Morro Bay City Council approves money for Highway 1 sewer site

The Morro Bay City Council has taken a major step toward buying 28 acres for a new wastewater treatment and water reclamation site.

The council voted unanimously Tuesday to enter into a memorandum of understanding with a local property owner to buy the land, which is about 1,500 feet north of the intersection of Highway 1 and South Bay Boulevard. The council also set aside about $300,000 for the purchase. The property, which the city refers to as the “South Bay Boulevard site,” is owned by Tri W Enterprises.

The deal won’t go through, however, until a final environmental impact report on the site is certified, and that’s expected to take place in November 2017.

“The purchase price will be fair-market value as determined by a licensed California appraiser,” Morro Bay City Manager David Buckingham said. “The property will be appraised around the time of the actual purchase. Based on recent comparables, we expect appraised value will be approximately $10,000 per acre or less. Thus, we expect the final purchase price to be around $300,000.”

At its June 14 meeting, the council identified the South Bay Boulevard property as the preferred site for the new wastewater treatment facility.

But the council now plans to proceed with plans to build the sewage treatment facility at the South Bay Boulevard site closer to Highway 1. Plans call for the first phase, the sewage treatment component, to be completed in June 2021.

The second phase, the reclamation system, is expected to be completed in 2023, but that schedule could be accelerated, Buckingham said.

“The South Bay Boulevard property was selected as the preferred site based on a number of factors, including suitability for water treatment and reclamation, location outside the flood and tsunami zone, and minimizing environmental impact and community acceptability,” he said.

The site is more than 1,300 feet from the nearest neighbors, and there has been no opposition to the idea, Buckingham said.

This story was originally published October 13, 2016 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Morro Bay City Council approves money for Highway 1 sewer site."