Monona Council approves annexation of property in Kwik Star area
Plans also in works to extend sewer, water
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
At a Nov. 5 special meeting, the Monona City Council officially approved the annexation of six parcels of real estate adjacent to the city’s southwest boundary, on the south side of Highway 18/52 and west of Falcon Avenue, into the city limits. All necessary paperwork will now head to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office for final confirmation.
Three property owners—representing the six parcels—had requested voluntary annexation. That included Kwik Star, which originally prompted the conversation due to plans to expand at its location just off Highway 18/52.
The go-ahead came just three days after the council, at its Nov. 2 regular meeting, approved an engineering services agreement with Veenstra & Kimm, Inc. (V&K) to prepare preliminary design plans/specifications for water and sewer extension to the area.
Kwik Star plans to expand onto property next door, where TJ’s Pizza is currently located, but can’t close on the property until both annexation and a developer’s agreement with the city are complete. (TJ’s Pizza is moving to a new location in downtown Monona.)
“But in order to get that moving, we need to get plans for what this is going to cost,” said Monona City Administrator Barb Collins. “They don’t want to buy property without knowing we’re going to put sewer over there.”
Annexation, she stated, should be approved by the state within 10 days. “Then we can work on the developer’s agreement stating that it’s our intention to go ahead and put the water and sewer over there and it’s their intention to expand and how we’re going to pay for this.”
According to the city, the utility work would include the extension of an 8-inch diameter sanitary sewer from a manhole north of Highway 18/52 and northwest of Oak Street, then southeast to the west end of Oak Street, southwest to Highway 18/52 to the south side of Highway 18/52, then southeast along the south side of Highway 18/52 to the west side of Falcon Avenue. The design plans/specifications would also cover the extension of an 8-inch diameter water main from the existing water main located at the west end of Oak Street, then southwest across Highway 18/52 to the south side of Highway 18/52, then southeast along the south side of Highway 18/52 to the west side of Falcon Avenue.
The total estimated cost of field work and design services was quoted at $87,000.
“We’ll have to have expenses up front, and do this before they can do their part,” Collins said. “[Kwik Star’s] costs are going to be smaller up front, then once it gets into the project, they’ll get bigger.”
Collins said the water and sewer extension project will be put out for bid in early spring. Work should take about three months to complete.
“The only thing Kwik Star would have to do is tear down the pizza place because that’s where the water and sewer would be going through,” she added. “They want it completed by September of 2021.”
Kwik Star would start construction in early 2022, and Collins said most of the expansion project can be done without closing the current building.
