The Water Plan for New Apartments Still Murky

The La Grange City Council met in a closed executive session Monday night, April 27, to discuss an economic development agreement with the La Grange Springs Apartments.

Groundwork recently began on the apartment complex located north of St. Mark’s Hospital at the corner of FM 2145 and US 77. The developers originally planned to acquire water service from Fayette Water Supply Corporation. At a City Council meeting on March 8, the developers said FWSC would not be able to supply water to the apartment. The developers requested water service from the City, but the City’s water lines do not extend that far north. At the time, Council agreed to consider their request. The discussion this Monday night was closed to the public. After the meeting, Mayor Janet Moerbe told the Record that the City has not reached an agreement with La Grange Springs. She said negotiations about cost sharing will continue. After the closed session, Council voted to hire BEFCO Engineering of La Grange to provide a cost estimate for running a water line to the City Limit, which ends at the south side of FM 2145, across the highway from the apartments.

“We haven’t committed to doing the water line,” Moerbe told the Record. “There is an advantage to the City for future anticipated growth in that direction, so it is in the City’s interest. We voted to get BEFCO to get an estimate to see what the cost would be.”

The apartments are located in FWSC’s service area. Moerbe said FWSC would have to grant the City permission to provide water to the apartments. She said the Council also instructed staff to negotiate a cost sharing agreement with La Grange Springs.”

“If we do the project, they will have to help with the cost of bringing it to the City Limits,” she said.

Moerbe said BEFCO’s preliminary engineering work would cost the City about $10,000.