A nuisance property at 1601 N. Fourth St. has been donated to the city of De Soto.
On Dec. 16, the De Soto City Council voted unanimously to accept the donation.
De Soto City Manager Todd Melkus said a property development company purchased the property within the past year to improve the neighborhood. However, the property is in bad condition and the developer decided it was not worth the investment and asked to donate and deed the property to the city.
According to Jefferson County Assessor’s Office records, a development company called 1601 N. Fourth LLC owned the property, and that company purchased it from Jason Lee Miller.
The city will wait three years before tearing down the house on the property and then selling the lot, according to De Soto’s agreement with the developer who donated it.
Also, during the meeting, Melkus updated the council on the Clarke Street project, which has been in the works since May, when the De Soto City Council awarded a $645,174.40 contract to Jokerst Paving and Contracting of Festus to complete asphalt overlay work along the entire length of Clarke Street, from Hwy. 21 to Main Street. The city received a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) through the East-West Gateway Council of Governments that will cover 80 percent of the cost, or $516,139.52. That leaves the city responsible for paying $129,034.88 for the project.
Melkus said the asphalt overlay part of the Clarke Street project is complete.
“There is still another portion (about 275 feet) where they will be tearing out a substantial part of roadway from Hwy. 21 up the hill almost to the second entrance of the Elks parking lot,” he said. “And what they are going to be doing there is putting in lugs (also known as pavement anchors) and (new) concrete to help avoid the rippling effect that you see there.”
Melkus said crews will have to close that section of the street for a few weeks, and motorists will need to detour around that area.
“We are going to be closing down the intersection at Clarke and Hwy. 21 so they can complete that portion in a shorter time,” he said. “They estimate it will take three weeks (weather permitting) to complete that portion, to where if we only shut down one lane at a time it would take a minimum of eight weeks. They are slated to begin right after the first of the year, so hopefully by the end of January, the project will be completed.”
Melkus also spoke to the council about recent changes to Main Street at Boyd Street.
He said a turn lane at that intersection was eliminated to add six more parking spots. Area business leaders requested the change.
“It was completed (Dec. 17), and when I went by there just now, all of the new six parallel parking spaces were being utilized,” he said.