CARIBOU, Maine — Caribou City Manager Dennis Marker confirmed during a Sept. 10 City Council meeting that the owners of two properties on the significantly damaged River Road accepted offers from the city to buy the homes.
Councilors approved the two offers during an Aug. 13 meeting and, after a lively discussion regarding how much the city should pay for one of the properties, ultimately agreed to buy the property at 153 River Road for $20,600 and the one at 163 River Road for $61,000. These figures, according to city officials, are based on the homes’ assessed value.
Rain and runoff in April ate away at the soil underneath and undermined the integrity of the roadway, which runs parallel to the Aroostook River. The damage forced the closure of a section of the road and city officials are working with homeowners in the affected area as they strive to figure out how to repair or move the roadway away from the river.
Marker said Tuesday that the city plans to buy two additional properties on the River Road and that officials also anticipate hearing back from an engineering firm assessing the road damage within the next two weeks.
The city manager plans to bring the firm’s findings to the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting on Oct. 9, at which point councilors can determine the best options moving forward based on the new information.
The councilors also will begin work on the 2019 budget next month.
