Well, who will buy this land?
City officials in Coeur d'Alene will sell this elongated piece of property - almost an acre on W. Neider Avenue. (RALPH BARTHOLDT/Press)
By RALPH BARTHOLDT
Staff Writer
COEUR d’ALENE — The city will sell a chunk of land on West Neider Avenue that will bend a witching stick, but isn’t suitable for a well site.
The City Council agreed Tuesday to put on the auction block almost an acre located on a sweeping turn at 601 W. Neider Ave. after it was unable to find land to trade for the parcel.
The city wants $40,000 for the elongated property, and the money has to be returned to the capital fund, where it could be used to buy a well site elsewhere, according to the city.
Kyle Marine, the city’s assistant water superintendent, said the .825-acre parcel wedged between Neider and Fruitland Lane was purchased in the late 1990s as a possible well site to bolster the city’s future water production. A test well at the site showed too much fine sand, making it unsuitable for a high-production well.
“We hung on to the property for some time hoping that we could develop that well,” Marine said. “The technology and expense are not worthwhile to continue with that site.”
Council member Dan English wondered if the city couldn’t hold on to the property as a future site for low-income housing. The land is wedged beside a mobile home park and three residential properties.
“If there’s a way to do something for low-income housing this at least would give us an option,” English said.
Mayor Steve Widmyer said the city notified area nonprofits of the property’s availability. Under state code the land must be made available to anyone, although it may fall under community block grant guidelines. By partnering with a nonprofit for the federal money, the land could potentially be used to develop low-income housing space.
Habitat for Humanity director James Casper said the property would be attractive to groups like his and asked the city to consider partnering with nonprofits to sell the land before putting it up for auction.
“It could be worth a significant value at market,” Casper said.
Council members voted to surplus the property for $40,000, making it available to be sold at auction, and relieving the city of its liability, and its shortfalls as a well site.
“By transferring the property to private ownership, we can get rid of the parcel that currently brings no value to the city,” Marine wrote in his staff report to the council.