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Council members debate selling or leasing abandoned paper streets amid contamination concerns
Summary
Councilors asked why the city would dispose of certain abandoned street parcels after decades of reluctance; members and commenters pressed for environmental studies and suggested leasing contaminated parcels to avoid city liability.
Council members and speakers discussed a proposal to abandon and convey a portion of a street to private ownership and raised concerns about potential contamination and city liability.
An alderman noted that historically the city has been reluctant to convey property on request and questioned why the council was considering the transfer in this specific case. He said many parcels around the area have been or are being remediated and worried about the city taking ownership of contaminated land. “I don't think that it's in the city's best interest to possibly take ownership of contaminated land,” the alderman said.
The same speaker suggested leasing such parcels for $1 to private parties so the property is maintained and the city avoids potential liability while returning property to the tax rolls. The speaker argued the city should adopt a consistent process citywide for paper streets that are not going to be used and put them back on the tax rolls to create revenue, or else lease them to avoid contamination liability.
Council discussion also included a question about whether the parcel in question is contained in the whole street or only an isolated segment; an alderman asked for the environmental study status for remediation in the area. No vote or final decision to abandon, lease, or sell the named parcel was recorded during the remarks transcribed.
Speakers asked staff to supply more detailed environmental-study information and the legal analysis of liability before the council proceeds with conveyance or sale.
