Alexander council clears way for two potential development projects

Alexander council members approved two legal actions that should result in both commercial and residential development. One is along Cornerstone Road. The other is the vacant half of a block surrounded by E. 1^st. Street, E. 2^nd. Street, A.C. Wallace Avenue, and Main Street.

As previously reported, Mayor Paul Mitchell needed the council to approve an ordinance giving him the authority to sign-off on a quitclaim deed. The deed involves two lots along Cornerstone Road near Central Avenue.

According to Mitchell in July 2016 Doug and Cindy Loften filed a quitclaim deed with the Saline County Recorder giving the City of Alexander those two lots. The problem is one, they didn’t alert city officials of the gift; and two, the finance company was foreclosing; ie. it wasn’t theirs to give away.

All this came to light when someone tried to buy the property for development. The ordinance gives ownership of the property to the finance company. It can now be sold to the developer.

The second ordinance vacates a strip of city easement, designated as an alley approximately seven to eight feet wide, and gives ownership of it to Bartolo Martinez Lozada. The easement runs between E. 1^st and E. 2^nd streets at the rear of the vacant lots, which face A.C. Wallace Avenue. According to the ordinance Lozada intends to sell the property to Heritage Homes.

There have been discussions with city officials as to the requirements for building two duplexes and an apartment building on the property but nothing official has been brought to the planning commission. Vacating the easement will provide more room for the development.

Each ordinance required not only a majority vote to pass but a two-thirds vote of the council to suspend with the requirement to read the ordinances at three separate meetings. Two-thirds of the eight-member council is six. Each ordinance also included an “Emergency Clause” which allows them to go into effect immediately instead of waiting 90 days. That also required a two-thirds vote.

There were six members of the council present at the September 17 meeting. All of them voted “Yes” on each motion. Present at the meeting were Joe Pollard, Juanita Wilson, Harold Timmerman, Dan Church, Melissa Ratliff, and Jeff Watson. Absent were Joy Grey and Elizabeth Bland. Any absent members are counted as “No” votes.

During the public comment portion of the meeting the council was asked for permission to use the abandoned building on the former Human Development Center property as a haunted house during the Halloween season. Mayor Mitchell said he will consult the city attorney on liability issues.

The next regular meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, October 15. Meetings start at 6 PM and are held in the courtroom at Alexander City Hall. The public is invited to attend.