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Council approves sale of small city‑owned strip after planning‑commission concerns; public raises appraisal questions
Summary
Council members approved the disposition of an approximately 880‑square‑foot strip of land (item 4.5) after staff explained the property is burdened by a storm drain and the appraisal followed state procedures; a public commenter urged further valuation review and cited planning commission concerns.
The Larkspur City Council approved the sale of a small sliver of city‑owned land (item 4.5) during its Sept. 3 meeting after staff explained the parcel includes a city storm drain and that the disposition process followed state appraisal procedures.
The proposal would transfer the surface ownership of the narrow strip to the adjoining property owner while the city records an easement to protect access to the storm drain. At a council request, staff explained older towns often retain small historic parcels and that, in this case, recording an easement preserves the city’s rights to maintain the infrastructure while allowing the property to be consolidated with the neighboring parcel for surface use.
Resident Jason Holmes urged the council to delay action until the planning commission’s three‑ to four‑page list of concerns and the full appraisal supporting the low price (cited in public comment as $7,200) could be reviewed. Holmes raised issues including valuation methodology, whether comparables used were appropriate, whether the easement is sufficiently wide, and uncertainty about the drain’s condition.
Staff and the city attorney responded that appraisal and disposition of small parcels are “fairly prescribed by law” and that appraisers account for constraints such as storm infrastructure; the city attorney noted the property is “burdened with a city storm drain,” which restricts the owner’s use and reduces market value. Staff also said any increase in the parcel’s value over time would be captured through property tax assessments and that the city had set aside funds to cover eminent‑domain related costs if necessary.
After council discussion expressing trust in the appraisal process and acknowledgment of the planning commission’s points, the council voted in favor of the sale with no abstentions.
What happened next: the approved action allows staff to proceed with the disposition consistent with state law and to finalize monetary awards through the eminent‑domain procedure if required; any further disputes over compensation are part of that process.
