Prior Lake approves selling three city lots, two on the lake, for park repairs
Updated Oct. 28: The council approved taking the Manitou Road parcel out of the Raspberry Woods Park plan on its consent agenda Oct. 27, and the Sept. 22 minutes record the sale vote as 5-0.
On Tuesday night, the Prior Lake City Council released three parcels the city has owned since 1994, two of them on the lake, from park and stormwater use and authorized the city manager to proceed with selling them. The resolution passed 5-0 after a public hearing. It also directed staff to prepare a comprehensive plan amendment taking the Manitou Road parcel out of the Raspberry Woods Park area.
The staff report ties the idea to last November’s $60 million parks and trails referendum, which failed. The report says residents want park maintenance done but not through a referendum, so staff looked at options other than raising the tax levy.
Two of the parcels sit on the 14300 block of Shady Beach Trail NE. Together they cover about 0.7 acres, much of it below the 904-foot ordinary high water level, and staff expects a survey to show 0.3 to 0.35 buildable acres. Staff recommends combining them and selling them as one single-family lot. For the third, about 1.81 acres on the 14900 block of Manitou Road NE, staff recommends splitting it into house lots matching the neighborhood.
The city received the land from the state as tax-forfeited property in 1994 for park and stormwater use, and staff says the deed restrictions expired after 30 years. The report counts three parcels returning to the tax roll and potentially four new buildable lots.
The council approved that amendment on its consent agenda Tuesday, Oct. 27, after the Planning Commission recommended it 4-0.
What's next: The city will send the park plan change to the Metropolitan Council for review. Staff recommends selling by sealed bids, and the council must act again before any parcel is sold.
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