ITEM TITLE:
#17-48 - Authorizing the Sale of Lot 11, Block 7, Robe River Subdivision for Public Sale by Sealed Bid
SUBMITTED BY: Paul Nylund, Senior Planner/GIS Technician
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve Resolution # 17-48, authorizing the sale of Lot 11, Block 7, Robe River Subdivision for the purpose of public sale by sealed bid.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
In 2010 the City acquired, through the process of foreclosure, Lot 11, Block 7, Robe River Subdivision. The parcel is zoned Residential Mobile Home and is not dedicated to any public use. The 16,120 ft² lot was appraised within the last year and was cleared for sale via title insurance on February 7, 2017. The Finance Department, which handles the foreclosure processes for the City, has also approved the land sale.
The sale of Lot 11, Block 7 as a residential lot is harmonious with the land use goal as specified in the Valdez Comprehensive Plan and meets the goal and objectives as listed below:
Goal - Land Use: Provide a community land use pattern that is compatible with existing land use patterns in the community, which is physically safe, environmentally sensitive, and consistent with the provisions and requirements of the Valdez Coastal Management Program.
Objective: Provide for the adequate separation of incompatible land uses.
• The adjacent parcels are zoned residential mobile home and are served by City water for residential development.
Objective: Encourage the development of lands within the city through regulation and through the disposal of city lands.
• Through the process outlined in the Valdez Municipal Code, City Council has the authority to dispose of real property by public auction or by sealed bid.
Much like the rest of the state, the City of Valdez is facing a great need for residential development. Although this sale is only a drop in the bucket toward the need to open up land for residential development, it is a step in the right direction. It is staff’s and the Planning & Zoning Commission’s recommendation that Council disposes of Lot 11, Block 7, Robe River Subdivision for the purpose of public sale by sealed bid. The starting bid for the parcel will be set at the appraised value which has been determined to be $35,000 by a third-party appraisal dated October 19, 2017.
At their regular meeting on May 10, 2017, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved a recommendation to Council to dispose of Lot 11, Block 7, Robe River Subdivision for the purpose of public sale by sealed bid.
This parcel was unsuccessfully put up for sale by sealed bid on August 7, 2017. The sale was advertised in the Valdez Star for 4 consecutive weeks beginning August 9th, 2017. The sale was also posted on the City of Valdez website for the entire open bidding period, but there were zero bids submitted.
The City is putting the property up for bid a second time. The reason this sale requires a new Resolution is that the original appraisal had expired. The process by which the City can sell land is outlined in Valdez Municipal Code, which requires an appraisal to be within a year of the land sale. A copy of the section of the Municipal Code that describes the process is attached for review by the Council. The sale will again be advertised for at least two consecutive weeks in the local newspaper and will be posted on the City of Valdez website.
In addition to the conventional required posting and notifications of this land sale, we will be utilizing a wider variety of advertising avenues to attract bids on this property. This is to include social media outlets like Facebook, and public bulletin boards around Valdez.
Bid packets will be available at the Community Development office starting December 11, 2017 at 8:30AM, the bidding will be open for more than 30 days, and submitted bids will be opened in the Valdez City Council Chambers at 1:00PM on January 15, 2018.