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Small-business owners at Tulagi Place raise eviction, communication concerns; economic development officials respond
Summary
Local business owners in Tulagi Place told commissioners they had been given short notices to vacate amid a potential property sale; county economic development staff said private negotiations control lease terms but that staff has engaged with tenants and the property owner to limit displacement.
Several small-business owners at Tulagi Place attended the May 12, 2015 Commissioners meeting to report they had received notice from their landlord that leases would end and that they had limited time to move. Business owners said the uncertainty was hurting their livelihoods and raised concerns about how county government and the Department of Economic Development had handled communication.
Commissioners asked department staff to clarify the county's role. Acting Economic Development Director Miss Finnecom and staff explained that the property in question is privately owned and that the county is not the property owner. Department staff said they had been in contact with tenants and with property owners who have been marketing the parcel for a number of years and that tenants had been on month-to-month leases; the owner recently informed tenants they would have a one-year period before any sale or redevelopment action.
Officials said county staff had been working to keep lines of communication open and were available to help tenants evaluate relocation options and to identify other vacant sites. The commissioners urged staff to assist small-business owners where possible and to provide clearer, proactive public information about property-status changes and county assistance. A county economic development manager said staff could show prospective alternative spaces ('the Roost' building, a former restaurant site and other parcels) and encouraged tenants to contact the department for help.
Separately during the same meeting the commissioners approved a letter of support for a local agritourism operation (Forest Hall Farm and Orchard) seeking state wayfinding signage and approved county participation in the MALPF matching funds program for agricultural easement acquisitions; economic development staff noted the agritourism program has specific eligibility criteria (e.g., property open for a minimum time each year and educational events) and encouraged other farms interested in signs to prepare to meet those standards.
What happened next Commissioners directed economic development staff to follow up with the Tulagi Place tenants to confirm current leases and to help identify relocation options. The board also asked staff to improve public notice and outreach so merchants can plan in advance rather than be surprised by notices of short-term lease endings.
Ending Commissioners said the county's role is limited with privately owned property but emphasized their interest in preserving local businesses and minimizing unintended displacement in commercial corridors.
