Irene Weber’s children used to ride horses on the family’s wooded lot on Albert Lea’s east end; when the kids moved out, she and her husband decided to preserve the patch of apple and pine trees as a small nature reserve.

Thursday, November 29, 2001

Irene Weber’s children used to ride horses on the family’s wooded lot on Albert Lea’s east end; when the kids moved out, she and her husband decided to preserve the patch of apple and pine trees as a small nature reserve.

So, when the City of Albert Lea came knocking this summer with the aim of running a water-tower service road across her land, Weber was distressed.

&uot;It’s full of wildlife,&uot; said Weber, who is a member of the Audubon Society. &uot;It would have been a shame to destroy it.&uot;

Weber’s son, Donald, hired a lawyer after the city made its intentions clear, and this week, the city yielded, choosing instead to build the new water tower near the new Home Depot store instead.

When the city wanted to build its fifth water tower, with the aim of boosting water coverage in the northeastern portion of the city, it chose the site near Weber’s house because it would have been visible from the freeway and was at the right elevation. All city towers must be at the same elevation for the water system to work properly, said City Manager Paul Sparks.

The city offered what they said was the assessed value of the land, but Weber’s son said the family was concerned the tower would hurt the area’s property values.

&uot;The value of the property was going to be affected,&uot; said Donald Weber, Jr. &uot;But the city was saying, ‘no, it will not.’&uot;

The Webers made a different offer, which Sparks said was several times the city’s planned expense. Donald Weber said the family was just trying to get the best deal, but that the city never made a counter offer.

The city’s attitude – which Donald Weber described as &uot;cavalier&uot; – bothered him throughout the process, he said. The family asked the city why they couldn’t choose another site.

&uot;We simply asked for an explanation of why that wasn’t possible,&uot; Donald Weber said. The family never got one. In August, the city was prepared to condemn the land and force Weber to sell.

Thanks the the threat of court costs and the emergence of an alternate site, however, the plans were changed this week. The family is glad the city has chosen a new site.

&uot;There’s a lot of emotion involved,&uot; Donald Weber said. &uot;This is property my mother and father have owned for over 50 years.&uot;

&uot;I think their choice now is a very wise one,&uot; Irene Weber said. &uot;I think they’ve selected a spot that will not only be better for that area, but it will also be visible for the city.&uot;

The tower, which will be constructed in the spring, will bear an Albert Lea city logo and the phrase &uot;Southern Gate,&uot; referring to the city’s position at the southern edge of the state, Sparks said.

&uot;In a way, it is a very tall billboard,&uot; Sparks said.