Idaho Falls to solicit highest-and-best offers for parcel adjacent to Pine Crest; CC&Rs must be cleared by seller

The Idaho Falls City Council on an administrative motion directed staff to solicit highest-and-best offers and return them to the council for review for a city-owned parcel adjacent to Pine Crest Golf Course, provided the selling party records amendments or otherwise clears the property’s CC&Rs before the city delivers title.

The parcel was donated to the city and staff said a March 2022 appraisal put a prior valuation near $1.9 million. A new appraisal completed in November 2024, after staff reviewed title restrictions, estimated the land “as is” at about $1.6 million assuming the CC&Rs are corrected, staff said. Kirkham Appraisals (Pocatello) conducted the updated appraisal, staff reported.

Why it matters: the parcel sits next to areas slated for redevelopment and council members debated trade-offs between selling the land to a private developer, holding it for future city uses, or using sale proceeds to support Parks & Recreation programs. Staff said proceeds from any sale would return to Parks & Recreation because the land was donated to that department.

Background and staff recommendation Staff reported that the property had been listed previously and that a cash purchase contract for about $2,000,000 fell out of escrow when title restrictions surfaced. Because the CC&Rs…