5/25/07 - County begins process to seize house for office building parking

(As published by Cortland Standard, Corey Preston reporting)

The Cortland County Legislature voted Thursday to begin the process of seeking to acquire a property next to the County Office Building, a move that could ultimately yield between 25 and 30 additional parking spaces and could cost about $187,000.

Questions lingered about how much the county will ultimately have to pay for the property, whether the impact will be worth the cost and potential legal complexities with the acquisition, but legislators were assured that, as those questions are answered, they would again have the chance to consider the acquisitions.

Thursday’s 16-2 vote authorized County Attorney Ric Van Donsel to move forward with seeking to acquire the property at 13-15 Elm St., which comprises two houses and a garage on an 80-foot-by-156-foot lot owned by Pierre Beaudry, through eminent domain.

“That house is a mess and someone’s got to clean that property up,” said Legislator Ron Van Dee (D-5th Ward). “This gives the county attorney a chance to go forward and negotiate.”

The property, which has been condemned by the county Health Department and has accrued $33,777 in back taxes owed to the city, would be used to expand the County Office Building parking lot, County Administrator Scott Schrader said.

The property would provide between 25 and 30 additional spaces in the lot, Schrader guessed, although he said an engineering design would need to be done to maximize the parking on the parcel.

Initial acquisition discussions included discussion of placing a new emergency generator on the parcel, but Schrader said that the generator would be placed closer to the building and that the parcel in question would only be used for parking.

THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM THE 5/9/07 CORTLAND STANDARD ARTICLE (SEE BELOW)

PURCHASED THE GENERATOR LAST FALL? I DON'T THINK SO!

Responding to questions about the ultimate cost of the property, Schrader and County Attorney Ric Van Donsel said a judge would determine fair market value for the property, likely based on appraisals offered by the county and by the property owner.

Schrader suggested after the meeting that the property’s current assessed value of $187,500 was as good a guess at a starting point as any in terms of the final ruling, but added that several mitigating factors, including that the property has been condemned, could influence the final valuation.

“The first step is to obtain the value so we know where we’re headed,” Van Donsel said. “Once we get an appraisal, we can come back and talk about the numbers.”

Should the potential cost of the property outweigh the positive impact, the county doesn’t have to move forward, Van Donsel said.