Title
RESOLUTION OF INTENT TO SELL OR CONVEY CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY IN THE MORLEY HEIGHTS/PARKVIEW NEIGHBORHOOD.
Body
CITY PROPOSAL:
WHEREAS, Section 2-176(a) of the Duluth City Code, 1959, as amended, requires that prior to any city-owned property being offered for sale or conveyance, the city council shall, by resolution, state its intention to sell or convey such property.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Duluth city council hereby states its intention to offer for sale or conveyance real property in the city of Duluth legally described on the attached Exhibit A and depicted on the attached Exhibit B.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: The purpose of this resolution is to state the city’s intent to sell certain real property in the Morely Heights/Parkview neighborhood located off Vermilion Rd. The real property proposed to be sold is a 2.85 acre tract of land (the “Property”) lying within two city-owned parcels. The city acquired a majority of the Property in 2023 from Park Hill Cemetery Association (the city has owned the other portion of the Property since 1928). It was later discovered that a portion of the property purchased from Park Hill Cemetery Association contained Soldiers Rest, a burial space for soldiers within the Park Hill Cemetery, as well as an organic compost site. The Property should not have been included in the 2023 transaction, and the city desires to convey it to Park Hill Cemetery so that it can be owned and operated appropriately. Park Hill Cemetery Association is willing to convey replacement land in exchange for the Property, which is depicted on map attached as Exhibit C (see green outlined area). The Property is outlined in black on the attached Exhibit C.
The city’s planning department reviewed the proposed sale or conveyance for conformity to the city’s comprehensive plan and determined that a sale or conveyance of the property conforms with said comprehensive plan and the property is surplus to the city’s future needs. The letter of conformity is attached as Exhibit D.
According to the St. Louis County assessor, the real property intended to be sold has a current estimated market value of $862 per acre. City staff do not believe this figure is accurate. The city obtained an appraisal at the time of acquisition from park Hill Cemetery Association and the property was appraised at $12,575 per acre (purchase price was approximately $12,087 per acre).