ASTORIA REAFFIRMS EXCESS PROPERTY SALES PROCESS

Recently some Astoria homeowners were surprised to learn some city-owned properties near theirs were being put up for sale.  Letters to adjacent property owners were generated as part of a change in the way the city disposes of property.  Prior to this year, city owned properties were typically sold only when a member of the public approached the city with an offer to buy.  In May of this year, the city council adopted the sale of excess city property as one of 13 goals for the fiscal year 2013/2014.
 

At this week’s City Council meeting, City Manager Paul Benoit said the city owns some 1300 properties, of those, 37 were selected as the first to be offered for sale under the new process.  Although offers have been written on some of the properties, Benoit said no sale can be completed without a public hearing.

 “At the required public hearing the council after hearing public testimony, can decide ‘We’re not selling this property’ or, ‘we’re going to sell it with conditions’, or they can just accept the offer.  The city council basically has the authority to do what they want with that parcel.  There’s no pre-determined deals made with Area Properties.  It’s all subject to the public process.”

 

Response from the public at Monday night’s meeting included the desire to preserve wooded areas and open space.  Concern was also expressed about geologically unstable land, leading to the council’s removal of a potentially vulnerable property from the sales list.  

City Manager Benoit asked the council for a decision as to whether to reaffirm the procedure for the sales.  Mayor Van Dusen and council members LaMear, Warr, Mellin voted to continue the process.  Drew Herzig voted against. 

Public hearings for the sale of properties with written offers have not yet been scheduled.  The Astoria City Council’s next meeting will be December 2^nd.