The Morning Blend
Welcome
Complete Media Kit
Herald/Review
SIERRA VISTA — A public hearing item regarding possible acceptance of warranty deed dedications from local developer Bella Vista Ranches has been removed from today’s City Council agenda.
Bella Vista Ranches had thousands of acres in this area about 50 years ago.
Now very little of that acreage remains undeveloped.
|
|
During Tuesday’s council work session, Judy Gignac, general manager of Bella Vista Ranches, told the council why the company is asking the city to accept into its right of way and maintenance eight small parcels that remained undedicated during various development processes through the years.
Gignac and City Manager Chuck Potucek said it is a problematic issue.
It is problematic for the city because some future cost must be associated with city acceptance of these land scraps.
For Bella Vista, it is a problem because the company still pays taxes on these land scraps that were left undedicated during development in years past — before such setbacks and washes were required by code to be dedicated as public right of way during any typical development.
“It’s hard to say that this is a great deal for everybody,” Potucek said.
Gignac agreed.
If such a time arrives that all of Bella Vista Ranches property is disposed of and the company is dissolved, which likely is a market inevitability, the city would probably end up having to take care of these land scraps anyway, Potucek said.
If the parcels were abandoned, the county or the state would presumably take default possession of them, but the city and its residents would be the ones who would still have to deal with it on a day-to-day basis, Potucek said.
“I’m not sure we could avoid helping them out regardless of who the land belongs to at that point in time,” Potucek said.
Potucek recommended council approval “somewhat begrudgingly.”
“But we need to clean this up, and ultimately the city’s going to be responsible,” he said.
Mayor Bob Strain said he was initially inclined for approval on this issue as well, but after some questions were raised, council agreed more time is needed to consider before the vote.
One parcel, which comprises Carmelita Wash south of Carmelita Drive and west of Seventh Street, is of some value, but there’s also some maintenance cost. “I am not comfortable with this at all, for budget reasons,” Councilwoman Stephanie Prudence said.
Prudence said she thought City Attorney Stu Fauver should lend an opinion to the council before the vote.
If the city does refuse to take the parcels into municipal maintenance and right of way, Bella Vista Ranches still would not haphazardly abandon these parcels, Gignac reassured the council and staff.
The city staff removed the item from this week’s agenda to give council more time to consider its decision.
Herald/Review reporter Gentry Braswell can be reached at 515-4680 or by e-mail at gentry.braswell@svherald.com.
shuni wrote on Apr 18, 2008 12:11 AM: