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Weed council declares 150 Alamo Avenue surplus after heated public debate over library and proposed health clinic
Summary
The Weed City Council voted 5 0to 00 to declare 150 Alamo Avenue surplus property after extensive public comment opposing any move that could displace the library and after a Mountain Valley Health Centers representative outlined plans to add pharmacy, dental and behavioral-health services.
The Weed City Council voted to declare 150 Alamo Avenue surplus property, a procedural step staff says is required before the city can negotiate a sale, after a more-than-two-hour public discussion about the fate of the library and a nonprofit health center'9s proposal.
Acting city staff described the parcel as exempt from certain Surplus Land Act notice requirements because it is under a half-acre and not contiguous to qualifying open space. Legal counsel advised that notifying the state Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) is still required for exempt parcels before a sale may proceed.
Shannon Garrig, CEO of Mountain Valley Health Centers, outlined a vision to restore pharmacy service to Weed and add dental and behavioral health care in the same building. "The vision that I have for the building would really truly to bring pharmacy services into Weed again," she said, adding that licensing and set-up could take months and would not be immediate.
Community speakers — librarians, volunteers and longtime patrons — urged the council to keep the library in place or guarantee an equivalent relocation. Volunteer librarian Devon Hanson told the council she had collected 942 petition signatures opposing a sale. "This building is an absolute must for this community," Hanson said.
Council members and staff repeatedly said the declaration is an early procedural step to allow negotiations and that there is no current sale offer. Acting city staff also reviewed the building'9s acquisition history and costs; staff said the city purchased the building with $120,000 from the dissolving Friends of the Library group and additional city funds (staff cited an approximate $270,000 total purchase contribution), and that estimated repairs and renovations to city facilities have placed pressure on municipal finances.
After hearing public comment and staff input, a council member moved to adopt the resolution declaring the property surplus; the motion passed by council vote and was recorded as 5 0to 00 in favor.
Next steps identified by staff include notifying HCD as required for exempt parcels and, if no statutory impediment appears, beginning negotiations or marketing the property. The council did not take any final sale or purchase action at the meeting.
