05-22-1979 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR 21EETI*IG OF THE ORONO COUNCIL, t1AY 22 , 1979 Page 8 I think that this position is adverse to our TAX FORF�IT LAND* zoning Policies and could easily lead to a third (Continued) party variance request on an extremely small lot. The:petitioner suffers by delay and uncertainty. We have three options : 1. Retain all small parcels as done in the past. This burdens the City with unneeded property. This prohibits the adjoining owners from purchasing the property and returning it to • the tax roles. 2. Release all parcels unconditionally. This may be construed as a defacto variance. A clause could be added such that "Release of this parcel does not guarantee that it is a buildable lot. Parcels of substandard lot size may have to be combined with adjoining parcels before development will be permitted" . The County rlay or may not accept such a state- ment. They rejected this condition as used in Resolution #1013, adopted r�arch 13, 1979. 3. The City can purchase any tax forfeit lot and then resell it to anyone for any purpose that the City desires. In this option, the City has the most control for land use purposes, • but also the rnost administrative time invested. lhe procedurs would be as follows: a. Recepit of request from adjacent property owner (as in the past) b. Staff contacts Hennepin County to determine purchase cost including all back taxes and assessments: $X c. Staff notifies all other adjacent landowners that purchase is requested d. Staff prepares standard purchase agreerlent between City and buyer and obtains escrow for full amount of purchase cost ($X + $200) including: 1. Cost of lot to City $X 2. City attorney costs (estirlated at $150 per transaction) 3. City staff costs (estimated at $100 per transaction) e. City purchases lot from County f. City quit claims lot to buyer � (Continued)