Unnamed firm may develop former Jensby truck lot

While a formal announcement has not been made, it appears something is a brewing along Superior’s West Third Street.

Monday evening the Superior City Council agenda included two items related to a potential Third Street Development.

The council again delayed action on a request to close the alley which runs north and south through the block bordered by National Street on the east and Colorado Street on the west. The alley connects Second and Third streets. The block was earlier cleared by the owner of an automobile agency and long used for the sale of motor vehicles, the most recent operator being Jensby Truck & Trailer Sales.

When addressing questions related to the operation of the utilities departments, the council was asked to approve sliplining the sanitary sewer which serves that block.

A retail business planning to develop the north half of the of block has apparently requested the city relocate the natural gas, sewer and electric lines which were located in the alley. However, the relocation of the sewer line proved to be cost prohibitive because of the depth and complexity of the move. Instead, it was determined the most cost-effective solution involved slip lining. In recent years, the city has been slip lining about seven blocks of sewer per year. It has not yet done the portion by the former truck lot.

Monday evening, the council approved proceeding with the plan to slip line the sewer in question from Fourth to Second streets.

In other utility related issues, the council approved returning the electric department to a four-person department. Though it hasn’t been in recent years, it had previously been staffed with four people. Andrew Brittenham said there has been times when a shortage of workers had either forced the department to borrow an employee from another electric company or shut off a larger area of town while repairs were being made.

Jonah Mattson joined the department on Tuesday. He is a graduate of Kansas lineman’s school and has limited experience working with a Kansas utility.

Derek Clark, the head of the city’s planning department, reported those citizens attending a public meeting held last week to discuss possible sidewalk improvements overwhelmingly favored improving the Eighth Street route to the schools. When the project grant was obtained, it was planned to improve the Sixth Street route. Clark said he was now checking to see if the project could be moved from Sixth to Eighth streets.

The council approved a resolution requiring a property inspection before providing utility service if the service had been disconnected for more than 12 months. The original proposal submitted to the council allowed 18 months but members of the council indicated they preferred a maximum of 12 months before requiring an inspection. The inspection is to determine if it is safe to restore service.