West Point to subdivide city park

BY CHUCK VANDENBERG

PCC EDITOR

WEST POINT - City officials in West Point will be subdividing a park on the city's west side after attempts to sell the park earlier this spring failed.

At Monday's West Point City Council meeting, the council voted 5-0 on a recommendation from Mayor Paul Walker to subdivide the park into three equal parcels and then take sealed bids on the properties again after the property abstract had been brought up to date.

City Administrator Gary Menke, who was absent from the meeting, had told Walker as a result of a penalty that had been put in place as part of the original bidding process at the park governing what the land would be used for, some people turned away from purchasing the property. The park currently has a fenced ball field with lights and some playground equipment and a few structures.

"We met as a committee on the park and since we didn't get any response on the last sale of it, we came up with a recommendation to divide the property into three equal lots and those will be made available for sale by sealed bid again. You can buy one, two, or three, however you want," Walker said.

He told the council if there was still no interest in the property, the city would would divide it out and treat it like South Park and if someone comes in and wants to buy a lot, the city would have a price set for each parcel.

"We did ask for a trade off last time, with a penalty and that scared some people off, according to Gary," Walker said. "That was one of the things they were scared of, as well as the price of lumber skyrocketed and they didn't want to get stuck with that."

Walker said there will be a three-year abatement on any increase in value to the property.

"If you were to build say a $180,000 house out there, you wouldn't pay any tax on that for three years," he said.

City officials were hoping that construction would take place on the property once it sells so property tax dollars would be realized after the abatement.

In other action, the council

- approved 5-0 a 5K Pajama Run for the Holy Trinity Catholic High School volleyball team from June 2 in West Poin.

- approved a request to have a city-wide garage sale on June 9.