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Land Bank Committee approves sale of vacant lot at 1820 Third Street for $1,500
Summary
The Land Bank Committee on July 21 approved the sale of a city-owned vacant lot at 1820 Third Street to an applicant who plans to build an owner-occupied, single-family home; the sale is subject to additional approvals and final City Commission sign-off.
At a July 21, 2025, meeting the Land Bank Committee voted unanimously to approve the sale of a city-owned vacant lot at 1820 Block of Third Street (Erie County parcel 57-03928.000) to an applicant who plans to build and occupy a single-family home.
The property disposition matters because it would return a vacant, tax-exempt parcel to private ownership, place the site on the tax rolls once developed, and relieve the city of recurring maintenance costs. The applicant will also be eligible to apply for the city’s residential tax abatement program described in the staff report.
City staff presented the application, saying Dennis Watson, who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, requested to purchase the parcel (formerly referenced as 1820 Third Street) to build a one-story, owner-occupied house for himself and his two sons. The submitted plan calls for a two-bedroom, one-bath home of about 1,157 square feet; staff said the planning division has reviewed a sketch and that full building plans must be submitted before construction. The lot is roughly 40 feet by 135 feet and is zoned R140 single-family residential, the staff report said.
Staff reported the city acquired the parcel via Resolution 010-13 R dated March 11, 2013, and later through tax foreclosure on April 19, 2017. The Erie County Auditor’s Office lists the unimproved parcel value at $8,230. The staff recommendation set the sale price at $1,500 plus closing costs, consistent with the city’s fair-market pricing strategy for Land Bank dispositions. Staff noted the parcel is currently tax-exempt; estimated annual taxes on the unimproved lot were given as about $115 and were said to increase after development. The city’s current maintenance cost for the lot was stated as approximately $250 per mowing.
Committee members asked no substantive follow-up questions on the record. A motion to approve the sale was made and seconded; the committee then took a roll-call vote. Jared Oliver, Stuart Hastings, Steve Fajali and John Orszak voted yes, and the motion carried. Staff said a purchase-and-sale agreement will be drafted and presented to the City Commission for final approval, and that the sale will include any deed restrictions tied to completion timelines or owner-occupancy requirements. The staff presentation also said the applicant hopes to begin work within 60 days of transfer and to complete construction within 12 months of transfer.
No competing offers, objections from neighbors, or public comments were recorded in the meeting transcript. The committee adjourned at approximately 2:07 p.m.
Next steps: city staff will draft the purchase-and-sale agreement and present it to the City Commission for final action; the buyer must secure all required permits and approvals from other departments, divisions or boards before construction begins.
