Oak Ridge council approves lease authorization and Parks & Rec recommendation for house at Linville Road

Oak Ridge — The Town Council approved a resolution authorizing lease or rental of the town-owned property at 8326 Linville Road and accepted the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board’s recommendation to place the home on the rental market under a property-management agreement.

The council first adopted a resolution declaring the property surplus to short-term town needs and authorizing staff to pursue leasing. Council removed a line in the resolution that had asked residents to report suspicious or inappropriate behavior to staff or law enforcement.

Parks & Rec recommended the town contract with a private property manager to lease the house under a 12-month term. Parks & Rec presented recommended terms to the council, including a security deposit equal to one month’s rent and an allowance for up to two pets subject to a pet deposit. The board recommended a privacy fence around the rear yard, estimating installation handled by park staff with an estimated cost the board stated in the meeting; council later approved a white vinyl fence at an estimated cost not to exceed $2,800.

Parks & Rec and staff also recommended routine park-staff lawn maintenance around the leased property. The council approved the Parks & Rec recommendation and the fence installation; council members said the rental income would reduce the town’s carrying cost for an unoccupied property.

What was discussed: Council members asked whether the recommended property manager would offer month-to-month leases (staff said the recommended manager uses 12-month leases) and whether park staff would maintain the lawn inside the fenced area (staff said mowing and routine maintenance inside the fence would be part of the lease terms if the fence were installed). Council members also noted the fence cost equals a portion of the expected rent months and accepted that trade-off to get the house occupied.

Numbers and clarifications: At the council meeting staff presented the Parks & Rec recommendations as part of a staff memo. The transcript captures the board’s recommended rent figure and some deposit amounts, but notation in the meeting transcript is garbled in places; staff documents will be the authoritative source for final advertised rent, exact deposit amounts and lease terms. Council voted to approve the Parks & Rec recommendations and to proceed with property management and lease placement.