Some Colman area residents are still wondering just how much an upcoming water and sewer line replacement project might displace them from their driveways, how much it may disrupt their daily lives, or when the project may start.
About a dozen people from the Southview Heights neighborhood attended a Colman City Council informational meeting this past Monday night to learn what they could — many of them, older residents who have lived in the area most of their lives without any disruptions.
They told Council members and the lead engineer on the project they understand that the water and sewer lines need to be replaced, but it means they’ll likely have to park their vehicles elsewhere at times and walk into their homes and neighborhood, which will be incredibly tough for some of them.
There is only one way in and out of the neighborhood overall, South Florence Avenue, and they’re not sure how they will best get to appointments, out for groceries, and anything else they may need to do day-to-day.
“I don’t want to leave my vehicle sitting out there somewhere,” said Shirley Van Dam, who was attending the meeting with friends and lifelong neighbors. “Our biggest thing is groceries in and out and leaving our vehicles sitting out there.”

Bonnie Spielman echoed her thoughts, stating that as long as there is a way out, she doesn’t care what sort of mess she might have to drive in. She just wants assurance she’ll be able to get to her front door with her vehicle.
IMEG Engineer Shane Waterman told residents a gravel bypass will be built to ensure the best access possible for everyone to get in and out of their homes, stating that everyone involved in the project understands just how challenging their entire neighborhood being torn up will be. There may be days, however, that some walking or assistance will be necessary.
The plan, he said, is to obviously get the project done as quickly as possible. Pipe work, once the roads are torn up, he told them, might only take a few days in each area. Temporary gravel will then be put down, and concrete and asphalt will follow.
But there are still questions as to when construction may begin.
Waterman told Council and the public that final approval from the state is the only thing holding things up at the moment. Once that happens, the project will be put out for bids and the work scheduled, but that could be yet this summer or late fall depending on the availability of contractors at this point in the season.
A late start could mean their neighborhood, south of Highway 34 and adjacent to the city golf course, could be torn up through the winter and wrapped up next spring versus yet this fall.
Complicating things if that happens, is another major Highway 34 construction project through Colman scheduled to start next spring.
“There’s no good way to do a construction project (like this), we’re going to disrupt things,” Waterman said.
The water and sewer upgrades are part of a multi-phase project funded in part by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Previous work to replace aging infrastructure has been done on the north side of Highway 34. This next phase, once done, will be followed by the rehabilitation of sewer lines west of the city, and as the Highway 34 reconstruction project progresses, the sewer systems crossing the highway will also undergo replacement Existing water and sewer lines, some even made of clay, date back 50 to 100 years.