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Commission rejects lone floodplain lot donation, opts to revisit with adjacent properties
Summary
Commissioners debated accepting a narrow 2,951 sq ft flood‑plain lot donated by an elderly resident; the motion to accept the lot by the land bank failed on a 3–1 recorded vote, and the commission approved a follow‑up to consider accepting that parcel along with adjacent lots at the next land‑bank meeting.
The commission considered a donation of a small, narrow lot at 0 Block North B Street from Loretta Adams and split over whether the land bank should accept it.
Staff described the parcel as approximately 25 by 100 feet (about 2,951 square feet), heavily treed and lying in the Lime Creek floodplain, and recommended Land Bank acceptance for cleanup and potential consolidation with neighboring parcels. "It's almost too narrow even with amended zoning regulations to be developable," staff said, noting adjacent lots and county-owned parcels nearby.
Commissioners expressed concern about the city's mowing liability, the lot's usefulness in the floodplain and whether acceptance would simply increase maintenance obligations. One commissioner said, "It's in the flood zone. It's only 2,900 square feet. You can't do nothing with it." The motion to have the land bank accept the donation was recorded in the transcript and the vote was reported as 3 to 1 against acceptance.
Following that vote a commissioner moved to put the donation back on the next land bank agenda and to contact adjacent property owners about donating their parcels together; that motion passed and was recorded as approved. Staff said if multiple adjoining parcels are donated together the combined property might be developable or more useful for public purposes.
Why it matters: Transfer of small, encumbered parcels to a land bank affects long‑term property management, maintenance obligations and potential redevelopment opportunities. The commission opted to seek a larger, consolidated parcel rather than take a single narrow lot that would impose maintenance costs.
What’s next: The item will return to the Land Bank agenda in May, and staff will contact adjacent owners to explore a multi‑lot donation or coordinated transfer.
