Council to discuss sale of park-side land

Deirdre Newman

The City Council tonight will debate whether to ask the county for

permission to sell slivers of Fairview Park to property owners who

have been using the land as extensions of their own backyards.

The council has not yet voted on whether to sell the slivers.

Tonight’s discussion is just one of the first steps of the process

necessary to do so. The council will also consider asking the county

to allow the city to keep the proceeds from the sales to buy

additional park property elsewhere in the city.

Tim Cromwell, one of the residents whose land has encroached on

the park, said he’s glad the council is at least starting the process

to sell the slivers.

“We were expecting this,” Cromwell said. “I’m not surprised. This

is what’s been planned from the time when we first met with the

council.”

The encroachments by Swan Drive homeowners, west of Placentia

Avenue, include block walls, wooden and chain-link fences, planters

and other landscaping. Seventeen homeowners have exceeded their

property limits, from less than a foot to more than 22 feet.

When the city bought the parkland from the county in 1986, the

purchase agreement required the city to get the county’s approval if

it ever wanted to sell any of that land.

For the city to even consider selling the swaths, all the

encroachers have to agree to buy them. Otherwise, there could be

land-locked parcels that would be impossible to reach or maintain.

On Feb. 4, public services staff members met with 15 of the

property owners. All were agreeable with the series of events that

have to take place before any property can be sold, according to the

staff report.

Former mayor Sandra Genis said she is disappointed that the city

is considering selling the slivers.

“I’m trying to figure out what in the world could motivate the

city to do that,” Genis said. “To me, it’s horrendous. We’re always

looking for more open space. Granted, it’s not the best, but there

have been plans in the past to create a natural channel there. Once

the people take that land, it’ll never happen.”

Public Services Director Bill Morris anticipates that it will cost

$93,000 and take about two and a half years for staff members to

provide the council with all the information it will need to decide

whether to sell.

Councilwoman Libby Cowan said she is surprised this issue is even

on the agenda given the council had not yet voted on whether to sell

the land. She said she was not interested in pursuing the sale of

this land.

“I am not interested in selling the property. I’m not interested

in whether or not the county will let us sell,” Cowan said. “I’m

hoping to convince my fellow council members that this is a very bad

precedent to set for the city to be selling land of such a valuable

property.

“And I think that to ask the staff to make this a priority project

and expend all the time and energy, which costs money in this time of

fiscal constraint, is irresponsible with our budgetary money,” she

said.