Holding pattern: Parkersburg Urban Renewal Authority takes no action on housing offer
Parkersburg URA takes no action on housing offer
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PARKERSBURG -- Sitting as the Urban Renewal Authority, members of Parkersburg City Council took no action on an $80,000 offer for a house on which the city spent nearly $250,000.
Between acquisition, demolition of existing structures and purchase and installation of the modular homes at 906 15th St. and 1115 E. 12th St. as part of its Affordable Housing Initiative, the city spent $500,000 in federal HOME funds, Development Director Ryan Barber said after the meeting.
Because of that funding source, the houses must be sold to buyers who will live in the house and are at or below 80 percent of the area's median income.
City officials have long said they would not get out of the houses as much as they spent on them.
Calvin and Ruby Cottrell made the $80,000 offer on the 15th Street house. Councilwoman Wendy Tuck, in whose district the house sits, recommended council accept.
"I know that we had hoped to get a bigger offer for that house," she said. "Although it does seem low, it seems like it's a reasonable offer for this property at this location."
She cited other houses in the area which she said were comparable and sold for between $35,000 and $85,000.
But Council President Zach Stanley said a couple other houses that were more like the one the city is selling went for about $100,000 each. He noted the house was on the market for about 30 days and said the city should see if it gets other offers.
"Sometimes you take your first offer and you regret it later," URA Chairwoman Sharon Kuhl said.
Kuhl said the Cottrells submitted a letter citing some concerns with the property, including an air conditioner leak, water in the backyard and a sidewalk in poor condition. Kuhl said the leak had been fixed and estimated the other issues could be addressed for less than $1,000.
She said the letter also said the couple reserved the right to make a higher offer before any were accepted. Tuck said she believed that was because they expected another party to make an offer which did not materialize.
Councilman J.R. Carpenter made a motion to table the question for three months but withdrew it after Stanley spoke against setting a specific time limit.
"If we get an offer tomorrow, and it's a great offer, I'm not going to sit and wait three months," he said.
Carpenter also suggested the city should look into using the house as an incentive to entice certified police officers to come work for the department. Once they served a specified amount of time, the city could sign the house over to them. In turn, he said, there would be a police presence in a neighborhood the city hopes to improve.
Kuhl said she liked the idea, but it is unlikely a police officer would meet the income qualifications.
With no vote on the offer, the house will remain on the market. Barber said if it is unsold for nine months, it could be converted to a rental, still subject to the income guidelines.
The URA also took no action on an application to sell a dilapidated property at 814 Swann St. The original appraised fair market value was $20,000, but the demolition cost of approximately $12,750 was not subtracted, as has been prior practice.
City Planner Connor LaVelle said he and Assistant City Attorney Rob Tebay spoke with owner Alicia Galluccio, who agreed to accept $8,000. But URA members were still reluctant to agree to that price.
"We've never paid $8,000 for a piece of property," Kuhl said. "We're about to pay $12,000 on top of that to get it demoed."
At a regular council meeting prior to the URA session, members voted 8-0 to approve the final readings of ordinances allowing property owners to link a parcel with an accessory structure like a garage to the main parcel by a deed restriction rather than consolidation and clarifying that off-street parking and loading requirements do not apply in the downtown central business district.
Councilman Mike Reynolds was absent, and Councilman Austin Richards participated by phone.
In the public forum, Terri Goodnow, with Renee's Birkenstock Shoes, thanked council for approving and renewing a business and occupation tax exemption to provide relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. She asked them to consider phasing out the tax entirely.
"I believe that would give the small businesses the option of picking up the user fee for some of their employees that don't get 40 hours," she said.
Parkersburg resident Doug Kreinik asked council to consider regulations for fireworks use, citing people setting off pyrotechnics before and after the Fourth of July despite it being prohibited in the city.
"Please consider requiring citizens to be licensed to have their bombs bursting in our city," he said.
Janie Baer and Pastor Ray Eubanks III spoke against a recent U.S. District Court decision prohibiting council from saying the Lord's Prayer just prior to the start of its meetings. They are part of a group that has been saying the prayer in council chambers before meetings since the decision was announced.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.