Development Around Lost Creek Parkway Takes Another Step Forward

COLUMBUS - The Columbus City Council is helping development move along around Lost Creak Parkway with approvals made on Monday. The council approved two motions on Monday dealing with land near the Parkway. The first was "authorization to advertise for request for qualifications for engineering services to study how to best serve areas near Lost Creek Parkway with sanitary sewer utility." The study will look at how to best lay sewer in the area so that future development of the land can move along more smoothly. City Administrator Tara Vasicek said the motion came before the council after a request from Loup Power, who is purchasing and building a new facility on land near the Parkway and municipal airport. Mayor Jim Bulkley said during the meeting, that with Loup showing their support to help Columbus grow, they city is thankful and wants to support them in that process. Loup is building the new center, because their current service center lies in the direct path of the 12th Avenue Viaduct, that will be constructed after the 3rd and 18th Avenue Viaducts are completed. The second approval was for Flood Plain Assessment, to determine which areas are flood plains along Lost Creek. City Engineer Rick Bogus said the flood plain has changed since it was put in place, and this assessment will make development smoother. Bogus said some homes, or businesses, may be sitting on land classified as a flood plain, which is no longer a flood plain, and those issues will look to be fixed following the approval on Monday.