Flathead Valley Community College trustees on Monday approved a package price of $757,272 for 8.8 acres of land and other considerations in a right-of-way deal needed for the Montana Department of Transportation to build Reserve Drive South.

At a special meeting Monday, President Jane Karas presented the details worked out during nearly two years of negotiations between the college and Department of Transportation.

Reserve Drive South will run from West Reserve Drive along the western border of college land starting behind Home Depot and continue behind adjacent businesses to intersect with Hutton Ranch Road. 

The draft right-of-way agreement calls for $444,000 ($50,000 per acre) for the land and improvements, plus other compensation:

• $120,000 for placement of about 55,000 cubic meters of waste dirt and the associated temporary construction permit.

• $14,500 for 250 plants, fabric, mulch and one growing season of general upkeep for landscaping.

• $102,330 to construct a berm.

• $25,000 for construction of an access road from a roundabout.

• $22,712 reimbursement for engineering fees the college has paid.

• $28,730 for design fees for city water and sewer extensions.

Other details of the draft agreement include designated places for the state to enter the college’s land during road construction to build three private approaches, plus a temporary construction permit period of two years.

Karas said the approaches include a curb cut on the north end of the road, the roundabout that provides access to a future connection to an existing college gravel road and an approach to a piece of “remnant land” that will be cut off by Reserve Drive South.

Karas compared this draft agreement to a buy-sell agreement.

“I think it’s a win-win for the department, the college and the community,” Karas said.

She added that the conditions of the right-of-way were subject to final review and approval of engineers and the college’s attorney.

To comply with legal requirements for selling district land, trustees first approved a resolution declaring the land had become unsuitable for college use since the department would condemn the property and build the road in the absence of this sale. A notice of this declaration must be posted for 14 days.

A second resolution passed by trustees approved the compensation package and terms of the right-of-way agreement pending the engineering and legal review and working out a final plan with the Department of Transportation. Karas said the 14-day posting period allows about enough time to accomplish these things.

 “It should work out to move things forward as quickly as possible,” she said. “I let DOT know we would fast-track this forward.”

The state plans to award a contract Sept. 22 for Reserve Drive South. Construction is expected to begin this fall and resume next spring when weather allows.

Trustees need to approve the final version of the plan and right-of-way agreement in a final resolution. They may hold a special meeting to vote by teleconference to avoid delay in starting work on Reserve Drive South during this construction season.

At the Monday meeting, trustees voted unanimously in favor of both resolutions. Trustees Mark Holston and Ralene Sliter missed the meeting while Trustee John Phelps attended by phone.

After the vote, Phelps told other members of the board that he had participated in several of the negotiating sessions with Karas and Department of Transportation officials. He gave the president kudos for the deal.

“I can’t say enough about what Jane has done for the college,” Phelps said. “We are in much better shape then we would be because of her skill in negotiating.”

At the last trustee meeting, Karas pointed out that the 8.8 acres of land in this sale represent a small percentage of the 209-acre college campus. It is part of 109 acres the college received along with $300,000 from a developer in 2005 in exchange for 25 acres of college land that fronted on U.S. 93.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at [email protected] .