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Homeowners, staff and council begin talks on selling small trail‑adjacent city parcels
Summary
Staff reviewed a 2006 agreement allowing homeowners to use city parcels adjacent to a trail as private backyard; many adjacent homeowners said they maintain the parcels and are willing to buy them. Council asked staff to negotiate prices and survey logistics and return with options, including using sale proceeds to cover survey/recording fees.
Staff summarized a 2006 agreement that allowed adjacent homeowners to use certain city‑owned parcels adjacent to a trail as backyard space if they maintained them. Many homeowners said they have maintained those areas for years and showed interest in purchasing the parcels to resolve boundary uncertainty and vest clear title.
Homeowners described existing fences, sheds and long‑standing maintenance. Several said the land is effectively their backyard and asked staff to refine per‑lot square‑foot prices and whether the city could absorb or spread survey and recording fees. One homeowner described the parcels as effectively "unusable for any purpose" other than private backyard use and said that, in that context, the homeowner price should reflect limited marketability.
Councilors proposed valuation and payment options: staff presented preliminary square‑foot estimates from a realtor and survey cost estimates; council discussed using the lower per‑lot price column in staff materials and suggested the city could apply sale proceeds to pay survey/recording fees to acknowledge homeowners’ maintenance ("sweat equity"). Council gave direction for staff (and an assigned council contact) to negotiate directly with homeowners on exact parcel boundaries, pricing, and survey logistics and to return with recommended terms.
What’s next: Staff will solicit parcel‑level surveys as needed, refine prices, and negotiate sale terms with interested homeowners, then return to council with recommended actions.
