high, dry land across the street from the Priner property that is owned by Larry Lyden would be the best piece. Bohrer said he had talked to Lyden in the early going of the project and Lyden indicated that he was in no way willing to sell the land.

It was suggested that the township could condemn that property, but Wallner asked if it would be a good idea to condemn a piece of property when there is already a willing seller.

Lyden was in attendance at the meeting and when the talk of condemning the property arose he stood up and said, ìIf you (the township) condemns that piece, Iíll get a lawyer and fight it. My property is worth nothing without that pice there. You have a piece of property right now that has no use other than a well so you might as well use that.î

After much discussion, a motion to proceed with the Priner property with the addition of the 30 foot wide strip was passed 3-2 with Hefty and Miles objecting.

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