Thursday, OCTOBER 9, 2025 |
Photo – Edinburgh Project Update – Courtesy City of Rawlins
The City of Rawlins must secure a permanent easement from a private property owner before beginning work on Edinburgh Street.
During Tuesday’s Rawlins City Council meeting, the governing body considered a perpetual easement for public and right-of-way access to Edinburgh Street. The agreement is necessary for the City to fulfill its 6th Penny Tax obligation to reconstruct utilities, repave the street, and install a new stormwater drainage system beneath the deteriorating roadway.
City Attorney Pinita Maberry-Nave explained that the southern portion of Edinburgh Street, where it intersects with East Murray Street, crosses private property. Under state law, the City cannot build over or beneath the road without an easement from the property owner, Trails End and Western Trails Mobile Home Communities.
An easement is a legal right that allows an entity to use a person’s property for a specific purpose, even though they do not own it. In this case, the easement would allow the City of Rawlins and utility companies to install and maintain water lines, sewer pipes, and electrical cables across the road.
Attorney Maberry-Nave said the section of Edinburgh Street in question is in poor condition. Once the easement is finalized, the City can proceed with rebuilding the roadway, improving access for both first responders and residents of the mobile home parks.
Attorney Maberry-Nave said the next step in the easement process is for Trails End and Western Trails Mobile Home Communities to sell or give the property to the City. Afterwards, the land will be divided into three separate parcels.
Following Attorney Maberry-Nave’s remarks, the City Council unanimously approved a perpetual easement with Trails End and Western Trails Mobile Home Communities granting public and right-of-way access to Edinburgh Street. With the signed document in hand, the City can begin repairs to the street.
The Edinburgh Street project was originally estimated to cost $2.3 million. However, due to inflation, the current projected cost has risen by approximately 276%, reaching $8.65 million. With less than half of the necessary 6th Penny Tax revenue collected as of May 2024, Rawlins officials were worried that inflation would put the project permanently out of reach. Instead, the governing body voted to move $1.3 million from the City’s reserve account to the streets department and to use $1 million in unallocated impact assistance funds from the Chokecherry wind energy project for the repairs to Edinburgh Street.
The Rawlins City Council is expected to review contractor bids for the Edinburgh Street project at its next meeting, on October 21st.
