The Charleston City Council passed the ordinance needed for Coles County Habitat for Humanity to build three houses on industrial zoned land at Tuesday’s meeting.

Habitat for Humanity asked the council for two zoning map amendments, a conditional use permit and two variances in order to build on the land located on the intersection of Locust Avenue and E Street. A local food pantry will also be able to build on another part of the zoned land.

The land currently holds a red barn that will be removed once construction gets underway.

“I always thought it was a huge piece of land. It could be spilt in three ways,” said Councilwoman Lorelei Sims during the meeting.

Molly Daniels, of Charleston, has worked for Coles County Habitat for Humanity and personally thanked the council for their support in the process.

“We are always looking for lots,” she said, ” something we need for homes.”

The food pantry and Habitat for Humanity both needed the land and, although separate entities “saw an opportunity for the two organizations to work together,” Daniels said.

Habitat for Humanity will officially own the land and let the food pantry have use of the property.

Although the organization needs some more time to finish a floor plan and come up with an official budget, there are plans to start working on the three lots later this month. Two families have already been selected and will be putting up two houses simultaneously with the organization, said Daniels.

Also approved during the meeting was a Local Agency Pavement Preservation (LAPP) agreement that would allow the city government to petition for federal money to help mill, repave and resurface parts of Sixth Street, Seventh Street and Jackson Avenue.

The council expects to use up to $100,000 on the repaving project. The damage to the streets was because of ” a major storm project” that ever since then “they were never the same,” said Mayor John Inyart.

The project is expected to start in the fall, sometime around late September, early October, and is expected to be finished in a matter of days. They will mill off the existing surface pavement and lay new asphalt on top of it.

“There will be plenty of public notice,” Inyart said. The roads should be open during the process.

Although the council has been planning on making repairs to the Waste Water Treatment Plant, in an emergency situation, the council approved a purchase for a secondary clarifier repair ahead of schedule because of the current tool’s poor shape.

“It was stated to be done in repairs done to the Waste Water Treatment Plant, but it can’t hold out that long,” said Inyart.

The current piece, which mechanical arm that allows the city to maintain the correct amount of sewage and is important to the treatment of sewage, is over 36 years old and is wearing out quickly.

The repairs for the clarifier will take place right away. The company that produced the original part will also be producing its replacement.

The plans to make repairs to the Waste Water Treatment Plant had been fixed by the council to take place in the next two to four years. Earlier at the meeting, the council awarded a bid from Ashbrook Simon- Hartley, from Houston, to fix the belt press and gravity belt thickener equipment for $101,787.

The next city council meeting will take place Tuesday, June 19 at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.

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