Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
About 150 area people attended the Sentinel Real Estate Town Hall meeting at the Sagebrush in Kimball last week.
The Air Force will upgrade the Minuteman III missile system in four to five years. The system comprises 150 launch facilities, 15 missile alert facilities, existing utility corridors, and new lines for communications, including communication towers.
The U.S. Air Force and Army Corps of Engineers met with local landowners to further explain the Sentinel project and the acquisition of real estate for the project.
According to Air Force officials Col. Chris Stoppel and Chief of Operations Joseph Coslett, they know more about the project, and they want to share the information.
Individual landowners were able to look at the maps and see whether or not they would be affected. The Air Force always warns that changes may occur to the existing plans.
Affected landowners will receive a letter informing them that the Army Corps of Engineers would like to negotiate an easement agreement, and a phone call will follow. The U.S. Corps of Engineers is the primary execution agent for conducting land transactions with private landowners. Most of the easements will be a temporary construction easements, according to officials.
At the town hall meeting, stations were designed for landowners to learn about the appraisal process, how negotiations actually work, and actual location information.
Previously, the Air Force had conducted engagement meetings explaining the Sentinel project, the reason why the Minuteman III weapons system is being redone, and the infrastructure projects that might affect the community.