The West Babbitt Development has broken ground and begun grading the land off Central Boulevard, west of Mulberry Lane.
Once developed, the lots will have “two new streets with oversize residential lots, an eight-acre multiple unit housing lot, and all infrastructure and utilities provided for new residents to build easily,” according to the West Babbitt Development Project Bonding Committee handout.
On Tuesday morning, members of the city council met with Jason Chopp, project engineer, for updates on the development process. The meeting ran a little under 30 minutes.
Contracting crews have installed a force water main to artificially lower the water table and make installing water pipes easier.
This phase of the project entails leveling the site, excavating a pond just past the site’s tree line, and properly channeling stormwater and drainage.
The city is in the process of authorizing contractors to use “city-provided material,” which will be decided in a special meeting on Thursday, May 7 at 5 p.m.
The project still needs of 20,000 yards of material to help build up the ground. South of the site, there is a lot used as a buffer for the wastewater treatment plant; the city is unable to develop this land but could offer to sell it as material.
Soil and Environmental Health has approved the removal of the material, “the material was tested and good… the contractor is responsible for erosion control around the site, and they cannot remove trees over three inches in diameter, and the site must be reasonably restored to an original condition the city is agreeable to.”
Previously, the council had moved to sell the material to Rachel Contracting at $3 per yard.
Rachel Contracting would also be responsible for restoring the land after excavation.
The infrastructure phase will be complete, with the lots being available for sale to builders by the fall of 2026
