Portsmouth council to negotiate sale of 2.95‑acre parcel adjacent to Suffolk fire station

City Manager Steven Carter told the Portsmouth City Council at a May 13 work session that staff will begin negotiations over the potential sale of a 2.95‑acre city parcel adjacent to Suffolk Fire Station No. 4 in Suffolk.

The property, along the 800 block of Lake Kilby Road in Suffolk, is currently zoned rural‑estate and is legally nonconforming, Carter said. An appraisal reported market value at $90,000 and the assessor’s value at $84,900; the appraisal listed an estimated exposure time of about three months and used comparable lots in the area.

Carter framed the presentation as informational rather than persuasive: "This is not a persuasive presentation, but one that just presents the information," he said. He outlined three options for council: authorize staff to negotiate sale terms, decline the offer, or defer and request more information.

Council members discussed land use, neighborhood context and financial tradeoffs. Councilman Dodson said the parcel has limited municipal use and favored selling: "If we can get some money for this property, it has absolutely no use for us. Let's get rid of it quickly and get all the benefit we can get out of it," he said. Other council members noted potential goodwill and intergovernmental leverage if Portsmouth agrees to the sale, and asked staff to explore deed restrictions or first‑refusal language to protect city interests.

Staff told council Suffolk had paid for the appraisal and indicated it intends to use the parcel as a temporary construction site while building a larger fire station immediately adjacent to the lot Suffolk already owns. Carter said staff would research the appraisal, develop sale terms and any deed restrictions with the city attorney, and return to council with proposed documents and a recommended asking price.

No formal vote occurred; the council expressed willingness to continue negotiations and directed staff to proceed and bring back a negotiated agreement for formal approval.

Council members asked staff to identify any other Portsmouth‑owned parcels in neighboring jurisdictions and to confirm the property’s legal status and environmental review. Carter said staff found no known legal or environmental issues and that the parcel is grandfathered as legal nonconforming because it measures just under the three‑acre minimum required by current rural‑estate zoning.

The matter will return to a future council meeting when staff presents proposed sale documents, recommended price and any deed restrictions for council action.