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Local law advanced to transfer remnant parcel to AIDA for rails-to-trails link, senior housing project
Summary
Committee advanced a local law to convey a narrow remnant parcel (valued at $1 by county real property) to the Amsterdam/ Montgomery IDA to secure a $375,000 rails-to-trails grant and clear title for a planned 66-unit senior housing development at the former Curtis Lumber site.
The Education and Governance Committee forwarded a local law authorizing conveyance of a small, narrow remnant parcel to the Amsterdam/Montgomery IDA (AIDA) to the full Montgomery County Legislature after an extended discussion of the parcel’s role in a trails and housing project.
Committee members said the parcel — a thin strip of land that runs behind a Dunkin’ Donuts property and along Kellogg Street adjacent to an active rail corridor — had been held by a now-defunct economic development corporation and carried a negligible assessed value. Real property staff told the committee the remnant strip has been valued at $1 for transfer purposes. AIDA representatives said they need the parcel to meet grant requirements to complete a rails-to-trails project and to clear title for a planned 66-unit senior housing development at the old Curtis Lumber Company site on Edward Street.
Mr. Maney and Mr. Emanuel, speaking for AIDA and the project team, described a rails-to-trails grant award of approximately $375,000 that would fund trail work connecting Vroman (Vroman) Avenue to the project area and make a safe pedestrian connection toward the Kellogg Street corridor. They said the housing developer expects to reapply for federal or state tax credits this year after losing earlier credits to projects in a different subregion; AIDA staff said they are “almost definite” they will secure the tax credits this year and that the parcel’s ownership is required to satisfy grant and title conditions.
County counsel and real property staff advised that transferring the parcel to AIDA will clear a title issue that has blocked the agency’s ability to proceed. Committee members voted to advance the local law to the full board. AIDA representatives said that even if the housing project were not funded, the rails-to-trails improvements would proceed as a public asset.
The committee record identifies the parcel by tax map number only; additional site and title documents were not included in the meeting record. The committee agreed to forward the local law to the full board for final action.
