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Council approves three orphan‑parcel sales after staff stipulations and surveys
Summary
The council approved resolutions directing staff to proceed with three orphan‑parcel sales — to Jared Carmen, Craig Johansen and Rick Louder — with stipulations including surveys, maintenance agreements and setback decisions; two votes were unanimous and one passed 4–1 after discussion on a no‑build line.
Highland City Council on July 7 approved three separate resolutions directing staff to move forward with the sale of small, city‑owned 'orphan' parcels adjacent to private properties, a process staff said is now governed by new state notice requirements for disposal of public real property.
The three items were presented together by staff (Jay, speaker 11) as part of a new process for handling small parcels the city no longer needs. Key points for each sale:
- Jared Carmen (Viewpoint subdivision): staff described an approximate 1,300‑square‑foot strip the applicant requested to purchase, with estimated proceeds of about $7,500. Stipulations included a required boundary survey and coordination with public works to cap and reroute sprinklers and to comply with park‑strip planting rules. Council approved the resolution 5–0.
- Craig Johansen: staff said the parcel behind his house is about 1,500 square feet and would generate about $17,000; staff included conditions to preserve a 20‑foot corridor (10‑foot trail plus buffers) and noted pressurized irrigation impact fees of roughly $750 would apply. Council preserved the existing 25‑foot no‑build setback location pending further discussion and approved the sale resolution 4–1.
- Rick and (Mrs.) Louder: staff recommended selling a small triangular parcel and additional areas where encroachment has occurred. Staff previously estimated roughly 1,000 square feet subject to survey; final acreage and price would be set by a survey to be paid for by the applicant. Rick Louder spoke to flooding and erosion issues on his lot and said his intent was to shore up the bank and install a berm for protection. Council directed staff to require a survey to define usable versus non‑usable area, to reconcile encroachment measurements, and approved the resolution to proceed with the sale contingent on the survey (motion passed 5–0).
In several of the discussions, council members stressed the value of keeping some proceeds local to neighborhoods and of using sale proceeds for boundary delineation or fences where encroachment has been recurring.
What happens next: staff will post property notices as required by state law, have applicants complete surveys and bring final sale contracts back to council for final approval and closing.
