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Lennox council weighs purchasing 609 South Main for park use; asks staff for cost and moving estimates
Summary
Council discussed potentially buying 609 South Main Street (listed at $309,900) to expand park space, explored costs to move the existing house (previous local one-mile move cost cited at $12,000–$15,000), and directed staff to gather realtor and house-moving estimates and report back at upcoming meetings.
The Lennox City Council considered whether to pursue purchase of the property at 609 South Main Street as a potential addition to the city's park holdings and directed staff to gather additional information before any purchase decision.
Alderman Dorian Sweer placed the item on the agenda for discussion, noting the parcel has been listed for sale and that the council had discussed it previously in August and September 2024. The current listing price cited at the meeting was $309,900; a council member recalled the town had earlier proposed an offer around $285,000.
Council members and staff discussed options including buying the lot and moving the existing house to city-owned lots, selling the structure at auction for a moving buyer, or renting/repurposing the building while the city owns the parcel. One council member said a recent local move of a schoolhouse cost about $12,000–$15,000 (one-mile move) and noted larger structures and foundation removal would increase costs. City staff said they do not currently have an obvious on-town lot to place this particular house without setback issues, but they will check available city-owned parcels (for example, near the lift station on West 8th and land north of the T-ball field) as possible relocation sites.
Council members referenced Lincoln County GIS valuation figures mentioned in the meeting: a land value of $48,000 and another value listed as $190,000, with tax acreage reported at about 0.4 acres. Several members suggested the council could recoup some cost if the city sold the house after purchase and noted auction proceeds are likely to be modest.
Rather than approve a purchase at this meeting, the council asked staff to obtain realtor and house-moving quotes, check other cities' experiences (via the finance officers group), and report preliminary findings at the Dec. 8 meeting or, if not ready, the Dec. 22 meeting. No purchase authorization or vote occurred; the council did not commit city funds for the acquisition at this session.
