Mayor: discussions with school district continuing on Taylor Canyon; no appraisal yet
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Summary
The mayor said the city is in talks with the school district about Taylor Canyon and is exploring options to preserve open space, but an appraisal has not been ordered yet and statutory surplus timelines constrain immediate action.
The mayor told the City Council the administration has met with school-district officials to explore options for Taylor Canyon, a property the council previously authorized exploring for acquisition and open-space use.
At the work session the mayor said the council had passed a resolution to explore purchasing the property and that administration-level conversations with the district have been "very healthy." He emphasized the need to coordinate capital planning across the city and the district because they share the same boundaries and taxpayers.
A councilmember asked whether the city had instructed an appraiser to value the property at its current zoning or as open space and whether legal staff would review statutory appraisal requirements. The mayor replied the city is not yet moving forward with an appraisal while it continues cooperative discussions with the school district; if the city moves toward an outright purchase it would then need an appraisal and would discuss whether to value by current zoning or as open space.
The mayor cautioned that statutory surplus property timelines and the district's internal decision processes constrain options and timing, and said administration will present options to the council rather than making final decisions alone. He framed the process as an effort to respect the school board's authority while looking for purchase or shared-use options that protect taxpayer resources.
Councilmembers also asked how a purchase would affect ongoing park projects. The mayor said the city has invested roughly $7.5 million in parks over the last several years, that Lester Park has a set-aside of about $2 million with a remaining need of about $4 million, and that spending appraised value on a property could affect other allocations unless the city can reduce or eliminate purchase cost through negotiated options.
No formal motion or vote on Taylor Canyon occurred at the work session. The mayor said staff will continue to coordinate with the school district and return to the council with options to consider.