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photo by Adam Huening
City Ponders Future of Old Warehouse Lot
Brick by brick, piece by piece, the historic Johnson Warehouse was demolished in May earlier this year. On Thursday, the city’s Board of Works gathered together for a special meeting to discuss the future of the lot that once was home to the structure.
The destruction of the building had been planned for years, and complaints about it facilitated the need for the city to step in. Now, the vacant lot sits silent waiting for its next owner.
According to Mayor Gary Herbert, the city had the option to purchase the property. A few years of taxes had not been paid, and there were still penalties and other fees owed, city attorney Matt Bailey explained.
If the property is not sold at tax sale, the county would sell it for the best price they could get.
But one major hurdle still had to be cleared by the board. The environmental status of the property was still in question.
Board member Bill Wenning expressed his interest in buying it back, but was leery of the potential environmental damage that still may rest there. The building that had previously rested on the lot once held asbestos and several underground tanks.
Herbert pondered the idea of leasing the property, but concerns with ownership and liability still persisted. Herbert was not sure he was willing to take the chance, which could result in a loss of money for the city. He noted that if the property was ever deemed to be seriously contaminated, the city should not bother with it.
Board member Steve Simmonds suggested not buying the lot without first obtaining the information that would be gained through an environmental assessment. Planning and zoning director Kathy Reynolds added she could ask for quotes from companies that could perform the assessment.
Bailey agreed that a preliminary environmental assessment would be a good thing.
“Maybe it’s not that bad,” he said of the actual contamination.
Herbert claimed that he did not want to gamble with taxpayer dollars. The Board of Works did unanimously agree to approve spending up to $3,000 for a preliminary environmental survey.
Bailey noted that once permission was obtained from the property owner, an environmental assessment could begin.
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