1 week Ago By Jordan Green
The Longview City Council on Thursday voted against a proposal to purchase land in downtown that could have been used to expand the Heritage Plaza event venue. The council voted 3-2 against buying a 1/3-acre parking lot between the U.S.
Post Office at 201 E. Methvin St. and the plaza at 219 E.
Methvin St. The property would have cost $150,000 and would have been a “good deal” for the property owner and the city, Mayor Kristen Ishihara said. Had the deal gone through, the property owner would have been able to obtain an income tax deduction, and city staff said the property could be used for a playground, green space and restrooms for the adjacent plaza.
However, because the council voted not to purchase the property Thursday, it’s unclear whether the city will be able to purchase it in the future. The proposal before the council was the result of an agreement between the city and the property owner, which online property records show to be Alston Diversified Investments. City Manager Rolin McPhee said the owner called him and said he’d like to sell the property before the end of the year and that he had other offers for it.
The owner also said he wanted to sell it to the city because of its proximity to Heritage Plaza. McPhee sent a letter to council members about the proposal in November. A photo shown at the Thursday meeting of the Longview City Council shows a parcel of land that city council members voted not to purchase for future expansion of Heritage Plaza.
(Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo) Shawn Hara, the city’s director of community destinations, said Heritage Plaza hosts about 16 events per year and could use more space. The parking lot could provide space for restrooms, storage and parking. He also said the site could be used to build a playground for families living in the downtown area, and improvements to the property could be funded in future budgets.
The money for the property purchase would have come from reserve funds, which city leaders have been wary of using because of the city’s tight budget. The city has faced inflationary costs and is eyeing projects such as a new pool at Stamper Park, which is expected to cost roughly $6 million . Originally, $3.
5 million was budgeted for the project. Ishihara said she supported the property purchase because the owner was selling the land to the city for less than it is worth. "We've internally, with the city, valued it at a higher value than we will be purchasing it for,” she said.
“So, if I am the seller and am selling it to the city for $150,000, and let's say it's worth $250,000 when I file my taxes, I get to take a $100,000 deduction off of my income. So, it'd be beneficial to the owner in a hypothetical situation.” Ishihara said the property “wouldn’t be super marketable” to another person.
District 3 Councilman Wray Wade said he supported the purchase of the property, saying it would allow for future growth of Heritage Plaza. Longview Mayor Kristen Ishihara and District 4 City Councilman John Nustad are shown during Thursday's meeting of the Longview City Council. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo) District 1 Councilman Derrick Conley said he was concerned about spending more of the city’s reserve funds.
The city’s reserve fund balance was expected to total $29.63 million at the end of the previous fiscal year in September. District 6 Councilman Steve Pirtle said he couldn’t support the measure because council members need to discuss it further.
He also questioned whether the purchase would be a “good deal” for the city. He said council members should discuss it in January. “I kind of know some of the good deal that's going on with this piece of property,” he said.
"If it's a good deal, I think all of us, all seven of us, could sit down and talk about it at that point, unless it's going to go off the market tomorrow, which I doubt it, knowing some of the circumstances of it.” Ishihara and District 4 Councilman John Nustad voted for the proposal, while Conley, Pirtle and District 2 Councilwoman Shannon Moore voted against it. Wade abstained, and District 5 Councilwoman Michelle Gamboa was not present at the meeting.
District 6 Councilman Steve Pirtle speaks during Thursday's meeting of the Longview City Council. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal Photo) After the vote, Nustad said the council should have taken the opportunity to purchase the land, and Wade said the council wouldn’t have an opportunity to purchase land in the area “anytime in the near future.” McPhee said he was unaware that any council members opposed the deal.
Moore said she didn’t believe the vote not to purchase the property was a deal-killer and would like to discuss it further in the future. McPhee said he would speak with the property owner Friday. “He did say it was imperative for him, and I have no knowledge of his personal finances, to do it before the end of the year, and this is our last council meeting,” he said.
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