Commissioners debate swapping property and moving community center after floodplain and appraisal questions

Mayor and commissioners discussed a possible property exchange with property owner Nick Bishop that would move the planned community center from its currently designed site to a green-space parcel behind the depot.

The board reported conversations with Bishop, who told commissioners he might swap five parcels for the city-owned building and lot behind the depot if conditions were acceptable. City staff said an appraised value of the city property used for the swap would be $750,000 (per a recent appraisal the city has on file) while the five parcels listed on the county tax roll total about $293,000. Staff advised the swap would require declaring the city parcel surplus, obtaining contemporaneous appraisals, and drafting a written agreement showing the exchange is in the public interest, per guidance from MTAS (Municipal Technical Advisory Service).

Commissioners raised multiple concerns: an estimated $450,000 in increased design and construction costs to move the center; the need to raise build grade because parts of the Bishop parcels lie in the flood plain (staff said the site would likely need about 1 foot of fill; a core sample would cost a city estimate of $3,000–$5,500 to assess soils); the loss of roughly $400,000 of value if the swap were executed without cash equalization; and potential long-term land-use impacts if industrial activities remain adjacent to the visitor center. Staff noted the two small lots Bishop initially offered for parking are valued at less than $10,000 each per the tax rolls and that Bishop asked to reserve employee parking use on those lots; staff clarified any public parking owned by the city would be limited to private passenger vehicles (no tractor trailers).

Several commissioners said they preferred keeping the project on the currently designed site, citing minimal benefit for the added cost and floodplain complications. Staff noted the project could still move forward on the originally planned site: the portion of the building footprint would remain outside the floodway and the city already carries flood insurance through its insurer (PEP Partners). Staff offered to obtain an appraisal of Bishop’s parcels and to return with a cost estimate at the August meeting if the board wanted staff to pursue that option.

No formal vote was taken; staff were asked to bring back appraisal cost estimates and to place any required formal authorization on the August agenda.