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Council approves one-year Cook Farm lease, waives rent on southern acres for alfalfa conversion
Summary
Council approved a 2025 lease with farmer Kevin Finley for Cook Farm at Creekside Business Park: 39 acres north of 20 Seventh Avenue rented at $200 per acre, the southern acreage given free rent for 2025 to allow establishment of a grass-alfalfa mix.
The Austin City Council approved a one-year land-rental lease for Cook Farm at the Creekside Business Park that splits cropping use and temporarily waives rent on the southerly acreage to allow an alfalfa/grass conversion.
City staff recommended a $7,800 lease agreement with Kevin Finley for 2025 covering 39 acres north of 20 Seventh Avenue at $200 per acre. Staff explained that construction at Creekside reduced available row-cropping acreage; the proposal will leave row cropping on the north side while converting the south side of 20 Seventh Avenue to a grass-alfalfa mix to improve the lots’ marketability for future development.
Steven Lang, city staff, said the south side conversion requires upfront inputs that the farmer will pay, and the city is proposing to waive rent on that portion for 2025 because little or no crop is expected during establishment. Lang said Finley prefers a one-year lease and staff anticipates the city will continue working with him until the property sells.
After questions about whether a longer lease would be preferable, the council moved and seconded the resolution and approved it by roll call. The resolution passed unanimously in attendance.
Ending
The one-year lease is intended to prepare southerly lots for marketability while preserving agricultural use on the north side; the council did not adopt a multi-year commitment at this meeting.
