The Milton City Council approved two land purchases Monday and authorized the city attorney to exercise eminent domain to acquire three additional pieces of property needed so the public works department can move forward with intersection improvement plans for a roundabout at Hopewell, Cogburn and Francis roads.

The city council approved purchasing 665 square feet of temporary construction easement for $500 and authorized spending $18,000 for 5,500 square feet of right-of-way and about 11,052 square feet of permanent construction and maintenance easement.

The city may have to evoke its power of eminent domain to acquire property at the southwest, northeast and northwest corners of the intersection. Two of the situations were what public works director Carter Lucas referred to as “friendly condemnation” where the city and landowner had come to an agreement of the price for the property but there were issues with the title that couldn’t be resolved in a reasonable amount of time. The city and landowner had not been able to agree upon a price for the property at the northwest corner of the intersection. However, Lucas said the landowner did submit a counter offer late in the afternoon before the city council meeting and the city may not have to file for eminent domain for the property.

“I believe that we may be able to come to an agreement,” he said.

Mayor Joe Lockwood commended the public works staff for working well with the landowners in trying to come up with fair market values for the properties.