CANNON BEACH — The city has reached an agreement with the Cannon Beach Conference Center regarding an easement for a new water reservoir set to be constructed on their property.

The current water tank is not seismically updated. Karen La Bonte, the city’s public works director, said a new, seismically resilient water reservoir was crucial to ensure vital drinking water would not be lost during an earthquake.

In February, the City Council had voted to seize the property through eminent domain after a lengthy delay in negotiations with the conference center.

“It boiled down to a disagreement about what the conference center attorney and board members felt the land was worth,” La Bonte said of the delay in an email to The Astorian. “And the reality that the multiple appraisals revealed.”

The parcel of land, located above the public works yard, is owned by the conference center but is not connected to the main compound utilized by the organization for Christian retreats and conferences.

The conference center had initially asked the city for $100,000 for the easement. Three appraisals were done, with the highest being estimated at $26,000.

Because the water resiliency project is funded by federal loans, the city was required to give the conference center a final 40-day notice that included the last offer on the table before filing for a court date.

“Within that 40 days, the attorney for the conference center agreed to a settlement amount of $34,500,” La Bonte said.

Though construction was postponed due to the easement agreement delay, engineering for the tank should resume soon and could be completed by the end of the year. Construction is set to begin in 2025.

The new reservoir will look similar to the current one, but will have reinforced walls that meet all seismic requirements for a drinking water reservoir.

“Now that the easement is secured, hopefully it will not impact the project going forward,” La Bonte said.