Once in a while the city finds itself with property that is
more valuable to another property owner where a trade in lands makes
sense. This doesn’t happen often. It has occurred now on two occasions in the
last couple of years. The first time it
occurred there was some confusion about public improvements and ownership of
property. There may also have been an
issue with an owner that couldn’t be found.
The result was a trade of lots that resulted in a benefit to both
parties.
Recently a situation occurred with a property owner who
owned two lots that were separated by two lots owned by the city in between.
The property owner has a home on one lot and the other is vacant. He wanted to
build a garage on this other lot but as a non-contiguous property they could
not be combined. The city does not allow
for the construction of accessory buildings such as garages without a home on
the site. Without this rule the city
would probably look similar to a storage facility with garages all over the place.
The property owner requested to purchase the two lots the
city held. The property held by the city
was reserved for parkland so it is not for sale. The property owner came back with another
suggestion which was a great idea. He
suggested he trade the lot the city holds next to his home in exchange for the
vacant lot he owns. He was willing to
pay all the expenses associated with the trade.
This was a win-win for both parties. The property owner will get a lot that is
contiguous to his home which when combined allows him to build a garage. The city retains the same amount of space in
lots that is currently held after the trade.
The change in lots provides for a better configuration of lots with a proposed
garage being a buffer from the future parkland use. The resulting lots the city holds better fits
the parkland configuration of other lands held by the city.
The city council approved the trade in lots and we’re now in
the process of making that transaction.
