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Developer AutoArch expresses interest in 12.44‑acre city tract near Stafford Center; council opts to wait for staff study
Summary
AutoArch submitted a letter of intent to buy a 12.44‑acre city parcel southeast of the Stafford Center; council members and planning commissioners said zoning and an ongoing Stafford Center expansion study warrant tabling immediate action.
Stafford — Representatives of AutoArch presented a letter of intent May 7 proposing purchase and redevelopment of a 12.44‑acre city‑owned tract southeast of the Stafford Center. The council heard questions about price, zoning and the city’s own consultant study on possible Stafford Center expansion and took no immediate action.
Kevin Sabuni of AutoArch said the firm would pursue a mixed‑use project with single‑family units and neighborhood retail and that any sale would use fair market value determined by a third‑party appraisal. The AutoArch LOI referenced an offer figure of $2,000,000 while acknowledging an appraisal could set a different fair market value.
Council members and the public noted the property appears within an arts and education (A&E) zoning area intended historically for Stafford Center expansion and possible educational uses. A planning commissioner urged caution, saying the tract sits within an A&E zone “designed long ago so that the school could expand or the Stafford Center could expand,” and warned rezoning or a special‑use permit would be difficult to obtain.
Randy Kron, EDC president, told council the EDC supports keeping options open for the Stafford Center expansion and recommended waiting for the consultant report on the center before discussing any sale. Council members agreed to table the matter until the city’s Stafford Center study is complete and to have a joint conversation including the EDC and planning staff. No action was taken.
Public testimony and staff comments emphasized the need for due diligence: the property’s Central Appraisal District (CAD) value was cited in the meeting as about $2.9 million (city staff noted a CAD value for the parcel and an adjacent 12.79‑acre tract), and several speakers asked the council to consider the ongoing publicly funded study before disposing of city land.
Council took no vote on the LOI and directed staff to include the parcel and consultant findings in future joint discussions with the EDC and planning and zoning.
