Brandon council approves Ironwood parcel purchase after debate over appraisal and price
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Summary
After a lengthy debate over competing appraisals and the risk of setting a precedent, the Brandon City Council voted to accept a seller's offer and directed staff to draft a purchase agreement for the Ironwood parcel.
The Brandon City Council voted to accept a seller's offer and directed staff to draft a purchase agreement for an Ironwood parcel after councilors debated appraisal values, precedent and the potential cost of litigation.
Council members and staff discussed an appraisal the city commissioned that valued the parcel "about $166,000 and change," which staff said equated to roughly $2.85 per square foot for the raw land. Council members said the seller's offer equated to about $2.48 per square foot. Council considered three options: accept the offer, reject it and make a counteroffer, or proceed with condemnation and litigate the value. Legal counsel explained condemnation procedures and said a jury can assess value based on testimony and appraisals; she estimated litigation and expert fees could run from tens of thousands up to perhaps much higher depending on appeals.
"I'm not very comfortable with that sort of situation," one councilor said during debate, adding that accepting the seller's price without a matching appraisal "sets us up for a precedent of anytime we need land we take whatever the landowner tells us they want." Another member urged caution about the cost and time of litigation, saying delaying the project and litigating could push total expenses well above the offer.
After discussion a councilor moved to accept the seller's option (described in the packet as "option number 1"); a second was recorded and the motion was approved in a roll-call vote. Council then directed staff to prepare a purchase agreement and return with a closing date and related documents.
Councilors emphasized the decision balanced project timing and public-safety needs against concerns about price and precedent. Staff noted the perimeter project is planned to improve access and that construction bidding documents are roughly ready; delaying acquisition could affect the schedule.
Next steps: staff will draft the purchase agreement, present it to the seller for signature and set a closing date; council will be updated at a subsequent meeting when final sale terms and closing logistics are available.
