Willow Creek residents press city about Adamus property auction; staff say property zoned I-1 and any new use will require public process

Residents of Willow Creek Estates pressed city officials during the public-comment period about a vacant property adjacent to their neighborhood that the Adamus board placed on an online auction platform.

Stu White and several neighbors asked what the city knew about the property. City Manager John Russell said the Adamus board (referred to in meeting comments as the "Adamus board") is the current owner and had listed the site on a govdeals auction with an opening bid of $500,000; he said the city had submitted an offer in September that the board declined. Russell said the city had estimated roughly $600,000 to clean and prepare the property for redevelopment, and that the city would absorb that work if it pursued redevelopment in order to make the site viable for age-friendly housing or similar uses.

Aaron (planning staff) told residents the property is currently zoned I-1 (industrial). He said the building had lost any prior nonconforming social-service use because it had been voluntarily discontinued years earlier, so a prospective buyer seeking a different use would likely have to seek rezoning through the public process: planning commission review and, if recommended, city council approval. Aaron said the city had fielded calls from prospective buyers and planned to attend an open house on the 17th to gauge interest; he said one bid visible on the auction site was the minimum opening bid.

Attorney Chris (city legal counsel) told the audience that because the property no longer retains an active use, redevelopment would require permits and public review and that negotiation strategies by the city (for example, pursuing acquisition) could be discussed in executive session to avoid compromising bargaining positions with potential bidders. He said residents' voices would be heard in the public process and highlighted typical tools such as screening, buffering and setbacks to protect adjacent neighborhoods.

Aaron described the city's standard notification process for zoning applications: the city mails first-class notice to all property owners within 200 feet of the parcel's perimeter, and staff said they would also reach out to homeowners association leadership as a courtesy because the topic had drawn significant neighborhood interest. Residents were invited to provide contact information to staff for direct updates.

Council members said staff has been monitoring the situation since the building was vacated and would continue efforts to find a redevelopment path compatible with the neighborhood. No formal council action was taken on the property at this meeting; staff repeated that any change in allowed uses will require a public rezoning process.